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Rega Saturn MK3

That would be my first choice of CD players if I could warrant the spend, the Saturn would be my second choice, I like a display I can turn off as I've no use for it.

The later Rega players turn off display, older players turn off one disc only, repeat is necessary.
 
Tempted to get one for when my Naim CD5x gives up the ghost..

Thing is, if you sell the CD5 now you'll get good money for it. Wait until it dies and you'll get buttons for it. Or be faced with the difficulty of getting it fixed, if you can. Rega still fix the Saturn, have a good stock of spares and the thing has a lifetime warranty!

Then of course you have the fact that it sounds better! I bought a CD5XS to see how it stacked up against the Saturn-R. It didn't. It was in fact embarrassing for the Naim, I felt bad for it. Looked the part, love the ergonomics but man, thing sounded like it was broken next to the Rega. I recon you're looking at a CDS to beat the Saturn-R, maybe.

Plus you get a full-moo DAC thrown in! Honestly, it's such a good product.
 
I can confirm that the casework and fascia are metal, the front side columns are mouldings and the display is indeed red which is easy to read but difficult to photograph.
Hi Paul, could I ask what the situation might be regarding spare mechs/lasers etc with this model. If my Planet ever stops then this will be my go-to/endgame player in all probability and after reading on the Naim forum about their issues with repairs then spares will be a major consideration. Ta
 
Hi Paul, could I ask what the situation might be regarding spare mechs/lasers etc with this model.

I don't know if this machine uses the same mech as the previews one but from what I heard Rega had a large stock of them and they are still in production. Long term availability was one of the key considerations in deciding which mech to employ.

I guess any mechanical device is going to have a finite life but if you want to run a CD player I think these Regas are about as safe a bet as you're going to get.
 
  • Enhanced output amplifier circuit
  • Enhanced digital power supplies
  • Redeveloped analogue & digital output
It's all there on their website.

Thank you I hadn't spotted that. I asked my local dealer in dec if the Mk3 was any different inside but they weren't aware that it was. Nice surprise that the sound should be even better.
 
Nice surprise that the sound should be even better.

I think it'll just be tweaked but I don't see that as a bad thing. It's already a pretty sorted CD player. Plus, the new player is only £300 more than the old one. Which, considering the way prices are rising just now, is effectively no price rise at all.

I was hoping that Rega would release a new CD player to match the aethos amp. A player to improve on the Saturn r.

Maybe they will but I doubt the demand for CD players justifies it. I'm frankly delighted they're still making any! Other big names have dropped them entirely so..
 
Question to all you Saturn R users ?

I am seriously thinking of getting one as already an Aethos user.Love the new casework pics BTW.

How would you describe it's sound.From the reviews I have read they all say it sounds very analog.
 
How would you describe it's sound. From the reviews I have read they all say it sounds very analog.

The very first thing I thought when I first played it was 'this sounds like a turntable'. It's not just that it has an analogue sound but the overall sonic signature is very like a turntable. Which is really good if you also run a turntable in your system as it makes getting both to sound good easy. When I used Naim CD players it was difficult as they had a more forward sound, harsher top end and more powerful bass so finding a compromise that worked well for both vinyl and CD was tricky.

The other way in which it mimics a good turntable is its forgiving nature. Even with poor recordings, vinyl tends to sound at least nice. Or at least it should. The Saturn-R is the same. It's the first CD player I've ever had that can get music out of any CD you drop into it. Albums I thought were terrible productions and beyond hope, the Saturn plays them. It might not turn them into great recordings, you can still hear the flaws, but the music is conveyed so well that you tend to forget about them and just enjoy the music.

And that's the crux of it for me. It's not the most dynamic, detailed or immediately impressive CD player I've had, you want a good Naim for that, but it is the most musically satisfying. It's not perfect but it's so good that I've got no desire to upgrade it. I'm happy to stick with it as it does all I need from a CD player.
 
Thanks Colin for your thoughts on the Saturn R.

I like the fact it's got a pretty good DAC with loads of inputs as well.....Do you use the DAC on yours ?
I am currently running an old Pioneer PDS 801 player with the stable platter mechanism and the synergy with the Aethos which has a warmer sound works a treat.
I must talk to my dealer and get a home trail as 2 grand is a lot of outlay.And only hearing it in my system can I really decide.I remember this review in the Ear and Jason Kennedy loved it.
I do have a good 800 + CDs and always buying more especially classical at charity shops in my area.There so cheap to buy,compared to back in the day when CDs where fall price.

I can happily listen to CDs as I can the LP12

https://www.the-ear.net/review-hardware/rega-saturn-r-cd-playerdac
 
That looks tempting. I currently use a V1 Saturn ( Dac-less) as a transport via an Audio Note Dac 0.1

I might line up a listen. If it tops the Transport / Dac arrangement selling the V1 and the Dac might make this a viable proposition.

Mind you, I'm still tempted by the CEC TL5 into at AN. I think Deco in Aylesbury stock both so a side by side could be interesting at some point later this year.
 
Fantastic that a serious CD player is being released in 2022, and by Rega too. Tempted to get one for when my Naim CD5x gives up the ghost, as it will I suppose do at some (very sad) point.

I too have a CD5X which is around 15 years old and used almost daily for hours at a time. Incredibly reliable, but once if finally breaks I guess the Saturn would be one of the obvious choices.
 
Do you use the DAC on yours ?

Well...sort of-ish and no.

Thing is, I'm using my Saturn-R as a transport into a Rega DAC, which is exactly the same DAC is is inside the Saturn-R! Which on paper makes zero sense.

I picked up a Rega DAC years ago and plugged it into the Saturn, just to check it worked really. Didn't have any fancy digital cables, used a cheap yellow plastic plugged video lead. Thought 'hang on, this sounds better than the sound straight out of the Saturn!' And over the years I've tried it back and forth often enough, tried other players as transports but the Saturn-R into the Rega DAC wins. Sometimes other transports have come close but the Saturn-R always edges it.

The separate DAC isn't a huge difference. It just sounds more open, a little more dynamic, but it's worth having considering the price of a used Rega DAC. I've also tried better coax cables between them and still prefer the cheapo cable I first hooked them up with.

But to answer the original question, I run a blueray player thought the DAC. Before the DAC was there it went thought the Saturn.
 
I suspect that the separate digital out for the DAC and CD section is rather unique. Interesting feature none-the-less.
SATURN_MK3_GALLERY3_%281%29.jpg
 
I suspect that the separate digital out for the DAC and CD section is rather unique.

What you've got effectively is a separate DAC and transport in one box. I'm sure most people see it as just another CD player but it's not. You don't see many CD players with a back panel like that.
 


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