Rega AYA My most requested review

Added: 2026-05-30

[00:00:00]Hello and welcome to Cheshure Audio. Now then, this is this is a sort of a semi-re.

[00:00:05]Um, and it's actually probably the most requested review of all I think in all the time I've been doing this. I've had phone calls and emails and all sorts and saying why haven't you whatever. So, here we go. Um, what it is, I've got a pair of Rayers, which bit controversial with me that one. I mean, I've sort of I might have said this before. Um, I love RIA speakers of everything they've ever made. I've loved really. I've owned a couple of pairs of riggers over the years. Um, and yeah, there's something about the way they present the music which I really like and really suits the main sort of body of music I listen to as well. Um the A is I we'll do a walk around in a minute actually, but I I saw sort of what I assume was a bit of a prototype um early days on these when they came out when they were coming out and quite like the look of them, but when you sort of look closely, I didn't think the finish was particularly brilliant.

[00:01:03]It was a bit odd. And it's partly because the cabinets are made of. Well, this harks back to the problems that lots of manufacturers have been having problems with having decent quality cabinets manufactured to a sensible price. It's it's right across the sort of British audio industry. This uh one of the big manufacturers um decided he wanted much bigger quantities from manufacturers and the Brit this industry isn't big enough to to cope with it. So, a lot of companies had to pull out of using this particular manufacturer and find other ways to get the cabinets made um and obviously not wanting to go to China because that's almost seen as giving in to you know whatever. So, um bit by bit they all found different manufacturers and different sort of around and about Europe or UK to to do the cabinets. Ria, as is Ria's way, decided that perhaps they could find another way to make a cabinet. Um, we saw this first with the kite, which uses like I think it's I think last time I when I actually did a review of the kit, I think I said it was like a phenolic resin. It's a bit like the material they make the the hub the hubs out of on the bearings. Not totally convinced it is, but it's I'm sure I've read it somewhere or been told that it's that's what it is. It's like it's like a almost like bakery.

[00:02:21]Uh so it's cheaper to manufacture uh which means you can spend more on the drivers and all that sort of thing and also it's very dead as well. So it works it works quite well as a cabinet.

[00:02:30]What it isn't is pretty um it's not you know not to everybody's taste really.

[00:02:36]Same with the AS. Now the AS are a step above really because they use um and I should look this up first but classic me I didn't. I think it's glass reinforced concrete as the main cabinet. The front looks more like um I'm I'm guessing now because I hadn't actually uh read up on this. The front face, which we'll show you in a sec, where the drivers are mounted, looks more like um what would you call it? It's Yeah, it almost looks like a sort of a glass fiber type material of some sort. I don't think it's the same as the main part of the cab. I need to walk around it when we'll talk about this when I walk around it really because I'm I'm just sort of talking about things you can't see. Um but the result the the result from the front is quite an elegant design. Um behind you have the sort of body of the cabinet which is made out of this glass reinforced concrete. Uh it's look beautiful and smooth and shapely and all this sort of thing and it's a nice it's a nice thing until you look closely at it and I just and the early early version with these that I saw I just didn't think it was acceptable. I thought people are going to come in they're going to look at it and say nope. Um because nowadays nowadays that's much more important than it used to be. In the 80s um a lot of hi-fi I was talking to somebody the other day about this actually. A lot of hi-fi in the 80s just looked like somebody you know quite big manufacturers particularly electronics just looked as though somebody had been to the local electronic spares suppliers and bought all generic parts and bundled them together and made an amplifier out of it. And that's what people kind of have expected and almost, you know, you know, that was sort of how it was.

[00:04:19]Nowadays, you can't get away with that.

[00:04:20]Things have got to look slick. They've got to look like they're worth the money. They've got to, you know, be whatever, whatever. um and speakers more so you know the it always used to be the finish choices were you usually just either teak or sometimes teak and black whereas nowadays it's you know a lot a lot of speaker manufacturers offering sort of four five six finishes so when I saw these I thought this might have swung a few years ago but not now um it's because it's a natural material You're also getting little pockets in it like where there was a bubble in the mix and that sort of thing. And I thought I'm just not going to. So I put off ordering any really. I thought I'm not going to get a pair. I'll just let's just see what the demand's like. Bit by bit. I sold a few. Actually, I've had people just ring it up and saying, "Can I have a pair?" And I said, "Well, yeah, okay. I don't do because the finish, but but well, I don't care about the finish." And generally people don't seem to be bothered at all. So, um I sorted the other day I was putting an order together and I just thought let's get a pair of ears. So, they're here. Um I actually think that the better this this pair are better than the ones I saw initially. Uh the finish is much more to a standard. Um I'll show you around in a minute, but there's still an element of it looking a bit I won't in a minute.

