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This is, we gather, the first time that Rega have revised their entire loudspeaker range in a single 'strike'. The new line-up comprises the RS1 stand-mount and the floor-standing RS3, RS5 and RS7. Prices span £398 to £1498 and the only finish available until Christmas will be cherry veneer. After that, the high gloss black option will return. Black ash will also be along soon.

The full Rega October 2008 price list is now available for download, click here or go to our downloads page.

All speakers share the same aesthetics, tweeters and fundamental technology, although the largest, the RS 7, has transmission line bass loading rather than the comb-filtered port used on the 3 and 5. There will be a new flagship RS9 to follow and we are promised that it will be an absolute match in terms of aesthetics to the lesser brethren.

The important changes over the previous range? New Rega designed and quite radical high frequency unit using Z-R-R (Zero Rear Reflection) technology. RS-5 and RS-7 use re-designed 8 layer side mount bass drive for improved bass response. New higher quality real wood veneered cabinet and new grill and foot design.

Both the RS3 and RS5 are taller than their predecessors(the RS3 by a greater margin) and this aesthetic-driven change is felt to have improved the performance too.

We have now had them long enough to evaluate these new arrivals to at least some degree. All listening has been done with the Rega Elicit fed by the Saturn CD player.

The most obvious feature is that none of these sound remotely like affordable or even 'budget' loudspeakers. OK, so none are exactly cheap, but they are not at silly prices either. The silk dome tweeter with a fully absorbent (IE non-reflecting) inner structure certainly seems to work. There is no sizzle or harshness and the integration with the (excellent) midrange is flawless. Treble quality was not, perhaps, the finest feature on the old R series. On the RS it has become one of their strengths.

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The RS5 is considered by Rega to be the most improved (over the R5) but in our larger listening room we would have to disagree. Despite the R3 having something of a cult following as being the more musical offering, we never found it to be as compelling as the R5.

The '3 might have grown slightly in height but this is nothing compared to the enormous increase in its sonic 'size'. It really is a stunner with proper snappy deep bass, a potentially vast sound-stage and plenty of refinement and resolution. More importantly, it is really hard to stop playing music on them. Hell, they even go respectably loud without audible compression. In our larger listening room they are a better speaker than the outgoing R5 with which they share the retail price (£698). I keep being amazed that speakers this small can sound so large, composed and be so well-rounded in their abilities. These are something special.

We never had the old R1 speakers, so have no means to bore you with comparisons. Judged as a compact £398 offering, we are chuffed to have these new RS1s on our 'books'. They share the sweet treble and open, clean mid-band and sound slightly lighter overall than the RS3. But they will still fill a large space with full range sound.

The RS 5 is the new £898 offering and, if I'm honest, the one for which we had greatest expectations. After all, the R5 struck us as being particularly well-judged. The new side-firing bass driver and the slightly greater cabinet volume have increased bass output slightly. All the RS qualities are there, but in our slightly wayward and boom-prone larger room, they do stimulate a little bit too much low stuff and can be a little overwhelming. Bizarrely, there is no issue in the smaller cinema room, where they actually sound much better controlled and genuinely impressive. Weird. For now, for us, and in one specific room, the 'killer' is the RS3.

Mind you, these RS7s look interesting . . .

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