Полочная акустика — Rega KYTE

The Kyte is a two-way rear-ported stand-mount loudspeaker from Rega, the British company from Southend-on-Sea best known for turntables and amplifiers. Launched in 2021, it forms part of Rega's System One together with the Io amplifier and Planar 1 turntable. Its cabinet is not made from MDF but from injection-moulded phenolic resin, which Rega describes as a long-term goal and which brings the price to about a third of comparable British-made speakers.

Key specs that matter

The drivers are Rega's own. The MX-125 bass and midrange unit is hand-made and uses a four-layer voice coil, and the ZRR tweeter covers the high frequencies. Sensitivity is 89 dB, nominal impedance is 6 ohm and power handling is 80 W per channel. Rega does not publish a frequency response. The speaker is 325 mm high, 188 mm wide and 232 mm deep including its rear foot, and it weighs 3.73 kg. It is finished in black, an optional stand adaptor is available, and Rega offers a lifetime limited warranty.

Engineering and use context

Phenolic resin is a thermosetting plastic, which means it sets permanently when moulded and does not soften again with heat. Moulding allows curved shapes and integrated reinforcement that would be hard to machine in wood panels. Inside, ceramic plates and cross-bracing stiffen the cabinet walls and reduce their resonance, so less energy from the drivers is radiated by the enclosure. A port on the back panel extends the low-frequency output of the small cabinet. A four-layer voice coil places more turns of wire in the magnetic gap without making the coil longer, raising the motor strength of a small driver. Rega hand-assembles the Kyte, and producing drivers in-house gives the company control over their parameters and consistency between pairs. The low weight makes the Kyte suitable for bookshelves and desks. Given its sensitivity and impedance, the speaker is easy to drive for a compact design, so amplifiers of modest power reach normal listening levels.

Pairing

Rega pairs the Kyte with its Io amplifier and Planar 1 or Planar 1 Plus turntable as System One. More powerful Rega amplifiers such as the Brio also suit it within its power handling. A turntable with a built-in or separate phono stage and a streamer complete the source side.

Alternatives

The Rega Aya is a larger 2.5-way floorstanding speaker in a glass-reinforced cement cabinet with the same ZRR tweeter.