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Rega Planet CD player Page 3

But let's listen.

As a player—we'll take up the Rega Planet as a transport in a moment—the Rega Planet produces a rich, full-bodied, dynamic (but not overdynamic) sound. There is much more of a sense of rhythmic pace, more of a foundation under the music than there is, for instance, with the Marantz CD-63SE. In Linnspeak, the Rega Planet plays tunes. Or as WP would say, the Rega Planet boogies. Not that this is a player just for rock'n'rollers, mind you. My tastes run mainly to classical and jazz.

Where the Rega falls down, if only slightly, is in spatial resolution—this compared…

Rega Planet CD player John Atkinson February 1998

John Atkinson reviewed the Rega Planet in February 1998 (Vol.21 No.2):

"Maybe the piano is a little loud compared with John Abercrombie's guitar...?" I was playing a rough mix of a recent live recording I had made of the Marc Copland Quartet to jazz writer Zan Stewart, who was visiting over the Christmas break. We listened to a couple more cuts. "You know," said Zan, "it sounds pretty good. I assume we're playing the CD-R on your $24,000 Mark Levinson transport/processor system?"

"Actually," I replied, "I'm playing the disc on Rega's $795 Planet CD player, and you've just given…

Rega Planet CD player JA February 1998 part 2

It was not without character. I agree with Sam Tellig that the Planet has a basically rich-sounding balance. However, it does sound just a little tilted-up at the top end, which made it a better match for darker-balanced speakers and electronics. But the lack of grain did not make this tonal balance fatiguing.

And the Rega was a master at reproducing a recording's spatial aspects. It took a while for me to get into Charlie Haden's and Pat Metheny's Beyond the Missouri Sky (Verve 314 537 130-2), which appears in this issue's "Records 2 Die 4" list courtesy of Shannon Dickson. I often find…

Rega Planet CD player Specifications

Sidebar 1: Specifications

Description: Single-chassis CD player with remote control, S/PDIF digital output, and single-ended analog outputs. Maximum output (0dBFS signal): 2V RMS. Measured output impedance: 930 ohms (unbalanced).
Dimensions: 17.2" (437mm) W by 3.5" (89mm) H by 10.5" (267mm) D. Weight: 8 lbs (3.65kg).
Serial number of unit reviewed: 05334.
Price: $795. Approximate number of dealers: 130.
Manufacturer: Rega Research Ltd., 119 Park Street, Westcliffe-on-Sea, Essex SS0 7PD, England, UK. US distributor: Lauerman Audio Imports, 519 Noelton Drive, Knoxville, TN…

Rega Planet CD player Associated Equipment

Sidebar 2: Associated Equipment

Digital Playback: Mark Levinson No.31.5, Mark Levinson No.30.5, The Parts Connection Assemblage DAC-1 and DAC-2, Myryad MC 100, Sonic Frontiers UltraJitterbug.
Preamplifiers: Mark Levinson No.380S, Nagra PL-P.
Power Amplifiers: Mark Levinson No.333, Pass Labs Aleph 3.
Loudspeakers: Paradigm Reference Active/20, B&W John Bowers Silver Signature, Thiel CS6.
Cables: AudioQuest AudioTruth Lapis X2 interconnect (single-ended), Madrigal CZ Gel-1 interconnect (balanced), Mod Squad Wonderlink I (S/PDIF), Illuminati Orchid (AES/EBU), Cardas Golden…

Rega Planet CD player Measurements

Sidebar 3: Measurements

The Planet's maximum output level was 0.2dB above the CD standard at 2.05V. This might be audible in comparisons, but I wouldn't lose sleep over it. The analog output was absolute-polarity correct, and was sourced from 930 ohms (the measured figure was a little higher at 20Hz, a little lower at 20kHz). The Planet coped quite well with disc data dropouts. It negotiated track 30 on the Pierre Verany test disc but started to skip on track 31, which includes a 1mm dropout. The data clock was set a little high in frequency, an 11.025kHz tone playing with a +182ppm (0.…

PSB Alpha A/V loudspeaker

The original PSB Alpha was reviewed for Stereophile by Jack English in July 1992 (Vol.15 No.7). A modest-looking two-way priced at just $199/pair, it combined a reflex-loaded 6.5" woofer using a plastic-doped paper cone with a 0.5" plastic-dome tweeter. JE summed up the Alpha by saying it "is simply one of the best buys in audio, providing a musically satisfying sound...a sensational audio bargain." It went on to become one of the best-selling audiophile speakers ever, with over 50,000 pairs sold.

In 1998, PSB's Paul Barton revised the Alpha. The drive-units acquired magnetic shielding…

PSB Alpha A/V loudspeaker Page 2

The Alpha A/V's lows were not unmusical, the piano-toned bass guitar on Mary Chapin Carpenter's live "Stones in the Road" (from Party Doll, Columbia CK 68751) acquiring a pleasing thrum. And on well-recorded classical orchestral music---the Walter Legge-produced 1956 Kingsway Hall recording of Brahms's Symphony 1 with Klemperer has been spending much time in the Levinson '31.5 (EMI Classics CDM 5 67029 2, a 24-bit remastering)---the Alpha's slight bass overhang usefully warmed up the low end of the orchestra. But it appears that Paul Barton has loosened the low-frequency alignment of the…

PSB Alpha A/V loudspeaker Specifications

Sidebar 1: Specifications

Description: Two-way stand-mounted, reflex-loaded loudspeaker. Drive-units: shielded 0.5" plastic-dome tweeter, magnetically shielded 6.5" coated-fiber-cone midrange/bass unit. Crossover frequency: 3kHz. Frequency response: 68Hz-21kHz, ±3dB on-axis; 68Hz-10kHz, 30 degrees off-axis. Sensitivity: 90dB/2.83V/1m. Impedance: 6 ohms nominal, 5 ohms minimal. Recommended power: 10-80W.
Dimensions: 12.75" (324mm) H by 7.75" (197mm) W by 9.75" (248mm) D. Cabinet volume: 0.39 cubic feet (11 liters). Weight: 11 lbs (5kg) each.
Serial numbers of units reviewed: 04110-…

PSB Alpha A/V loudspeaker Associated Equipment

Sidebar 2: Associated Equipment

Office System
Digital source: Meridian 500 CD transport, Panasonic A-120 CD/DVD player, Musical Fidelity X-24K 24/96 D/A processor.
Amplification: Yamaha @PET RP-U100 desktop receiver, Advent A300 receiver.
Cables: Canare interconnects, AudioQuest CV-4 loudspeaker cable.
Accessories: Pentium MMX 166MHz with Digital Audio Labs CardDeluxe soundcard connected to D/A via 75 ohm S/PDIF link, running Windows 98, WinAmp 2.5, and CoolEdit 2000.

Home system
Digital sources: Mark Levinson No.31.5 CD transport and No.30.6 D/A processor,…