[00:05:48]Now, as far as the sound of these goes, um they sound like a speaker, which is about the best thing you can say about them actually. Um I don't think I'm not going to give a a sort of final, um statement on these really because I don't think these are run in yet.

[00:06:07]They've they're doing all the sort of mid-band stuff that RIA speakers are so good at like acoustic guitar and vocal and that sort of thing. It's absolutely enchanting. It's a RIA thing. It's what they're good at. Um, they still feel as though the upper base is a bit congested somehow. There's almost as though it can't quite escape the box, but I've been trying them with a few different times. They've been running downstairs for a bit. I just feel as though they need a bit more room. So, any I can't really comment properly on these yet.

[00:06:35]Um, saying that the few pairs I've sold I've had some really positive feedback uh from um and they've replaced some quite you know quite reasonable speak people have sort of upgraded to these from other speakers that were really well regarded and much preferring the the ears. So they they are doing their thing.

[00:06:57]And I actually sort of I'm sort of sitting here thinking we're listening to them thinking these are £1,500 pair of speakers. That's not a lot of money nowadays for a floor stander. If these had a conventional cabinet, a choice of finishes um and all the pretty things that people expect nowadays. They wouldn't be £1,500. These were I would I suspect there are three way Well, either a three or a two and a half. I haven't looked that up either. Way. So there's uh bass, mid, treble drivers, all different sizes. So it's not like sometimes you get two and a halfways where there's two but two bass drivers have a slightly different crossover. Um you're buying a lot of stuff for for £1,500. I think if they like I said cabinets with whatever finishes what that sort of thing, they could be £3,000. I mean really that's what you would kind of expect for the performance of them for the actual spec of the drivers.

[00:07:51]you know, there's a certain amount of design about them, but if yeah, cabinetry would probably double it really if you went to Yeah, particularly the way things are going, the way things the prices are going up. Um, I know a lot a lot of manufacturers were starting to have to put big big increases onto the speaker range is just to try and keep up with the cost of the cabinets.

[00:08:10]So, um, RIA speakers, I mean, I do feel it's difficult with RA. I've always loved them, but they've never sold that well. I think I think Ria would RIA would agree actually. Um, RIA have made speakers since end of 90s. Would it be mid '90s, end of 90s? That sort of thing. I think the original kites were about 90 the middle middle 90s. I don't think they're any earlier than that. I'll probably prove I've not again not looked it up. Today's a bit of a r Today's been a bit of a rush because I've not This is the first um video I've done for two weeks. Um partly because I broke um my st my camera stand. Partly because I've been getting a lot of phone calls, which is great. Um but quite extended phone calls and you sort of you sit and the phone goes, you answer the phone, you're on the phone for an hour, you go and try and do something else, then the phone rings and then you're on for another half. And it's good because in from a business point of view it's good and from the point of view of me working on my own it's great but then you get to towards the end of day and you think I better do a video and look at it's half four. Um no time I'll do it tomorrow and then the same thing happens the next day. So it's that's it's good because it's sort of activity but I must I do have a few people who ring me just for a chat and I love it but I can't get anything done. So anyway, whatever. Um, that wasn't a complaint by the way. That was just an observation. So yeah, RIA speakers. Um, I am rambling a lot today.

[00:09:47]I think it's the way that today's gone.

[00:09:48]I've had a few mad phone calls today with different things. Lots of strange stuff going on which, uh, should be easy to resolve, but is t working out not to be and that sort of. Um, yeah, Riger speakers. I always thought it was a real shame that they didn't sell more. And I think um I think people tended to judge them on the look of things like the drivers because these paper drive paper cone drivers. I don't think these are actually can't see from here. Um they've always used paper cone drivers because paper cone is a really good way to make a very accurate natural cheaper driver really. Um, and they've always sort of stuck by that and not been sort of pushed into using metal treble units and all these m, you know, diamond encrusted bits of lizard skin for driving just to get on the front page of what hi-fi. Um, they've always gone down the route, well, this is the best op best option financially and soundwise.

