Hi,
I just wanted to share my recent experience of buying my first HiFi system. Like most people I guess, over the last decade or so I have been weaned off 'real' music and replaced it with streaming and multiroom systems. There is no denying the convenience but I had become curious over the ressurgence of vinyl and also the introduction of hi res audio. I was skeptical of any benefit but nonetheless my curiosity got the better of me and I booked an appointment at my local audio store, I was thinking a fairly entry level system would suffice. After all, I genuinely belevied that few people could really tell any difference, especially not me! I thought I would try out a few systems, they would all sound the same and I would walk out with a cheap turntable set up. (after all its cool to have vinyl again)
Well, to cut a long story short, I quickly decided on the speakers and amp I liked. I opted for a pair of B&W 683 S2 with a Rega Elex R amp. But its the next bit I want to focus on because it honestly astounded me. We started our session with a Naim streamer using a Rega DAC R to do the conversion. We we using non compressed 44/16 ripped from a CD. The sound was very very good. We used the Naim as it was £2k bit of kit we figured that this would not be the limting factor in the setup, as I would use my own Mac for this dut back home. We then hooked up a Rega RP6 turntable, still uing the phono stage of the Elex. I was imeditaley taken aback and how it was better than the DAC set up, it was so much more musical, difficult to describe but more real, I had a big smile on my face. But, just before I went we hooked up the Rega Saturn R, we put in the original CD of the rip we had previously listened to on the Dac R, bear in mind they should have been bit for bit identical.
This is what I cannot beleive, OMG, what a machine!!! I simply cannot understand how this thing can pull out so much more detail. I mean forget all the subjective stuff that I read, you could actually hear so much more detail in the same track. The finger brushing the string of the guitar, the singer taking a breath, its all there. How is this even possible? The REGA DacR is no slouch, its a £800 machine, its all supposed to be just 1s and 0s, how can there be so much of a difference? I was completely blown away by the sound, I never knew CDs could be this good. I even have to say that it was significantly better than the turntable. Needles to say I bought it.
Has anyone else tried out the Saturn? What did you think?
I just wanted to share my recent experience of buying my first HiFi system. Like most people I guess, over the last decade or so I have been weaned off 'real' music and replaced it with streaming and multiroom systems. There is no denying the convenience but I had become curious over the ressurgence of vinyl and also the introduction of hi res audio. I was skeptical of any benefit but nonetheless my curiosity got the better of me and I booked an appointment at my local audio store, I was thinking a fairly entry level system would suffice. After all, I genuinely belevied that few people could really tell any difference, especially not me! I thought I would try out a few systems, they would all sound the same and I would walk out with a cheap turntable set up. (after all its cool to have vinyl again)
Well, to cut a long story short, I quickly decided on the speakers and amp I liked. I opted for a pair of B&W 683 S2 with a Rega Elex R amp. But its the next bit I want to focus on because it honestly astounded me. We started our session with a Naim streamer using a Rega DAC R to do the conversion. We we using non compressed 44/16 ripped from a CD. The sound was very very good. We used the Naim as it was £2k bit of kit we figured that this would not be the limting factor in the setup, as I would use my own Mac for this dut back home. We then hooked up a Rega RP6 turntable, still uing the phono stage of the Elex. I was imeditaley taken aback and how it was better than the DAC set up, it was so much more musical, difficult to describe but more real, I had a big smile on my face. But, just before I went we hooked up the Rega Saturn R, we put in the original CD of the rip we had previously listened to on the Dac R, bear in mind they should have been bit for bit identical.
This is what I cannot beleive, OMG, what a machine!!! I simply cannot understand how this thing can pull out so much more detail. I mean forget all the subjective stuff that I read, you could actually hear so much more detail in the same track. The finger brushing the string of the guitar, the singer taking a breath, its all there. How is this even possible? The REGA DacR is no slouch, its a £800 machine, its all supposed to be just 1s and 0s, how can there be so much of a difference? I was completely blown away by the sound, I never knew CDs could be this good. I even have to say that it was significantly better than the turntable. Needles to say I bought it.
Has anyone else tried out the Saturn? What did you think?
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