Your digital source - rega/Esoteric opinions

[timm]

Hi all -

I am sure all of you have listened to different digital sources... I have heard rave reviews of the Rega Saturn... Anyone hear it before? Sounds like it would mesh well with the ML product based on descriptions of its sound.

I have always been intrigued with the Esoteric SA/DV lines as well.. I would be curious if anyone has had a listen to those. Particularly, redbook playback. I feel quite assured that the SACD playback on the Esoteric would be excellent....

Anyway, a used Esoteric SA... or the Rega Saturn for CD playback? Any opinions of those or any other source in that ballpark would be most welcome!! Thanks Tim. (I currently have a Denon 5900)....

 

[MiTT]

I've always been a Rega fan. My first "real" turntable was a Rega P3. The Saturn series players are well regarded and have the typical Rega/Linn PRAT type sound that just makes them sound extreemly musical.

That being said - if you can afford the Esoteric just do it and never look back. They are in the very elite upper crust of digital playback along the lines of the best Wadia, dCs and Meitner gear. My DV-50S is likely the last digital gear I'll feel compelled to buy...

Unless I win the lottery in which case I'll be moving up to the P-03, D-03 and a pair of G-03X's just because I could.

 

[aliveatfive]

I'm also a fan of the DV50s. I have not heard the DV 60. I suppose it's somewhat better, but who knows? The 50 is all I need at the present time. My admission of guilt - I listen to vinyl much more frequently than I do to digital.

 

[MiTT]

My admission of guilt - I listen to vinyl much more frequently than I do to digital.

As do I; probably a 75%-25% ratio - still, it's good to have a decent silver disk spinner around.

 

[Diamonds]

My son has a SA-60 cdp in his system. He upgrade from an A5 cdp. The differences we noticed were better sound staging, much more control on the low end and a more "real" sound. Much more live than the A5 sounded. Not to say the A5 wasn't very good. It is the best cdp I have heard under 5k I will say I have never heard a Ayre on either my system or my sons system and those I would like to give a listen to and compare it to the SA.

I think the Esoteric's have the best build quaility I have ever seen. They come triple boxed and are like tanks. I think the SA60 is 37 pounds!!! In my opinion you could not go wrong with the SA.

If you are ever in Phoenix/Scottsdale area I am sure he would have you over for a listen and ****tail. Have a great day guys/gals.

Merry Christmas (almost) and Happy Holidays!

 

[timm]

My son has a SA-60 cdp in his system. He upgrade from an A5 cdp. The differences we noticed were better sound staging, much more control on the low end and a more "real" sound. Much more live than the A5 sounded. Not to say the A5 wasn't very good. It is the best cdp I have heard under 5k I will say I have never heard a Ayre on either my system or my sons system and those I would like to give a listen to and compare it to the SA.

I think the Esoteric's have the best build quaility I have ever seen. They come triple boxed and are like tanks. I think the SA60 is 37 pounds!!! In my opinion you could not go wrong with the SA.

If you are ever in Phoenix/Scottsdale area I am sure he would have you over for a listen and ****tail. Have a great day guys/gals.

Merry Christmas (almost) and Happy Holidays!

That sounds great.... I live in Michigan.... This started because I was reading really good things about the Rega.... and then saw an X-03 on audiogon for around 3700... I have decided I want to get the video out of my audio - because the players that have video in them - even the 'state of the art' ones are not blue ray or hd-dvd.... so why not get it out of there? I don't have the $$$ now .... but am thinking....scheming.... isn't that how it always starts???

 

[Audioseduction]

I've always been a Rega fan. My first "real" turntable was a Rega P3. The Saturn series players are well regarded and have the typical Rega/Linn PRAT type sound that just makes them sound extreemly musical.

That being said - if you can afford the Esoteric just do it and never look back. They are in the very elite upper crust of digital playback along the lines of the best Wadia, dCs and Meitner gear. My DV-50S is likely the last digital gear I'll feel compelled to buy...

Unless I win the lottery in which case I'll be moving up to the P-03, D-03 and a pair of G-03X's just because I could.