[00:10:48]Um, and I think it's gone against them a little bit because people do judge judge speakers on what they look like. And I think that's always been a shame, but historically they've got a great heritage because um, not I'm not sure everybody knows about this, but Ria started out making speakers in collaboration with Joe Acroyd of Roid Speakers. Now I would say and I think there's quite a lot of people agree with me on this if they sort of experienced Roid speakers. I reckon Joe was one of the greatest speaker designers, probably our our best speaker designer, uh, bar none, really. Yes, of course, there's much more expensive speakers that sounded better and whatever else, but he had this magical ability to produce a lowcost, probably fairly rough-l lookinging speaker that sounded amazing. Uh think about A7s, Connistons, um Edens, CRAS, Minstrels, Dublets, Abbotts.

[00:11:48]I've run out of I've run out of models now. Um everything was brilliant that Joe made and Roy uh went to Joe to come up with the design together and that's where the kite came from. I think the kite is pretty much a rejiged Conniston. I think it's think it's a Conniston. um these little tiny 7 liter boxes that that that Joe specialized in and the the kite was basically the original kite was um and roid speakers had that sort of rigger sound actually. I mean because like RI is particularly good at acoustic music, particularly good at vocal, particularly good at any any sort of ambient sort of sound, you know, you get a real sort of presence and a real attachment to the music from them. Um, but yeah, sadly overlooked because XY Z would be on the front cover with its diamond encrusted this and it would that that would always get the reviews and because Reer have never really advertised, well, they had never advertised, I don't think. They were never sort of favored in group tests because in a group test you always have to have somebody to, you know, some somebody to say bad things about and um they were the one you could say bad things about because it didn't matter really. Well, it's very cynical, isn't it? But it it was a bit at one point it was you know that's where that's the way the magazines tended to go really the big advertisers always got the good reviews.

[00:13:17]So anyway yeah um so yeah that was the basis. So the I the Conniston I think when then we had um I think the Regarella were based on the same design as the not the Abbert was it um Apex Roy Apex's I think I think Roy Apex and Rearellas were the same speaker pretty much didn't quite look the same the Apex had a different stand arrangement and the crossover was in the bass whereas it was all internal on on the um the Ellers I had a pair of Ellers for a long long time actually um partly because they fitted into a scenario in the room. There's a sp literally a space a 1ft cube cube square of space on either side of a fireplace which was the only place speakers could go and nothing worked there. I tried all sorts of exotica, all sorts of crazy stuff in there, but what worked in there? Ellis, fantastic. Um, bass extension like you would not believe.

[00:14:16]Little tiny 5 in whatever it is driver, but they were sort of a a sort of quarter-waveish um enclosure. So, they they did reinforce the base. They had an exit out the back and they were just phenomenal.

[00:14:30]Really, I've never heard anything like it at home. Eventually, I sold them because I thought, I've had these speakers for 20 odd years. I can't I can't still, you know, I've got a hi-fi shop. I should have something more more fancy than that really. I should have something a bit more, you know, um people, what system have you got? I've got a pair of RERS and they look at you as though you're nuts. So, I ended up changing. I've never been as happy to be honest and and never ever been as happy as was with theirs. But anyway, so yeah. Um, so that was a collaboration with with Joe and unfortunately Joe passed away few years ago. Well, a good few years ago and Ria sort of gone off and they're doing their own designs now and some good stuff came out actually. All with very confusing names. Um, so we had Ella, a late Jura, um, all sorts of things. Oh, the Jura was Yeah, the Jurro was a bit of a departure because most of their speakers had this. It was all about midband, uh, mid-band and transparency and realism, but not necessarily loads of bass weight, not necessarily particularly capable of going loud, but, you know, just just a lovely presentation. The Jurers were much more conventional. They were a 7-in driver, two-way, 7in driver, very conventional floor stand, short squat, bit like a castle 7 type thing. Um and blime me they move some air. They really they were probably one of the best all round speakers that Ria have ever made. Um the only fault they had if anything was that they would they did tend to encourage people to turn them up because they had this tremendous dynamic and you they never sounded flustered. You turn them up and turn them up and they didn't they sound lovely and clean and fantastic and then you get to a point where you turn up a bit more and the bass driver would blow because it was too much. But there was no warning. They were so clean. They just did not let you know that they were going to go. Um, and I know a few people are blue jurers really, which is rare cuz rigger speakers generally are fairly robust as far, you know, in the in the wider market, but jurers and I think it was just that particular thing about them that they just u they just encouraged you to, you know, be naughty really.

