Rega Isis cd player

Hi,

I've been listening to the new Rega Isis cd player. It's a mighty fine sounding cd player.

I will report back further.

SCIDB

 

Damn it Dean, you can't do the Joel!!!

 

Hi,

The Isis is the new cd player from Rega. It is a bit of a departure for them as this machine is priced in the high end. At £6000 it is up against a number of items from other manufacturers. It seems to be a model that could be your last ever cd player.

At £6000, the Rega Isis is a step in a new direction for Rega. There is a matching amp on offer plus rega are working on a expensive turntable. There is a market for high end hifi and Rega are trying to dip their toes into it.

I first saw the Isis at Moorgate Acoustics. Paul Darwin (of Rega) had bought it in too impress the Moorgate crew. It did the job. I heard it there and it sounded like a winner.

I later arranged a further home listen.

The machine is very weighty and comes well packaged. Inside the outer box is a wooden crate that is screwed down. Also included are a set of Klotz cables and a sheild mains lead. I used these to set the player up.

The machine looks and feels well built. So it should be for the price. It has a very retro feel to it. It sports a LED display. It reminds me of something from the 70s. To me, I find it eye catchingly pleasing. It is different to many cd players I have seen, which is something I very much like.

It stands proud as a top loader. This is a manual operation with a lid that reminds of the "Enterprise" off Star trek. You have to lift this up and push it down when you change a cd. So it has more hands on than most cd players. This is ideal for turntable buffs. It has a very chunky feeling remote control. Not your cheap plastic job. It is something that you can give someone a good whack with. You do come across expensive cd players with 'cheap as chips' remotes. These always look like an after thought.

As with alot of cd players, getting it going is straight forward. Plonk it on a level surface, plug in the wires, switch on and away we go. In goes the first cd and listening begins.

As a big music buyer of various styles, I need equipment that can handle the range of recording qualities that appear on many cds. From high quality to low fi, the cd player need to make the most of what is thrown at it. With this in mind, I dug out a selection.

Starting with a Jackson 5's ABC album set the scene. It is their second album with 2 big hit singles and a selection of fine songs. The music flowed from the speakers in an enjoyable way. This album was a 1998 remaster. Some remasters can be hit and miss but the Rega made this sound engaging and entertaining. This was the sort of performance that was a feature of the Isis.

Playing a selection of items gave the impression that the cd player isn't phased by the quality of the recording. This is not to say that it made everything sound the same but that it made a good performance from the discs.

Putting on a cd of acid house music proved very enjoyable. The tracks were from the late 80s and used a Roland 808 drum machine. Cds of this music can sound sharp. In the early day of cd, this would have sound too sharp and bright. The Isis showed great rhythm and detail without a bright sound. It made a very good of keeping the music flowing, presenting subtleties in the music as well as the rhythmic changes in the tunes.

Tracks off cds by Lynn Collins, Police, Otis Redding, Ac/Dc, Lee Perry, Groove Armarda, Beth Rowley, Jimmy Smith, Charlie Mingus, Bob Marley, Pulp, Primal Scream, Kid Rock, Beastie Boys, Jackie Wilson, Howard Tate, The Salsoul Orchestra, Oscar Peterson, Orange Juice, Art Blakey, Ernest Ranglin, Black Jazz Chronicles, NWA, Public Enemy, Jimmy Cliff, Fun Loving Criminals, Ida Maria, Supremes, Barry White, Temptations, Cure, Nat King Cole, plus various tracks of ska, disco, Soul and rock. I also played some of the many promo discs I have knock around.

On all these cds, the performance came to the fore. This made the music enjoyable to listen to. You weren't thinking about the recording quality, you were just enjoying the tunes.

Comparing it to my Chord dac 64 and Audio Synthesis dax decade proved interesting. It didn't 'wipe the floor' with them but sort of eased above them in certain ways. It combined the Chords drive of sound with the Audio Synthesis ease of tone. It was more noticeable on certain discs than others. By taking on these two dacs makes the Rega a winner in my eyes.

Is this the best cd player in the world? I don't know.
Is this a top notch cd player? Yes it is.
Should this be on my list for a last ever cd player? Yes

Playing various cds has been a pleasure. It makes them enjoyable to listen to. It is not a player that renders poor recordings and productions unlistenable so that you can't enjoy them. It is not to say it make every sound the same. Great recordings sound better, so they should but lesser recording can sound enjoyable to listen to.

There are many expensive cd players ion the market. I would reckon that many are not as good as this one. The downside is getting to hear the competition in the same place. I have heard of a few people who have tried the Rega Isis. The comments have been more than positive. A few have preferred it to the expensive Naim cd player.

At £6000 it is not cheap but if you have the money put it on your list.

Would I buy one? Maybe.

My dilemma is that I have heard some mighty fine cd players in my system. Last year I had the new Chord dac in my system and sounded superb. A few years ago, I had a Audio synthesis Dax Discrete which sounded top notch. The Audio Synthesis dac could handle cd, high res cd, Dvd-A and SACD.

All in all, the Rega is on my list.

SCIDB

 

What's really terrible is that there aren't any PHOTOS. We need Prøn!

 

Hi Joel,

I forgot to take some photos.

I try and get some.

SCIDB

 

Some pron here:

http://www.rega.co.uk/index2.htm

 

I suspect Rega's photos aren't doing the ISIS any favours, as it does look a trifle dowdy which wouldn't put me off in the least, but the high-end is mostly about look and knob-feel ;-)
It also appears that Rega have lost their distribution in Japan. That is a pity.

 

I would agree with Dean here, a very capable CD player

 

Hello Tony,
Wadia, TEAC level?

 

Hi,

Here are some pictures that I have found.















SCIDB

 

read a thread on another forum, where the person states that he has sold his $6000 Ayre C5XE cd player and bought a Sony SCD-XA5400ES SACD player ... he states that the sony runs rings around it ... His mates are all following suit and selling their expensive cd players for the sony ...

cannot remember the rest of his kit, but was impressive

dont think sony make that specific model, but there are numerous available 2nd hand