+1 Close to 50lbs :music:

 

[Diamonds]

That sounds great.... I live in Michigan.... This started because I was reading really good things about the Rega.... and then saw an X-03 on audiogon for around 3700... I have decided I want to get the video out of my audio - because the players that have video in them - even the 'state of the art' ones are not blue ray or hd-dvd.... so why not get it out of there? I don't have the $$$ now .... but am thinking....scheming.... isn't that how it always starts???

Think about this when you are deciding over Blu-Ray or HD-DVD.

http://www.engadget.com/2007/12/04/michael-bays-format-war-conspiracy-theory-its-a-microsoft-fi/

I have had a Esoteric DV-60 in my system and I have never seen DVDs look better. They get the most out of SD DVDs possible. Personally I think the HD/BLU-Ray format war is stupid. Stick with Esoteric you will get a reference piece of equipment and you will not be disappointed.

BTW I scheme all the time for audio. That is like the third best part after listening and tinkering. Well maybe 4th...talking to the ML forum members is pretty cool too.

 

[David Matz]

Hi all -

I am sure all of you have listened to different digital sources... I have heard rave reviews of the Rega Saturn... Anyone hear it before? Sounds like it would mesh well with the ML product based on descriptions of its sound.

I have always been intrigued with the Esoteric SA/DV lines as well.. I would be curious if anyone has had a listen to those. Particularly, redbook playback. I feel quite assured that the SACD playback on the Esoteric would be excellent....

Anyway, a used Esoteric SA... or the Rega Saturn for CD playback? Any opinions of those or any other source in that ballpark would be most welcome!! Thanks Tim. (I currently have a Denon 5900)....

Be sure to check out Ayre.

I compared Ayre CX-7e to the Rega Saturn over a weekend, and although the Saturn was good, I had the Ayre on for all but the 15 minutes I listened to the Saturn.

Also, I compared the Ayre CX-7e to the Esoteric DV-60, and I thought the Esoteric was excellent. However, when one compares the value (quality per dollar), Ayre is the clear winner.

When I compared the Ayre CX-7e to the Ayre C5-Xe, the C5-xe blows away any one box source. The 2 box transport dac combos - from dcs, Naim, or Esoteric costing 4-6 times as much may be 2% better.

As always audition for yourself.

 

[jjay]

I purchased a Rega Saturn but returned it because it didn't sound much different than my Rotel 1072 player. (You can get a Rotel 1072 for around $400 used on Audiogon). I tried the Ayre CX-7e next. This player's sound signature was even more similar to the Rotel. A Longer listening time in my system may have revealed more from the Saturn or Ayre but I was looking for a more analog sounding cd player. I finally purchased the McIntosh MCD201 SACD player. This cd player was warmer sounding than either the Saturn or Ayre in my opinion, plus the added feature of SACD play back. The McIntosh MCD201 player has reports from owners of transport problems but I have not had a single problem myself. I am willing to give up what some people describe as extended upper treble range for a warm mid range, analog sounding cd player. I am very happy with the McIntosh MCD201. The only other cd player I wish I had demoed would be a Naim.
Just my opinion. Everybody has a different sounding room and hears differently.
Good Luck,
Jim

 

[twich54]

but I was looking for a more analog sounding cd player. I finally purchased the McIntosh MCD201 SACD player.Jim

I have not heard the "Mac MCD201", but I must say the ARC Ref CD-7 would be on my "short list" if I had silly $$ to spend. Most enjoyable Redbook player I've heard to date.

 

[jjay]

BTW - I wasn't inferring that the Rega Saturn or the Ayre cd players didn't sound great. For my personal tastes, I wanted the warmest, analog cd player I could find. I also think that the Rotel 1072 cd player is the best for the money cd player out there. If I was on a budget, I would either purchase the Rotel 1072 or the Rega Apollo. Great sound for people on a budget.
Jim

 

[tonepub]

The Rega is excellent, a bit wamer. The Ayre is a bit more dynamic and powerful sounding. Another interesting choice at this price point is the Prima Luna Prologue 8. All vacuum tubes and very analog sounding!

Hard to make a distinct choice here, the competition is pretty fierce.

 

[jtwrace]

The Rega is excellent, a bit wamer. The Ayre is a bit more dynamic and powerful sounding. Another interesting choice at this price point is the Prima Luna Prologue 8. All vacuum tubes and very analog sounding!