[00:16:58]Always wish I bought a pair of those to be honest. Never never um they're in production for about six, seven years I think the jur um they've never really made anything quite like that. I think probably the closest to Juras would be RS and RX5s with a 7in driver on the side and the the sort of the standard 2A in the front and the side driver that five had a similar ability to really kick with rock music. U they all they all do with they all give a present a sort of representation of rock music but not with that sort of real underpinning sort of grunt that some speakers have.

[00:17:32]Now, these I suspect are going back to that kind of presentation. They've got seveninch drive. Well, they've got a sevenin base driver. Uh I need to walk around them, don't I? Uh 5 in mid driver and a treble which looks like the same one that they used in the RXs possibly.

[00:17:51]Um so potentially there's ability to have a fair bit of cake.

[00:18:01]and this rigid cabinet which isn't it's not a square box it's curved that will always give a benefit as far as internal reflection goes that sort of things and tends to make speakers sound a lot cleaner which it's coming across with these actually u and I think at this point what I'll do is uh have a walk around I do I'm not it's really it's been really hot outside I'm not coping with the heat very well so if I if I if I sound a bit uh if I sound a bit sort Not myself.

[00:18:32]That's probably it.

[00:18:35]Let's have a walk around them anyway before I um start rambling on about something else. Okay. Okay. Yeah. So, that's front view. Um like I said, pretty stylish looking speaker really. I love the sort of curve of these and the way that this little inlaid um sort of panel that covers the the screws for the drivers. Um sort of follows the follows the form. I love the little feet at the bottom. to just sit. The orange bits are just my pads just to protect me um the platform because I always use these um isolation platforms in this room because the floors are awful. Um but yeah, just a little bit folded folded steel there.

[00:19:08]The same at the back that just act as an isolator which works really well actually. I mean they're not spiked but they're near ours really and a bit more domestically accept acceptable I think that really in a lot of respects. Um, yeah, 7in driver. Then there's a treble unit, which I think was the same as they were using the RXs. And then a little 5 inish, might be a bit smaller than that actually. Um, mid driver. Now, whether those two drivers have the same start point, um, midband wise, and that just goes down further on the crossover. I don't know. It might be two and a half.

[00:19:41]Might be two and a half way. Um, yeah, the front face is you have to get the light on it a bit really. uh this material. It's like it feels like a plastic, but it's I think it's more high-tech than that. I think there's more going on really, but it's got this sort of almost like hune finish to it, which is interesting. We all focus on it obviously. And then front port.

[00:20:06]Now, if you move around the back, this is where I s this is the bit that I always struggled with a little bit. Um, on the rear you have what I think is um the bare material, but it almost has a look of being painted.

[00:20:22]And to me, in some respects, I don't know if it's coming across on there.

[00:20:26]It's probably better than the other one actually when it's got light shining on it.

[00:20:30]Um, you can see where along here it's whether it shows on the camera. It almost looks as though there's a sort of deviation of tone slightly around here.

[00:20:40]And to me, it almost looks as though it's had some primer on and it needs another coat.

[00:20:47]Now, is that a bad thing? I don't know really. I think the again, it's the priorities with the speaker is to make the best possible sounding speaker for the money using good drivers, um, good internals, make it rigid, make it, you know, whatever. As far as aesthetic goes with RI quite often, u they don't shy away from making a compromise. And I think really with the aesthetic with this, I think they made it look quite pretty, but the actual final finish in some respects isn't brilliant. Now, whether that's because it isn't a brilliant finish or whether it's because the it's the nature of the material, who's to say? I I think it might just be the nature of material.

