AudioNervosa
Systemic Development => Digital Audio Devices => Topic started by: eric the red on February 21, 2007, 09:28:20 PM
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If you still think that digital in general sucks like I do, audition an Apollo. Am a big Rega fan and have owned a Jupiter for a few years, but one day after the Apollo arrived the Jupiter was on the Agone sales block (please buy it!). Has Rega re-invented the wheel? Doubt it but this is one great cdp and I've had many cdps. Impressive.
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What specifically? Do tell...
Bryan
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I'm curious also. This new line from Rega has garnered rave reviews and is supposed to be a huge step up from their previous units.
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C'mon..let's hear about that Apollo :)
:cry: :cry: :cry: :cry:
It's been over a week :!: :?: :!:
WEEZ
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Yes, someone declared that some kind of reading optimization circuit, indigenous to REGA allowed its new CDPs to go into uncharted territory. Still, I am not clear how it would be different than with a PC based ripping system (if it got to do with reading optimization and reading error diminution, then, CD drivers can do a good job.)
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Eric - you still there buddy? Or are you too enamored with all the Sports Bar drama over on AC?
Bryan
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My expectation is the Best a CDP can hope for would be to match an optimized hard drive setup. Still, I'd love to hear about this unit.
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Me too! I am getting a bit fed up with my Marantz and getting that awful itch.
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Sam Tellig has a piece in the new Stereophile about the Brio 3, the Apollo, and the Saturn. (or course, Sam likes everything he writes about, so.....)...I'd rather hear from Eric.
WEEZ
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Whoops-Wolfy had to remind me that I needed to respond here... First of all, I am a Rega junkie from what I've heard in the Rega line. Have owned TWO Planet 2000s at various times, TWO Jupiters (my all time favorite cdp ever until now) and also own a Planar 2 for LP play back. I stupidly sold my first Jupiter, and after a year without one, bought another. Jupiters at the average $650.00 used price are a stupid good deal BTW...Rega to me is concerned with what I am interested in; they concentrate on two channel music that I can listen to through their gear. I've had THREE count'em Jolidas come through here with NOS tubes, A Rotel 991, YBAs Denons Tjoeb 99 Philips SACD 1000 Pioneer AX-10 (a $6000.00cdp) etc etc etc all in search of a way to tame the digital sound which I hate and also of which I own 600+ cds (PERFECT ANNOYING AFTER A FEW HOURS SOUND FOREVER). The Tjoeb 99 was flabby-awful sounding muck, the 991 was just an average cdp with nice build quality, the SACD 1000 of course crapped out after a month, the YBA was average average sounding, the Pioneer? Over-priced over-built bright sound (hey they were on close-out for $995.00... I WANTED to like the Jolidas but with good NOS tubes it sounded wierd (no offense but it just didn't do much for me). So anyway I kept reading about how with the Apollo, that Rega had reinvented the cd wheel after 3 years and kept reading the glowing reviews. Meanwhile my Jupiter had been happily spinning my cds for the past year with not a thought about ever upgrading.
Enter the $785.00 preowned two week old Apollo that popped up on Agone one day that I grabbed. Compared the Apollo directly with my Jupiter for a week and the Jupiter is now gone. The Apollo is the real deal trust me. If you want a cdp that doesn't annoy the hell out of you, this is it. It's one of those components (like my 5 year old Meadowlark Kestrel Hot Rods OR the Norh Prism 6.9 speakers) that just plays music. Rega is one of those companies that deserve every positive accolade that is heaped on them because their gear just plays music. One of those pieces of gear that somehow somewhere the manufacturer got right. My last cdp player period (unless I find a screaming deal on a Saturn :beer: )
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Thanks.... :D
Speaking of the Saturn....a review.. (http://stereotimes.com/CD091806PS.shtml)......and one on Audiogon... (http://cgi.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/cl.pl?dgtlplay&1175828225)... 8)
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There's a Saturn on sale at AudioGon for 600$. Says "new". Fishy price. I mailed him for details. Hmmm
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I tried yesterday to buy a new Rega Apollo,first from a local brick and mortar establishment who was out of stock and then on the internet. i called Music Direct and they told me that they were out of stock since January. i contacted the guy on Audiogon with the Black Rega Saturn for sale and i told him that i will buy it from him today if i am still covered by the original Rega warranty.thanks....WCW III
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I just pulled the trigger and ordered a brand new Rega Apollo from my local brick and mortar Audio dealer. the guy in New York on Agon who was selling the Saturn for $1850.00 turned out to be a dealer who was selling his demo unit. after i asked him to give me the warranty he got cold feet.i think that Rega dealers are only allowed to sell in thier own area and he didnt want to give a warranty to someone that he was not supposed to be selling it to.i may have to wait a few weeks but i would rather have a warranty and the piece of mind that comes with it. i can picture myself needing a repair or replacement for it and being left holding the bag otherwise :wink: thanks....WCW III
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A bit of humor here regarding the seller of the Apollo I now own (he had it for two weeks before I bought it from him). :lol: He emailed me today and told me that he had just bought a Cary tubed cdp and that it was OK but was thinking of buying a used Jupiter instead and asked me how I liked the Apollo compared to the Jupiter and said he was also thinking about just buying ANOTHER Apollo. This after telling me when I bought the Apollo from him that I would like it better than the Jupiter. What a whacked-out hobby... :D Let us know how you like the cdp Bunky.
