專訪Rega創辦人Roy Gandy

專訪Rega創辦人Roy Gandy：我們只為還原音樂中那10％的感動

英國音響品牌Rega由創辦人Roy Gandy於1973年成立，至今已超過半世紀。近日，Roy Gandy到亞洲旅遊，路經香港，順道到豐寧音響，與本地媒體交流，並正式宣佈豐寧音響成為Rega的中、港、澳總代理。在輕鬆的對話中，他暢談了品牌哲學、新產品開發的挑戰，並分享了一個關於傳奇產品Brio合併機誕生的幕後故事。

新品與挑戰：遲到兩年的新前後級組合

訪談從新產品開始。Roy透露，推出這兩款Mercury前級和Solis後級，其實已遲到近兩年。功放部分早在一年多前就已定版，聲音表現也獲得團隊認可。延遲的主因，在於年輕設計師希望加入USB在內的數碼輸入功能，而這帶來了意想不到的挑戰。

「我們從合作的USB晶片公司獲得的軟體根本無法工作，充滿各種故障（glitches）。」Roy解釋道，為了解決問題，他們經歷了四個世代的修改，對方不斷道歉，承認有許多未預見的問題。這個過程耗費了超過一年時間。

此外，設計師的「完美主義」也拉長了開發時間。Roy舉例，設計師堅持要消除串流播放時，不同格式音軌切換間可能產生的微小「咔」聲噪音。Roy認為，在數位領域，這種小瑕疵難以完全避免，但設計師仍花了兩個月去解決它，最後終於成功了，使他也感到欣慰。

市場觀察：香港的「瘋狂」與全球的差異

Roy對香港過去獨特的零售景象記憶猶新：「我注意到一個幾乎是過去獨有的現象——大多數音響店會有上百對揚聲器，你可以只按一個按鈕就在它們之間切換比較。我完全無法理解，這太瘋狂了。」

Roy也有談及喇叭設計，他從工程角度分析：「要讓一個裝有多個驅動單元的大型喇叭發出好聲音，問題幾乎多到無法克服，可以說是不可能的。」他認為，設計優質喇叭最簡單的方式是使用兩到三個單元，一旦體積變大、單元增多，設計難題將難以處理。「這也許是Rega最大的不同。我們對高保真世界抱持一種懷疑態度。」

品牌哲學：還原情感，而非測量數據

這引出了Rega的核心哲學。Roy強調，音樂對某些人而言是生命必需品，對他來說，美食第一，音樂第二。但他聆聽音樂時非常專注：「我必須坐下來，沉浸其中，不能做任何其他事。」他追求的是現場音樂中，那些特殊音樂家透過藝術形式傳遞的、無法言喻的溝通與感動。

「當我們製造設備時，我們在聆聽：我們能聽到那種感動嗎？我們知道，當音樂被錄製下來，幾乎所有東西都遺失了。那些有特色的音樂家開始聽起來都差不多。所以，我們設備的目標，也許就是找回你能從特色歌者、特色樂手那裡聽到的、那10%的特色東西，分別出之間的不同。」

因此，Rega的目標是「不丟失資訊」。Roy指出，房間中的天花板、牆壁、地板造成的資訊損失，遠比現有設備能測量到的部分更大。「所以，我們運用工程技術，試圖不丟失資訊，讓聽者能聽到情感。」

經營之道：規模化生產，維持合理利潤

基於這一哲學，Rega的經營策略也與眾不同。「我們試圖讓設備盡可能便宜。我們只維持能讓公司持續經營的利潤空間。我們希望盈利，以便能投資未來，但我們不想製造少量高價產品，而是嘗試大規模生產。」

他以新唱頭為例：「自從開始生產以來，我們已經賣出了近4萬個，而生產團隊只有6個人。」Rega從中獲得樂趣——「以中等數量生產高品質產品」。

幕後故事：Brio誕生記——從兩卡板舊雜誌到電路革新

在訪談尾聲，Roy講述了經典產品Brio合併機背後的故事。時間回到1980年代末，Rega開始製造放大器，設計師Terry需要一台示波器進行測量。公司負擔不起新設備，於是他開車兩小時去二手市場尋找。到達後，同行的同事找不到Terry，最終發現他迷失在倉庫裡，正盯著兩大卡板的舊雜誌——主要是英國《Wireless World》雜誌和Audio Engineering Society的論文。

Terry堅持要買下這兩卡板資料，最終僅花費約400英鎊。汽車被塞滿，懸掛都被壓低，他們將資料運了回去。Terry讀完了卡板上的每一份文獻。

多年後，當Rega需要開發新一代Brio時，舊款使用的是標準電路。市場要求加入遙控功能，且不能大幅增加成本。Rega認為要維持音質必須使用馬達驅動的電位器，這會增加成本。於是他們決定改用更小的機箱和Surface Mount技術。

Terry接下了任務：在小型機箱內，以Surface Mount技術實現舊Brio的聲音，並加入遙控。幾週後，他交出了設計。當時聽力仍佳的Roy進行試聽，發現新舊Brio聲音幾乎沒有區別，他稱讚了Terry。但Terry隨後請他聽另一個小盒子。