[00:21:38]So, is that acceptable or not acceptable?

[00:21:42]Well, I think I might be in a bit of a minority because the amount of people I've had coming in and looking at these and I sort of said, "Oh, yeah, but I don't like the finish." And pretty much going to say, "Pretty much everybody."

[00:21:52]No, everybody I've I've said that to has looked at them and said, "Actually, I quite like it."

[00:21:59]So, what do I know? Um, so anyway, that's that. But um I mean yeah as far as listening goes I've been um tried them with a fair few things. Like I say still sound they sound a little bit two-dimensional at the moment and I know they do will open out more cuz I have heard these in different scenarios and they've got quite a good sound stage to them. They're extremely good in the midband. Better than a lot of things that they shouldn't be better than really. Have got a bit of an odd bass going on but I think that's the running in thing. Um cuz weirdly I noticed I've tried them with a few different things.

[00:22:35]I've got a couple of amps in for trial at the moment. I've got a run it with a P8 tried it with the 8510 um exposure. This Solen uh or something Solen something 50 valve amp. Um and I was listening to with those two thinking that's they're not sounding right these things. They're not sounding that upper bass is a bit odd. So he left put it on with a Brio. Thought we'll try with something a bit more conventional. Put it on with a Brio. Um left it left it to warm up. Came back and they were sounding amazing. Really still a little bit chesty and a little bit a little bit odd. But the um so probably what I need to do is go back to a bigger amp again and just see if it's um see if they sorted themselves out. Um I used actually I used a bit of an odd mix of albums. I used doors LA woman because for some reason I've just I've been using that for everything recently. Um and I used quite randomly picked out King got King Crimson Discipline in in in the collection there which I haven't actually listened to for 20 years. Um just pulled it in from home the other day. Um listened to Oh I listen to which is quite good actually. And it's this works sort of thing that works well on um RIA uh rauda pop till you drop. That's lot of great guitar work in it and stuff. That's it's kind of a re a rig sort of forte that really um but yeah that didn't that I don't know whether the um I can't remember now what else I listen to on the I think I'm taking them home to be honest. Oh, the other one was a Dolby Thomas Dolby flat earth. I had a bit a bit of that on. It's there's a good kick drum um sort of synth based kick drum thing going on with that which is quite good for just assessing speed or whatever in speakers. So, yeah, there you go. regers which I will formulate a full opinion on but to be honest I think really what you can say about them is the looks are sort of down to personal preference but mo most people's preference seems to be yeah they're fine um it's just me um soundwise the I think they're damn good value for the money actually cuz sitting basically sitting and listening to them in here and the what the speaker that was on beforehand which I tend to leave in the dem actually cuz they just work with everything. I had neat leaks which are 3 and a half thousand. So up to these and yes there's a drop off um mainly in sort of bottom end presence I think but then the neats are particularly good at that um but in actual realism and you know midman clarity that sort of thing these these were the match they're a third of the price. So, do we do we worry about the finish or do we not? I don't know. Um, I think overall, yeah, I really like them. I think that's the thing. I'd have a pair. I would have a pair. I don't think these would work in my little space in my room again. I am going to try them though. Um, into them enough to think of taking a pair of these home. I do have a plan actually because I've got we've got a conservator on the back of the house and I've always fancied having a music system in there but because of swings of temperatures I've always thought probably not a good idea with whatever but possibly this could be an answer to that because I don't think these will be affected by temperature swings in the same way as an MDF cabinet would be with veneer. So uh I do have plans. So anyway, leave it at that. Um thanks for watching. Uh, don't forget to like and subscribe. Um, the buy me a coffee link if you if you're liking the videos, which a couple of people have said that they do. Um, you can buy me a coffee if you go to the the page any p I think it's any page on the website and go right to the bottom there's a little buy me a coffee link which is always appreciated. Um, and I do actually use it for buying coffees funnly enough. I mean it's one of those things. Um, so yeah. Yeah. Thanks for watching. I'll see you in a future video. um hopefully a bit more frequent as it's very quiet in the shop but like I say the phone has been lots of extended phone calls like you know hourong phone calls and things like that which is it's great but you know have things to do anyway see you soon thanks for watching with that.