The Absolute Sound 2012 "Editors' Choice" Award Winner
"It's Got Something Special To Offer"
Rega's RS5 is the bigger sibling of the well-regarded RS3 loudspeaker. It is a floorstanding tower which utilizes the same cabinet technology designed for the RS3. It boasts a sealed midsection and a comb filter working together with a precisely tuned port. This gives an exceptional bass, midrange and high frequency output. The result is a larger, more defined sound when compared to the RS3.
"This is a speaker that, from the first notes, tells you it's got something special to offer," reports Wayne Garcia in The Absolute Sound magazine, which honored the RS5 with its 2012 "Editors' Choice" Award. "The Rega RS5 opened up a large window to the sound that, while focused and grounded, seemed at the same time to blossom beyond the boundaries of the cabinet."
Hand-Assembled Drive Units
All Rega bass and mid/bass units are hand assembled in house to Rega's exact specifications. The RS5 uses the company's renowned RR125 Bass/Mid drive unit, which has excellent damping of cone resonances, resulting in a smooth midrange response. The RR125 uses a 3.5" paper cone with 5.5" cast-alloy chassis.
The RS5 also benefits from a new eight-layer voice coil on the side firing 7" driver. This voice coil design eradicates any crossover components for this driver. The bass unit seamlessly integrates with the mid/bass unit and with exceptional timing. This is without compromising any of the midrange and treble performance which Rega is renowned for.
The RS5 also uses Rega's new HF20-ZRR high frequency unit which is uniquely designed by Rega. By removing unwanted rear reflection the design of the ZRR tweeter helps maintain a distortion free response. This is a .75" fabric dome tweeter driven from a .75" voice coil.
Sound and Set-up
The drive units in the RS5 have been designed with great care. The crossover needs no additional filter networks to work with the drive units. Unlike most manufacturers who boast about the complexity of their crossovers, Rega is proud of its simplicity. This simplicity means that bi-wiring will offer no advantage. However, bi-amping will improve the performance of both mid/bass and tweeter units.
Because the RS5 also has a front firing port, it can be placed against a wall if required. The RS5 is suitable for all room environments due to its design of a side firing system. This system can offer improved sound stage and dynamics. It also allows the RS range of speakers to cope well in difficult rooms.
Cabinet Design
Rega's styling complements the speaker's sound quality. However, the design of the RS5 is radical and quite a departure from accepted norms. Its sleek lines are subtle, its dimensions inoffensive and slim. It will stand modestly rather than make a bold statement in a modern environment. | 
