Rega Apollo or saturn

[admin_exported]

Hi All,

The awards issue has only just been released in australia & ive seen the rega apollo win one of the CD player categories.

Im in the process of upgrading most of my system & was looking for a good CD player to get the most out of it (Im currently using the PS3 for CD's!). I also have NAD M25 amp & Vaf i-66 speakers & will likely get the audiolab 800ap if its reviewed positively.

My question is....does anyone think there is a considerable difference between the rega apollo or saturn or can anyone reccomend a different CD player?

thanks

Dave

 

[Anonymous]

Both are great CD players. You can't go wrong with either. However, Saturn will be worth the extra money you pay. As for the replacement, even the Apollo will be a big improvement over the PS3, but I guess in a long run Saturn will be a better investment.

 

[Thaiman]

[quote user="ranjeetrain"]but I guess in a long run Saturn will be a better investment.[/quote]

Ditto. The Saturn bass is a lot fuller.

 

[Anonymous]

Thank you Thaiman & Ranjetrain,

would you consider anything else around the saturn price range or do you think the saturn is the best to get?

thanks again

 

[Thaiman]

[quote user="dave75"]

do you think the saturn is the best to get?

[/quote]

I would say no! I recently demo a few at that range and very happy to say that we are spoil in this price bracket. If you ganna buy £600 machine then Appolo is the best bet but up the ante to £1300 - £1500 and you will need to demo a few to see which one suited to your taste the most.

 

[Anonymous]

Thanks Thaiman,

What would you or anyone else suggest auditioning for the 1000-1500 pound mark?

 

[Thaiman]

Ah I orgot that you are in Down Under! I don't know much about dealers over there so I have to stick to the big guns company.

Musical fidelity A5 cdp, Naim cd5i (new upgrade model due very shortly so the recent one could have some ex dem discount), Cyrus 8X + PSX-R oh and Cairn Fog 3 (awesome 🙂

 

[Anonymous]

Thank you Thaiman, most appreciated

 

[Anonymous]

I second Naim CD5i. Top buy. I didn't know they are coming up with a new line. Good news! True, if you can get an ex demo at a reduced price, you'd have one heck of a CD player. Under that I mention two contenders (sound wise) - Primare CD31. And of course the MF Thaiman mentioned.

 

[Anonymous]

Thaiman, if I remember correctly, you had a Naim CD 5i. How much did it cost you?

 

[Thaiman]

The CD 5i, 2nd hand (mint) set me back £450, I sold it for £400 so lost £50....not often I lost some cash🙂 but for someone that could be the best £450 they ever spend.

 

[Anonymous]

Couldn't agree more. I wish I could lay my hands on a Naim CD 5i for that money. I wish.

 

[Anonymous]

thanks Guys,

would you go for the Naim CD5i over the Rega Apollo?

 

[Anonymous]

Any time of the day (or night for that matter).

 

[Thaiman]

[quote user="ranjeetrain"]Any time of the day (or night for that matter).[/quote]

Apollo sound very good for the price but not many cd players can get your heart pumping the way the Naim does. As long as you are not expecting a wide sound stage or subtlety, Naim only have one trick up thier sleeve but it's a very good one.

 

[nads]

[quote user="dave75"]
Thanks Thaiman,

What would you or anyone else suggest auditioning for the 1000-1500 pound mark?
[/quote]
I have to ask this. Is it purely for CD playback? or do you want Other Audio disc possibilities?

 

[Anonymous]

thanks everyone. It looks like i should be looking at the Naim then.

Hi Nads...yes purely for CD playback although obviously if i could get something that did more with similar audio quality for much the same price with more audio possibilities then I'd look at it. What were you thinking of?

 

[nads]

[quote user="dave75"]

Hi Nads...yes purely for CD playback although obviously if i could get something that did more with similar audio quality for much the same price with more audio possibilities then I'd look at it. What were you thinking of?
[/quote]
Not really thinking of anything. But i have been impressed with the CD playing of my T585 so much so that as it does SACD and DVDA i have sourced some discs (arriving tomorrow i hope) it is also a fair Upscaling DVD player. but the question was more for my info 😉

 

[Anonymous]

Hi Dave,

I have both the Rega Apollo and the Saturn. The Saturn is just braking-in (first week).

The Saturn has a wider soundstage and much more extended hights.

But when listening to rockmusic, until now I prefer the Apollo because it is more coloured

and "darker " in a way that suits electric guitars and amps.

For a more refined review of the Saturn, please find attached a comment from a user called

"Daltonlanny" in an American headphone forum:

quote:

"REGA SATURN...UPDATED IMPRESSIONS AFTER 195 HOURS:
You were right, Dark Angel, this thing is transforming into a tiger!
I
had not listened to it for 3 days until tonight, and it has indeed gone
through some dramatic changes for the better. It now has about 195
hours of break-in time on it. I am posting these impressions using my
HeadAmp GS-1 headphone amp, Signal Cable Silver Resolution Reference
interconnects, and the Sennheiser HD650 and HD600's, both with SSA
Equinox replacement cables. I also have ordered a pair of Grover S
Graphite interconnects, and cannot wait to try them out.
The sound
has opened up greatly, the bass is deeper and tighter, the soundstage
is deeper and wider, and there is more body to voices and instruments,
The sound now has real attack and decay,and the top-end sounds much
more extended, and is now phenominal! The sound is very subtly on the
warm side of neutral, but to me, and with my components, it is almost
dead neutral!
I can now hear very subtle sounds, reverb trails,
drop-outs and flaws in the master tapes, etc., that I did not hear the
other day, and they are either not audible or very faint on the Marantz
SA8001.
The sound is very involving, enjoyable, effortless, smooth, unstrained, refined, detailed, and very open.
There is no edginess or sibilance at all.
Voices are extremely natural, unstrained, and real.
The sound is now almost just right to me: Not too forward, not too laid back.
My Saturn is becoming very impressive indeed!
A friend of mine assured me that it would improve subtly even more with further break-in! :blink: "

Greets,

Sebastian

 

[drummerman]

[quote user="Thaiman"]not many cd players can get your heart pumping the way the Naim does.[/quote]

Agree. It also raises your blood pressure because after logging the thing home and 'running it in' for 2 years as told by the NAIM dealer, you suddenly realize it has'nt got any better since the first 24 hours and the NAIM dealer wont take it back. Still he now offers you a 'fair' trade in for the next model up but only if you buy a power supply with it. It may take 5 years to 'run in' but its amazing you are told ...

... The baby NAIM is actually quite good, certainly the best 'value' product of the range. Same for the amp. After that it gets silly and uncompetitive.

 

[John Duncan]

[quote user="dave75"]
Thanks Thaiman,

What would you or anyone else suggest auditioning for the 1000-1500 pound mark?
[/quote]

Haven't listened to anything in this price range recently, but my friend whose system I knew well has gone through the process. Saturn - safe, boring. Primare - very, very good but not enough of a step up from what he had already. Moon Equinox(?) - kerching. Pretty dear though, was heading to the 2k mark, even ex-demo.

At that price point though, I think there's an embarrasment of riches - Primare, Creek, AVI, Densen, Leema, Naim blah blah.