Anyone heard or own any Rega products?

[Matten Logan]

I recently attended the Entertainment show in LA, and noticed what a difference a $5000 CD player can make. But I dont have $5000. There is a british company called Rega that I didnt even know existed. Word is that these are awesome (at a price point of about 1000). I noticed that my noise floor on my system is not a low as i'd like, and its not the amp or pre/pro (I heard the same ones elsewhere and dead silent. The gist is I want to know if the player can have that dramatic an effect or should I invest in better power and line conditioning. Also, any thoughts on the rega?

 

[DTB300]

Have you ever considered the "modification" route? Dan Wright of Modwright and Allen Wright of Vacuum State Electronics are both great people to deal with and have great mods. For $3000 or even less you can get a player that will outperform players twice the price.

Each modder has their own site and you can see which models they modify.

http://www.modwright.com
http://www.vacuumstate.com

Just something else to consider....

Dan

 

[aliveatfive]

Rega's turntables have been recommended by Stereophile and TAS for years. Their cd players also have been well-reviewed by the press. I believe there's a brand new model which just became available. The English press praised that one too.

 

[AlanW]

If you have a chance to try or purchase an Ack Dack 2.0 you will be pleasantly surprised. They can be found in the mid $500's used on Audiogon and are fantastic. They have a battery power supply and when switched on go into DC power mode and are dead quiet with no AC noised introduced into the stream.I have had some expensive CD players and DAC's and I really enjoy mine. It is a keeper and a hidden gem. Many people use an inexpensive DVD player as a transport. Check the Audiogon forum for peoples experiences. I personally use an old California Audio Labs Delta Transport and it sounds great.

 

[Matten Logan]

yeah, i saw an ack dac on craigslist for like 300, i'm considering it. My main concern (and this may seem stupid, but its really a problem) is that I literally have not one available outlet either on my wall swith or my line conditioner. Flat out. The inclusion of sperates to my system and the fact that vantages need 2 power outlets has left me power outlet dry. Charging the Ack would involve removing it from my system when it needs charging, and if you looked at the way my system is wired, you would know why thats a problem.
It would be easier to leave the charger next to the dac, and then the no outlet problem

 

[Marcello]

I own REGA gear for several years. In the mid 90ies I started with the MIRA integrated amp and the original PLANET cd player. After my last upgrade, I now have the CURSA / MAIA / EXON pre-power-combo and the PLANET 2000 in use. (look at member system #56 - but there are not the latest pictures there)

I was and am happy with this equipment. But I must say, that I did not seriousely compare them with many other brands. The REGA's were my start into the world of high-end, the ML's were then the second step (owned Infinity RS 4000 speakers before).

The REGA's have some specific characteristics, I think:

- minimalisitc in functions
- long life cycles for their products
- "love or hate" design
- a little "cheapy" in components, that are not directly responsible for the sound quality, i.e. plastic front panels in general, plastic top loader of the cd

But if it is primary the sound quality that counts, then you can get a lot of pleasure for the money. REGA just replaced the PLANET 2000 cd player with the APOLLO a few month ago, a high-grade model named SATURN should follow and replace the JUPITER.

Marcello

 

[Marcello]

Just found a short on-line review of the REGA APOLLO on AVReview in the UK, check http://www.avreview.co.uk/news/article/mps/UAN/678/v/3/sp/522963356146206344700

Marcello

 

[tsd2005]

Rega is an excellent low end audiophile solution. Low end here means primarily in price not in quality. They don't make units that are as snappy looking as others, but the quality of sound is really nice. The Rega turntables are their best product lines.

The Apollo is a $999 CD Player that imho sounds incredibly like an Arcam DV78 (a $999 DVD player), but I think the Servo technology used by the Rega gives it a very subtle improvement in some areas. NAD makes a CD player for much less that really makes an impact on a system that doesn't have an audiophile quality cd player in it.

The Rega is DEFINATELY a big step up from the NAD. It will open up some of your favorite CDs, and unfortunately with the combination of your ML speakers....

it will make bad recordings sound BAD.

Nothing in a sound chain is as important as the source. The source is where your system gets all the musical information. So a good CD player will make your MLs shine, as they are getting much more clean information.

If you're having trouble with locations due to electrical outlets may I suggest the Arcam DV78 DVD player to replace your current one (that is if you have one)?

Compare it to the Rega Apollo.

Also consider the Arcam CD73 ($699) which is like the Apollo in the sense that it is a straight up CD player (no upsampling). This is a great little unit that imho makes me believe the DV78 is just DVD-ability added to this unit with no loss in sound quality. Brilliant little CD player that is UPGRADABLE to the CD192 which is a $1699 CD player. That allows the unit to conver the 16/44.1 to 24/192. Improvements in sound quality are very noticable. Upgrade is the right word, they replace a board (with the new DACs) on the CD73 and its a 192, but says CD73 on it still. So if you ever get that bug to upgrade....

 

[lugano]

My 2 cents can be resumed in a sentence: British Hifi gear is overpiced.

I've sold my entire Naim gear (a $ 5000 value, originally) after listening at a T-Amp - I think it says it all.

 

[DavidG]

2 subjects, but

My 2 cents can be resumed in a sentence: British Hifi gear is overpiced.

I've sold my entire Naim gear (a $ 5000 value, originally) after listening at a T-Amp - I think it says it all.

I'll have to step in and correct you here I'm afraid!! NAIM gear is hugely overpriced. Other British gear isn't.

For good mid-priced British hifi you can look at Arcam, Cyrus and definately Rega. (Roksan also make good kit, but the price goes up for the top end). For high end gear, look no further than Meridian - one of the best brands out there at any price point.

I'm running a Rega P25 Turntable as my vinyl source and for the money I'd say it's tough to beat. This is driving a Lehmann Audio Black Cube phono stage into Meridian pre-power, before the MLs.

Can't really comment on Rega for CD players, but I can thoroughly recommend buying a used Meridian 508.24 or 588 - if you can find someone who wants to sell. In the UK these go for around the GBP800 range 2nd hand.

Cheers,

David

 

[tsd2005]

I'll have to step in and correct you here I'm afraid!! NAIM gear is hugely overpriced. Other British gear isn't.

For good mid-priced British hifi you can look at Arcam, Cyrus and definately Rega. (Roksan also make good kit, but the price goes up for the top end). For high end gear, look no further than Meridian - one of the best brands out there at any price point.

I'm running a Rega P25 Turntable as my vinyl source and for the money I'd say it's tough to beat. This is driving a Lehmann Audio Black Cube phono stage into Meridian pre-power, before the MLs.

Can't really comment on Rega for CD players, but I can thoroughly recommend buying a used Meridian 508.24 or 588 - if you can find someone who wants to sell. In the UK these go for around the GBP800 range 2nd hand.

Cheers,

David

I'm glad someone said it. Rega turntables are some of the best for the money. The Meridian line is easily the best of the high end.

 

[Matten Logan]

Thanks for all the input guys. Final decision, either modding my current player or doing a used meridian transport and an ack dacK.