「它聽起來非常清晰，有點像我聽過的優秀真空管放大器的特質，聲音更像一幅畫。」Roy很震驚，以為Terry設計了一台真空管機，這對需要每月銷售數百台的Rega而言不切實際。他請Terry播放更激烈的搖滾樂來測試，結果聲音更出色。

Terry解釋，這並非真空管機，而是一個他構思多年的想法。他回憶起1969年晶體管剛興起時，設計師Lindley Hood的一篇哲學性論述。文中提出，用晶體管獲得出色聲音是可能的，但晶體管必須更快，不過當時無法實現，且驅動級與功率級晶體管之間的電阻必須為零，以當年技術也是不可能。這個想法在Terry腦中盤旋了十多、二十年。

後來，Rega開始使用日本Sanken公司的晶體管，其特點是將驅動級和功率級晶體管集成在同一晶片上。Terry的腦海瞬間將舊文章的理念與新元件結合，意識到這種晶體管可以實現Lindley Hood的原始構想。他以此為核心，設計了全新的電路，這就是新Brio的誕生。而今次最新推出的Brio MK7，就是承集以上技術的最新改良版。（在香港售價約為HK$8790）

Roy透露，如今他們面臨的難題是Sanken可能停產該電晶體，Rega正在努力協商。「製造商真正的問題在於特殊元件的供應，因為市場實在太小了。」不過他也欣慰地表示，Terry的才華備受認可，許多晶片製造商如Burr-Brown、Wolfson都視他為顧問，甚至曾試圖挖角。如今，有兩位年輕設計師正跟著Terry學習，讓Rega的電子設計未來後繼有人。

結語：在數碼時代的堅持

整場訪談，Roy Gandy反覆流露出對純粹音樂重播的追求，以及對數碼時代某些「將就」文化的不適。「在機械世界，我們作為工程師能夠理解問題所在並修復它。但在數位世界，似乎存在一種接受問題、並期望公眾回饋以便持續更新修正的文化。這讓我們感到非常不安。」

然而，正是在這種不安與堅持中，Rega走過了五十餘年，始終以「讓更多人負擔得起高品質音樂重播」為使命，在測量數據與主觀聽感、商業利益與工程理想之間，開闢了一條獨特的道路。正如Roy所說，他們的目標不是製造最昂貴的奢侈品，而是透過規模化生產，讓那份源自現場音樂的10%感動，能夠更真實、更平易地進入愛樂者的生活。

Mercury前級 及 Solis後級：HK$152,900/set

Brio MK7合併機：HK$8,790

預約試聽及詳細查詢：豐寧音響

地址：九龍旺角彌敦道580A周大福商業中心20樓全層

電話：0852 23228515

Facebook連結：https://www.facebook.com/fungningaudio

Interview with Rega Founder Roy Gandy: We Aim Only to Restore That 10% of Emotion in Music

The British audio brand Rega was founded by Roy Gandy in 1973 and has now been in operation for over half a century. Recently, Roy Gandy travelled to Asia and, while passing through Hong Kong, visited Fonming Audio to engage with local media and officially announce Fonming Audio as Rega’s sole distributor for Mainland China, Hong Kong, and Macau. In a relaxed conversation, he delved into the brand’s philosophy, the challenges of new product development, and shared a behind-the-scenes story about the birth of the legendary Brio integrated amplifier.

New Products and Challenges: The Two-Year-Late New Pre-Power Amplifier Combo

The interview began with new products. Roy revealed that the launch of these two units, the Mercury pre-amplifier and Solis power amplifier, was actually nearly two years behind schedule. The power amplifier section had been finalized and its sonic performance approved by the team over a year ago. The primary cause of the delay was the young designer’s wish to include digital input functions, such as USB, which brought unexpected challenges.

“The software we received from our USB chip partner simply didn’t work; it was full of various glitches,” Roy explained. To resolve the issues, they went through four generations of revisions, with the partner constantly apologizing and admitting numerous unforeseen problems. This process took over a year.

Furthermore, the designer’s “perfectionism” extended the development time. Roy gave an example: the designer insisted on eliminating the tiny “click” noise that could occur when switching between tracks of different formats during streaming playback. Roy believes that in the digital domain, such minor imperfections are difficult to completely avoid, but the designer still spent two months solving it, ultimately succeeding, much to Roy’s relief.

Market Observations: Hong Kong’s “Crazy” Scene and Global Differences

Roy vividly recalled Hong Kong’s unique retail scene from the past: “I noticed a phenomenon that was almost unique to the past – most hi-fi shops would have a hundred pairs of loudspeakers, and you could switch between them for comparison with just the press of a button. I completely failed to understand it; it was crazy.”

Roy also discussed loudspeaker design from an engineering perspective: “Getting good sound from a large loudspeaker with many drive units presents almost insurmountable problems; you could say it’s impossible.” He believes the simplest way to design a good speaker is to use two or three units. Once the size increases and the number of units multiplies, the design challenges become difficult to manage. “This is perhaps Rega’s biggest difference. We hold a somewhat skeptical attitude towards the hi-fi world.”

