advertisement


Rega Saturn MK3

Interesting. Evolution rather than revolution. I wonder how different it sounds. The Saturn-R is already pretty good. The rear panel is identical, it may just be a little better with the main change being bringing the case into line with the current range.

It's nice to see Rega still supporting CD and still making this flexible CD player and digital input fest in one.
 
Minor thing, some of their latest boxes does not have visible screws on top cabinet
 
Minor thing, some of their latest boxes does not have visible screws on top cabinet

I think it still has screws because it is the same chassis as the previews model. Apart from the change of fascia and lid it all looks the same. The giveaway is the CD loading tray which still has the terrible tiny finger holes on the wrong places. If that was a new part I'd like to think they'd improve on that.

The Aria has had three cases but is basically the same inside. My guess is that this is either the same inside or is tweaked over the previous model. I am a little concerned that the fascia looks like it's made of plastic. The last one was alloy and I think a plastic fascia on a two-grand CD player is pushing it. I could be wrong, I'm just looking at the pictures.
 
The push buttons looks the same as Aethos.

Rega seem to have changed cabinet design quite a few times since clampshell era.
Apollo/Brio curved front shoebox might be a short event, looking at IO release.
 
The curved fascias were cheap and nasty looking but the general trend is good. I think the current styling is the best they've had so far.

Yeah, my old Saturn player in black, with black buttons, wasn't their finest hour in style, impossible to find the right button (without remote) not even in daylight.
Recall Apollo 35 had silver buttons on black background.
 
Yeah, my old Saturn player in black, with black buttons...

The new player has basically the same buttons in a better arrangement. Hopefully the legends under them are easier to see too. I think Naim nailed it with their earlier players, nice tactile buttons with a click when you pressed them and illuminated functions. Stylists generally got too much say in these things in my opinion and clearly often understand little about ergonomics.
 
..

It's nice to see Rega still supporting CD ...

Both support and performance is top-notch.

They can still service and repair older players.
New owners can rely on future support too.

Thats very satisfying and reason why I went from Naim players to Rega, due to doorstop risk.(which is now happening for many unfortunately)
 
The giveaway is the CD loading tray which still has the terrible tiny finger holes on the wrong places.
For an updated design I’m surprised that this element hasn’t been addressed, the rear finger slot appears to be redundant as it’s pretty inaccessible even for a 3 year old. The colour scheme on the display is hopefully more legible than shown in the photo as it’s going to be difficult to read in anything other than a dim / dark room. I do struggle with poor design, I guess the cost factor vs sales won out.
 
Is it just the photos or is the display hard to read? Red on red lcd?!

It looks like the same display as the previews player. It's not the best display you've ever seen but it's fine. Contrast is much better than the pictures suggest and the display is perfectly legible at any angle. I'm sitting about ten feet away fro my Saturn just now, at a steep angle, and I can read it.

Again, I think the best display prize goes to Naim. Massive clear green numerals, great. Easy to read and green is a nicer colour than red. Worst display but a country mile goes to Cambridge Audio. First saw it on a new CD player I bought years ago but they keep using similar atrocious displays. Faint, poor contrast and only visible from one angle. Just terrible. That player lives on top of the fridge in the kitchen, so it's just above eye level, and you can't read the display at all. I read a couple of reviews on their DAB tuners last night and they're obviously still using similar barely functional displays.

That's very satisfying and reason why I went from Naim players to Rega..

I admit this would also stop me buying an older Naim CD player but the main reason the Saturn-R is in the house is the sound. It's simply more cohesive, organic and satisfying than any Naim player I've tried. Naim CD players are overrated.
 
Last edited:
I can confirm that the casework and fascia are metal, the front side columns are mouldings

Well there you go, disaster averted! ;0) So the top and bottom edges are alloy and the blocks at the sides are plastic?

Looking at it just now, I think it terms of clarity and legibility, the display is pretty close to the Naim ones. Numbers are smaller but other than that it's just as good really.
 
Now this IS a display.

rega-isis_550.jpg
 


advertisement


Back
Top