Rega Saturn-R CD Player/Digital-to-Analog Converter

Description

Rega Saturn-R CD Player/Digital-to-Analog Converter is the company’s step up from the value-priced Apollo-R player. At $2995 it comes in almost three times the price of the Apollo-R, but offers a great deal more in terms of design sophistication and performance.

The Saturn-R CD-DAC player offers complete flexibility and integration into any system. Essentially two products in one, the Saturn-R houses a high specification transport and independent DAC circuit. Both sections are fully remote controllable via the supplied Solaris remote handset.

You will find plenty of connectivity options, all at the highest possible resolution up to and including 192kHz-24Bit. The Saturn-R has two optical inputs, two Co-Axial inputs, a fully asynchronous USB and an added ‘direct’ digital output from the CD playback section.

REVIEWS:

“Rega has considerably refined its approach to digital sound since it introduced the first Saturn. The company stands out in the digital universe because it has trickled down technology from its flagship CD player, the Isis, freshened up the Saturn’s design, and thrown in a very serious asynchronous USB high-resolution DAC, all for a price that, after factoring in inflation, is lower than the original’s. Those are more than enough reasons to consider the Saturn-R for an audition. Add to them an impressively musical and soulful presentation of performances and a level of resolution that comes within throwing, and sometimes spitting, distance of digital systems costing twice as much, and you’ll understand why I consider the Saturn-R an (inter)stellar achievement. It deserves the serious attention of anyone willing to pay as much as $5000 for a CD player.” – Vance Hiner, The Audio Beat

CDP Features

The Saturn-R uses our proven digital to analog converter and analog output amplifier technology coupled with a pair of Wolfson WM8742 digital to analog converter IC’s. The Saturn-R has improvements to the CD section power supply which was a result of the research & development of our reference Isis CD player along with the improved microcontroller and display drivers.

Technology

The Saturn-R uses a high stability master clock and high capacity power supply in the CD circuitry, high performance PLL digital interface receiver, isolated digital inputs and high performance power supply architecture in the DAC circuitry. Signal switching between the CD and DAC functions are performed in the digital to analog converter stage. The signal path of the CD section in CD mode is kept to a minimum.

USB 192kHz-24bits asynchronous

The DAC USB input has been improved with asynchronous operation at sample rates of 44.1 to 192kHz with a bit rate of up to 24bits. The USB input has the same galvanic isolation as used in the Rega DAC-R. The USB uses dedicated drivers in the computer, enabling full ASIO operation, thus eliminating signal degradation caused by generic windows based drivers.

SPECIFICATIONS:

• New Wolfson WM8742 DAC
• Enhanced Output amplifier circuit
• Enhanced Digital power supplies
• Improved user interface
• Redeveloped Analog & Digital outputs
• Solaris remote with CD, DAC and amplifier functionality
• USB 192kHz - 24bits asynchronous
• Dimensions: Width 432mm x Depth 325mm x Height 82mm
• Dimensions needed to operate: Width 432mm x 350mm Depth x Height 180mm