Brand Philosophy: Restoring Emotion, Not Measuring Data

This leads to Rega’s core philosophy. Roy emphasized that for some people, music is a life essential; for him, food comes first, music second. But when he listens to music, he is utterly focused: “I have to sit down, immerse myself, and not do anything else.” What he seeks in live music is that indescribable communication and emotion conveyed through art by special musicians.

“When we make equipment, we are listening: Can we hear that emotion? We know that when music is recorded, almost everything is lost. Those special musicians start to all sound similar. So, the goal of our equipment is perhaps to retrieve that 10% of special quality you can hear from special singers, special players.”

Therefore, Rega’s goal is “not to lose information.” Roy pointed out that the information loss caused by ceilings, walls, and floors in a room is far greater than what existing equipment can measure. “So, we use engineering techniques to try not to lose information, so the listener can hear the emotion.”

Business Approach: Volume Production, Maintaining Reasonable Profit

Based on this philosophy, Rega’s business strategy is also distinct. “We try to make equipment as affordable as possible. We only maintain the profit margin needed to keep the company running. We want to make a profit to invest in the future, but we don’t want to make small quantities of high-priced products; we try for large-scale production.”

He used the new cartridge as an example: “Since we started production, we have sold nearly 40,000 units, with a production team of only six people.” Rega takes pleasure in this – “producing high-quality products in medium quantities.”

The Backstory: The Birth of Brio – From Two Pallets of Old Magazines to a Circuit Revolution

Towards the end of the interview, Roy recounted the story behind the classic Brio integrated amplifier. Back in the late 1980s, when Rega began making amplifiers, their designer Terry needed an oscilloscope for measurements. The company couldn’t afford new equipment, so he drove two hours to a second-hand market. Upon arrival, his colleagues couldn’t find Terry, eventually discovering him lost in the warehouse, staring at two large pallets of old magazines – mainly the British Wireless World magazine and Audio Engineering Society papers.

Terry insisted on buying these two pallets of material, which ultimately cost only about £400. The car was packed, its suspension weighed down, and they transported the material back. Terry read every piece of literature on those pallets.

Years later, when Rega needed to develop a new generation Brio, the old model used a standard circuit. The market demanded remote control functionality without a significant cost increase. Rega believed maintaining sound quality required a motorized potentiometer, which would add cost. So they decided to switch to a smaller chassis and surface-mount technology.

Terry took on the task: to achieve the old Brio’s sound in a small chassis using surface-mount tech, and include a remote. A few weeks later, he presented the design. Roy, whose hearing was still sharp, conducted listening tests and found almost no difference between the new and old Brio, praising Terry. But then Terry asked him to listen to another small box.

“It sounded very clear, somewhat like the characteristics of excellent valve amplifiers I’ve heard, the sound more like a picture.” Roy was shocked, thinking Terry had designed a valve amplifier, which would be impractical for Rega needing to sell hundreds per month. He asked Terry to test with more intense rock music, and the result sounded even better.

Terry explained this wasn’t a valve amplifier but an idea he had contemplated for years. He recalled a philosophical essay from 1969, when transistors were just emerging, by designer Lindley Hood. It proposed that achieving excellent sound with transistors was possible, but the transistors needed to be faster (not possible at the time), and the resistance between the driver and power transistors had to be zero (also impossible then). This idea had lingered in Terry’s mind for ten to twenty years.

Later, Rega began using transistors from the Japanese company Sanken, which featured the driver and power transistors integrated on the same chip. Terry’s mind instantly connected the old article’s concept with the new component, realizing this transistor could realize Lindley Hood’s original vision. Using this as the core, he designed a completely new circuit, giving birth to the new Brio. The latest Brio MK7 released now is the newest improved version incorporating this technology (priced around HK$8,790 in Hong Kong).

Roy revealed that their current challenge is that Sanken might discontinue that transistor, and Rega is negotiating hard. “The real problem for manufacturers is the supply of special components because the market is so small.” However, he also expressed relief that Terry’s talent is widely recognized. Many chip manufacturers like Burr-Brown and Wolfson consider him a consultant and even tried to poach him. Now, two young designers are learning from Terry, ensuring the future of Rega’s electronic design.

Conclusion: Persistence in the Digital Age

Throughout the interview, Roy Gandy repeatedly expressed his pursuit of pure music reproduction and his discomfort with certain “make-do” aspects of digital culture. “In the mechanical world, we as engineers can understand the problems and fix them. But in the digital world, there seems to be a culture of accepting problems and expecting public feedback for continuous updates and fixes. This makes us very uneasy.”

Yet, it is precisely within this unease and persistence that Rega has journeyed for over fifty years, always with the mission of “making high-quality music reproduction accessible to more people.” It has carved a unique path between measured data and subjective listening experience, between commercial interests and engineering ideals. As Roy said, their goal is not to create the most expensive luxury items but, through volume production, to allow that 10% of emotion originating from live music to enter music lovers’ lives more authentically and affordably.