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Eric, is the Apollo's startup delay while it scans the disc annoying to you, or do you just get used to it? I find the spinup of my cheap player annoyingly long.
And here's a question only the designer or an owner can answer: Is it possible to fast reverse from the beginning of a song through the break and into the end of the previous song on the Apollo? Many high end players can't do this, they just stop rewinding at the beginning of the song. I use that feature alot.
Thanks,
Rich
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Eric, is the Apollo's startup delay while it scans the disc annoying to you, or do you just get used to it? I find the spinup of my cheap player annoyingly long.
And here's a question only the designer or an owner can answer: Is it possible to fast reverse from the beginning of a song through the break and into the end of the previous song on the Apollo? Many high end players can't do this, they just stop rewinding at the beginning of the song. I use that feature alot.
Thanks,
Rich
Rich-The 'initialising' delay on my player is about 7 seconds and to me is no big deal. And yes you can fast reverse from one song to another with the Apollo but it took me awhile to learn how to (as in just now :P ). On the Apollo's remote, you press the fast reverse button once and then when you get to where you want to be on the previous song, you press the fast reverse button twice and the players stops reversing and starts playing the track where you stopped.
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Hmmmm,
my player takes about 7 seconds also. My dvd player takes a bit less....5 seconds. Never tried the reverse into the previous track..have to get my instuctions out to see.. :?
:?:
WEEZ
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The first time I used a remote with that function of reverse button to reverse, then reverse button again to play, it was so counter intuitive. I was at a dealer and started rewinding. I had to ask for help to get it to stop! Of course, they didn't know either... Hell you can always unplug the thing. 8)
Sam Tellig writes a little about the Apollo in this issue. Nothing you haven't already seen before, but the new CD transport chip from England is pretty cool!
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he had just bought a Cary tubed cdp and that it was OK but was thinking of buying a used Jupiter instead and asked me how I liked the Apollo compared to the Jupiter
This is interesting Eric. As i was reading your posts about all the digitals you've gone through, I was thinking that other than the uber-expensive units, the one I heard that I liked the most is a Cary 303/300. If the Apollo competes with - let alone bests - that it would be a screaming deal. Of course, I suppose this guy could have had a 308T, which I've heard and the 303 is much better.
I'm still on the fence if I get another CDP, or just an optimized Squeezebox/DAC rig.
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FWIW-I finally got my slightly modded (Incognito rewire, Michell arm stub/weight) Rega P3 and AT cartridge dialed in and last night fooled around A-Bing different recordings that I have on both vinyl and the spinning shiny discs. The sonics are remarkably similar with the Apollo winning in the bass dept but the P3 winning in the more spacious sound dept. Both are very enjoyable to listen to. Not the last word in all things audiophile, but as far as sitting down and listening to music for extended periods of time again, that's what I was aiming for. If there wasn't so much music on vinyl that I am interested in listening to, I would be perfectly content with the Apollo and the limitations of listening to cds as my sole source of listening pleasure. I quit looking on the Agone want ads at cdps which says alot about how much I like the Apollo here at component central. I've now switched from swapping components to acquiring large amount of LPs which I think is a good thing...Happy 4th of July y'all.