Hard to make a distinct choice here, the competition is pretty fierce.

and I will throw in the Resolution Audio Opus 21...

 

[tonepub]

Yes, that is another fantastic player for the money!

 

[timm]

I guess my real question would be... if I were to upgrade from a denon 5900 to something in the Esoteric line - would it be a jaw dropping - 'wow, that is quite a difference... listen to that soundstage, listen to that detail... I can't believe the difference!!' or would it be something more in line with 'uh, yeah...this does sound a bit better...but I would be hard pressed to tell the difference unless I was a/bing them in the same room'....

 

[DTB300]

I guess my real question would be... if I were to upgrade from a denon 5900 to something in the Esoteric line - would it be a jaw dropping - 'wow, that is quite a difference... listen to that soundstage, listen to that detail... I can't believe the difference!!' or would it be something more in line with 'uh, yeah...this does sound a bit better...but I would be hard pressed to tell the difference unless I was a/bing them in the same room'....

Some may say yes, some may say no. All comes down to that subjective response to each component.

Since you like(d) your 5900, why not contact Dan Wright at Modwright about their modded 3910 player? Give him a call or email (he is VERY responsive and has great customer service) and ask about the 3910, giving it an audition and if you are unsatisfied can you return it??? He offers not only the mod route but also brand new players already modded with warranty It cannot hurt to inquire about it.

I still firmly stand by my beliefs in the modded player route for top level CD/SACD/DVD-A playback, especially for the kind of money you are thinking about spending. The modded players have consistently been compared to players costing 3x the cost and performing equal to or usually better.

 

[timm]

Some may say yes, some may say no. All comes down to that subjective response to each component.

Since you like(d) your 5900, why not contact Dan Wright at Modwright about their modded 3910 player? Give him a call or email (he is VERY responsive and has great customer service) and ask about the 3910, giving it an audition and if you are unsatisfied can you return it??? He offers not only the mod route but also brand new players already modded with warranty It cannot hurt to inquire about it.

I still firmly stand by my beliefs in the modded player route for top level CD/SACD/DVD-A playback, especially for the kind of money you are thinking about spending. The modded players have consistently been compared to players costing 3x the cost and performing equal to or usually better.

Good point and thank you for bringing me back down to planet earth. My bro was buying something - and I recommended the same path... He got the 3900 mod from Alex Peychev. It wasn't the full blown mod - he got the digital mod and the player cost him 1800 when it was done. Now, we compared my 5900 to his and - I think his sounded better....I say 'think' because it was very close. The modded player had a slightly higher output - and as you know that makes/ A/Bing a little difficult - but, in the end I would give a very slight edge to the modded player - and considering it cost the same as mine - I guess that is a 'win-win'.

Who do you think does the best bang for the buck mod out there - and what would be the best platform (denon,esoteric etc...) do you think?

 

[risabet]

I'm also a fan of the DV50s. I have not heard the DV 60. I suppose it's somewhat better, but who knows? The 50 is all I need at the present time. My admission of guilt - I listen to vinyl much more frequently than I do to digital.

What guilt? I'm at 90%/10% and not a drop of guilt. If money is no object go with the Esoteric, I'm sure you'll be happy based on reviews and word-of-mouth. To be honest though, I think you'll get 85-90% of the Esoteric sound with the Rega for a lot less money. That final 10-15% is a lot more money usually.

 

[DTB300]

Who do you think does the best bang for the buck mod out there - and what would be the best platform (denon,esoteric etc...) do you think?

In my opinion, the two "Wright" Modders - Dan Wright of Modwright and Allen Wright of Vacuum State Electronics are the two best to consider. They are not related to each other.

If I remember correctly, Dan does Denon and Sony, while Allen does Sony and Marantz. Check with each person on the models they offer mods for as they do not cover the entire line.

There are other modders out there, but from the posts about all of them, these two (Dan and Allen) get the most talk about great service, great product, and some of the best prices.

The biggest problem with modded players is you cannot go out to your local store to give them an audition. But too many great things stated about each person with some very good professional and amateur reviews to think they are just a fluke.

Dan