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Rega

Kyte

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Become immersed in the stunningly natural sound of the Kyte loudspeakers system. Meticulously designed to deliver the true Rega sound at an affordable price. Using Rega's own ZRR high frequency unit and a handmade pair of Rega MX-125 bass-mid drivers, this compact bookshelf speaker is designed to complement any hi-fi or audio system.

Experience Rega — Experience the true voice of Rega components with the all new Kyte loudspeaker system. The Kytes are meticulously hand assembled in house using Rega's unique design phenolic resin cabinet. Internally they feature ceramic plates and carefully engineered cross bracing developed to make the cabinet extremely stiff. This prevents unwanted resonances interfering with the accurate output of the drive units and directly improves both dynamics and the bass performance from the speaker. The Kytes are easy to position and are supplied with an optional foot to allow for various positioning giving the user greater flexibility. A custom designed stand mount adaptor is available (sold separately) to allow use on a wide variety of third party stands.

Rega fans out there will know that Rega has always questioned the marketing and science surrounding turntables. Experiments and research have allowed Rega to debunk most commonly held beliefs and use real engineering to produce world beating sound quality at sensible prices. However, the loudspeaker market is very different because a valid scientific and engineering discipline exists which in turn has created hundreds of competitors in the loudspeaker marketplace. The success of many loudspeakers depends on powerful marketing, eye watering advertising budgets (of which Rega spends zero) and financial inducement to retailers. The funds that most loudspeaker companies would spend on marketing Rega has put it all in to research and develop to achieve a totally unique cabinet constructions and Rega's own high frequency unit and bass/midrange driver (incorporating a four layer voice coil). Rega even manufactures and winds its crossover components in house.

Line drawing of the Kyte cabinet seen through, labelling the ceramic brace plate and the vertical cross brace behind the drivers

So why phenolic? Historically the accepted perception of a loudspeaker was a rectangular shaped wood veneered cabinet to compliment household wood furniture.

The market has always demanded loudspeakers to be furniture and since the 90's European manufacturers were left with the choice of Far Eastern manufacturing or inflated prices for home built wooden cabinets. However, recent times have seen the world change styling perceptions and there has been a wholesale investment in modern moulding shapes and the use of functional materials. Injection moulded plastic loudspeaker cabinets are not new but flexible moulded plastic has been reserved for the PA world or small desktop loudspeakers where convenience and portability were a priority over sonic performance. This more recent domestic acceptance of non-wood functional cabinet shapes has allowed Rega to achieve a long term dream. Rega has made a massive investment into injection moulding of stiff thermoset phenolic resin and collaborated with British company to achieve it. The natural stiffness of phenolic resin is a big advantage which has been further enhanced with ceramic plates and a complex internal cross brace structure. This unique cabinet constructions has been achieved at one third of the price of other British made quality loudspeakers.

More photographs

Rear of a black Kyte, showing the flared bass reflex port, the KYTE serial plate and the bolted-on rear foot
A pair of Kytes, one seen from behind and one three-quarter from the front, on their rear feet
Close-up of the Kyte's two binding posts and the black steel rear foot bolted under the phenolic cabinet
Macro of the Rega ZRR high frequency unit, its three-spoke guard and the engraved ring around it

The story on this page is Rega's own, reprinted by Joenit, its official distributor.