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The Original Rega Planet CD

Rushboy

Rushboy

pfm Member
Hello to all,

I recently bought a used Rega Planet.
I am thrilled with the sound that the Rega delivers.
Since then, I enjoy listening to CDs more often again.
My previous players:
Naim CD5i
Rega Apollo CDP
Exposure 2010 CD
were all not so good for my taste.

One question: Which current CD players sound as pleasantly analogue as the original Rega Planet?
 
Current players? Honestly, I don’t know. The original Planet was a class act at its price point though, and is still a lovely machine.

I actually have a Naim CD5i here, I really enjoy it, but it’s not exactly the most subtle sounding player and I don’t tend to listen to it for extended periods, it’s fun in the way that a fast car is fun.

I also have a Meridian 507, velvety smooth, incredible sound stage, if you like the Planet, I reckon you’d love the Meridian, it’s a class or two above, a sumptuous sounding machine.

I also have a Linn Ikemi which is better again… I never understood what people meant when they described a CD player as sounding “mechanical” until I heard the Ikemi, it made music just flow effortlessly, and made lesser machines sound “mechanical”, or “digital”, the impression that the sound has been deconstructed and then reconstructed. It ruined me and I had to find the money to buy one, which didn’t come easy at the age of 21 with a newborn baby, but I made it happen.
 
I had an original Rega Planet CD player that sounded superb. It developed a fault and I wanted to get it repaired but my local dealer at the time persuaded me to “upgrade” to a Naim CD 3.5 with a generous trade in…..

It was a decision that I pretty much regretted within a week! The Planet was way more enjoyable

Rega have a way with digital even to this day.

That experience with that particular dealer was just one of several over the years and that explains why I try and avoid them whenever possible now !
 
Rushboy said:
The Naim CD 5i was a big downgrade from the Naim 3.5 CD which was much better.
Click to expand...
Mine is a late unit and definitely better than the early version but I’m not sure how it compares to a CD 3.5, I owned a CD 3.5 and really liked it, but that was a long time ago. I’d certainly not suggest the CD 5i as an alternative to a Planet if you’re looking for “analog” sounding machines. The Meridian on the other hand…
 
Hello,
I'll raise the question again.
Would a current Rega Dac make the Planet sound even better?
I really like the warm Planet sound, but more is always good.
 
Rushboy said:
Hello,
I'll raise the question again.
Would a current Rega Dac make the Planet sound even better?
I really like the warm Planet sound, but more is always good.
Click to expand...
It’ll be better in terms of detail retrieval and imaging for sure, whether you prefer it is a question that can only be answered by listening personally. It’s actually a discontinued product now but not too difficult to find on the used market… try and find one for sale privately at the lower end of the price scale, and you can try it, and move it on without losing anything if you prefer the Planet on its own… I think you might prefer the DAC though, it is very good indeed.
 
Rushboy said:
One question: Which current CD players sound as pleasantly analogue as the original Rega Planet?
Click to expand...

my c.d. player sounds not too far from my vinyl playback set-up. Similar, but not replicating each other.

We decided to buy it because it sounded more like ‘music’ than any other c.d. players we had heard.

Roksan Blak purchased earlier this year.

I am not sure that I would apply the term ‘warm,’ to either my record or c.d. players sound.

Precise, clean, quiet with expansive soundstage. Detailed with no sharp edges?

Depending on the production/mastering, sometimes it is difficult to tell if it is a record or c.d. playing. That sounds daft, but is honest.


We did want to hear the current Rega c.d. players, but what with C-19 and Rega stockists being far away we never got to audition one.
I would still like to hear the Rega Saturn-R and the Isis, I bet that they sound excellent.

(we live near Nottingham, but I refuse to use Castle Sound & Vision on Maid Marion Way because the bloke has an incredibly bad attitude the last time I went in the shop.)
 
Funny thing, the original Planet CD.

Back then I published the world's second review of it in print, beaten to it with a few days by What Hi-Fi. It sounded sweet and nice in an unusual kind of way. A bit later I found why: the use of low-end components aimed at the portables market. Probably injected just enough grunge to make it less clinically-clean than most of the competition. On the other hand, Ken Kessler in HFN&RR found it aggressive ...

I remember vividly that the review sample died right after the group test was done. I nevertheless purchased a Planet myself. The first one died too in a few days' time. My second sample is still with me, after 25 years.
 
Rushboy said:
One question: Which current CD players sound as pleasantly analogue as the original Rega Planet?
Click to expand...

No big surprise, Rega Saturn-R. My first thought when I heard it was 'this sounds like a turntable'. The overall sonic signature is very similar and it's also very engaging to listen to.

I tried to beat it. I had a Naim CD5XS and CDX/XPS but the Rega stayed. Neither had the fluidity and natural sound of the Saturn-R and the 5XS just sounded broken by comparison.

Still have the Rega and no real intentions of replacing it.
 
Interesting thread.
I did rather like the look of the original Planet, but never got to hear one at home.

Over time I moved from a low cost Sony CD to a ‘battleship’ Sony CD player.
Both gave musical satisfaction in the system I was using at the time.

I owned a CD3.5 for a while and enjoyed the Naim ‘sound’, but had disc reading issues.

Currently I own a Marantz model, which sounds right to my ears when used with a Nait
2 and Stirling V3s.
No doubt others models may well suit the Nait2/V3s.
 
Rushboy said:
¿Alguien conoce a los jugadores de French Atoll o YBA?
Click to expand...
Ahora tengo un transporte de CD Atoll DR Drive 200 Signature y lo combino con un DAC Exposure 2010 y el resultado es magnífico.
Anteriormente tenía una saturn-R pero la combinación que tengo ahora es superior al sonido de la Rega,
Como transporte de CD, el Rega también era inferior al Atoll.
El Atoll, en mi opinión, es un gran transporte de CD por sonido, funcionamiento muy silencioso, acabado, chasis, componentes... pero no escuché a los reproductores de CD dedicados de Atoll.
 
Great to read this thread as a couple of weeks ago pressed my old Planet into service after 15 years in a cupboard.
Gave it a good clean as the clamshell case was very dusty with a paintbrush.Cleaned the transport case and hinges with cotton wool buds.Gave the phono sockets a good clean.
Firing it up into my Rega Aethos and Magneplaner 1.7 is .I was very pleasantly suprised how nice it sounded.
Thought it sounded like vinyl and there was detail but a real aliveness about whats playing.
It really works its magic on CD as you just enjoy the performance and forget about the hifi.

Rushboy - Last night I was listening to Xanadu on a Best of Rush double CD ....Incredible on the planet ! ......Wow what a track the intro and Neil's fabulous drumming....RIP Neil.
 
I always think it’s really reassuring to hear how old warhorses like the Planet continue to impress to this day. In the case of the Planet it seems to just play music really satisfyingly. It may be all you ever need.
 
Del monaco said:
In the case of the Planet it seems to just play music really satisfyingly. It may be all you ever need.
Click to expand...

Exactly. The Saturn-R is the same. I've thought on and off about buying an Isis but I can't justify it. I enjoy everything I play on the Saturn-R and it gets me into the music like a decent turntable would so why do I need any more than that? As I see it, I have nothing to gain and may even lose.
 
I currently use a vintage Rotel 965BX which has some of the attributes of decent TT. I did have an Apollo for a while and though it was decent, it didn’t have the wide, deep soundstage that the Rotel renders so well.
 
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