Retro Review - Rega Planet CD - the player that changed my mind about CD

[@robmills537]

Hi Phil I've just recently bought a Planet and love it, a big step up from the Marantz player it replaced.

[@watdanuqta-mf5ms]

The first time I saw this player making music at a local dealer, they had it hooked up to a Naim Nait and a pair of floor standing Meadowlark (Kestrels?) that I believed were transmission line designs. The whole setup I think was less than $3000.00 USD and it pretty much floored me. I thought that the Rega was twice its price(actually the Meadowlarks also), the fit and finish were just wonderful. Touching the metalwork, it simply exuded quality.

[@simonjohn4836]

I bought my first CD player in the late 90s - a well reviewed Sony some thing or other. I hated it and after a few weeks replaced it with a Rega Planet. I was much more happy and the sound was a match for my budget turntable of the time. About 12 years ago I upgraded and passed the Planet onto a friend who still uses it every day. No reliability problems, and as you say, it still sounds engaging. BTW I had a remote for mine it was a £50 extra. Good review.

[@andrewweis5857]

I always liked the sound of this player and the industrial design. Russ Andrews is offering a mod/upgrade service for this player which was favorably reviewed in The Audiophile Man KZbin video about 4 months ago.

[@michaelbooth6007]

This was my first CDP. I didn't keep it for long as my record deck sounded much better. Now it is possible to get very good sound quality from the CD medium. Today I don't feel the need to spin the black stuff as CD is much improved.

[@nuznikas]

I shelfed unit and using vintage nad player sound more dynamic and fresh

[@martinbishop2966]

I bought mine in 1998 with a remote, it has given me 25 years trouble free service. I played it the morning with Tori Amos's Winter EP from 1992 and Mozart's Flute concerto No1, K313, this is the sort of music it excels at. Probably not the best choice for hard rock but it's sonic signature of sweetness and lack of hardness or harshness makes it a fatigue free listen on music I have described. One of hi-fi's most enduring products.🙂

[@Ricky-cl5bu]

I’ve 7 different CD players all good ones but the Rega Apollo R is definitely my favourite it sounds like a really good turntable

[@grayfool]

I bought one in the late nineties and still use it today. A very good player. You really need the remote though which was sols separately.

[@hmsworcester]

I love the quirkiness of the Planet and the fact rega shows so much respect for their legacy products.

[@paulwibb.8944]

Had one way back amazing players wish i still had it now

[@guus007]

My second CD player was the Jupiter and Io. I loved it. Very very musical.

[@63nuke]

I just bought a Cambridge Audio DAC to see if running my Planet through there would reveal any intriguing differences. The Planet is often criticized for being "boring", too "laid back" and somewhat muted. I thought for sure a modern DAC would produce some differences. Surprisingly it didn't. There was no change in bass, I could sense some more clarity in the vocals but only on a couple of the dozen or so tracks I tested. In fact , the Planet did a a better job of taming the highs that can be a bit fatiguing with my horn speakers and tube amp. Bottom line: my Rega Planet isn't going anywhere anytime soon. Still humming along after almost 25 years of being with me. Whatever they did to customize that Burr Brown DAC back in 1997 to make it so special is still amazing.

[@martinrose2833]

There was a remote , it was sold as an accessory

[@tuamgolfer]

Wasn't the strap line perfect sound forever? Well, it wasn't but I have a Sony player (es range) attached to a Rega DAC which matches my original Brio amp. It's blissful to listen to.

[@stevenbeau6268]

I would love to hear your thoughts on how the Original Rega DAC compares to current DAC’s…s

[@bobby666666]

Audiophile Man has internet presence and a KZbin Channel. He posted a video about a giy who does modding and specifically looked at the Rega Planet. The outcome was a big improvement. I just typed Audiophile Man Mod.

[@andrewpodmore2440]

I picked up a linn karik. I think it might be the karik 3. And found a mint copy of feels like home by Nora jones for £1 at local charity shop in Macclesfield where I live, just astonishing. Better than 3 grand of streaming kit. Brain is now scrambled

[@mattyboynixon]

I'm surprised that you thought it sounded worse than a P2. What qualities do you look for in your listening? I only ask as I've recently acquired a P3, and love listening to it. However, there's detail and air that I just can't get when compared to a decent digital setup. I think that if I'd spent my early listening days on vinyl, digital would be a revelation.

[@cjmillsnun]

A remote was optional and you had all the advanced features of any other CDP if you had the remote.

[@ChrisWhittenMusic]

Just bought an Apollo R. It sounds amazing……but skips track one and doesn’t recognise many CDs. It needs to go back to Rega for repair. Still….the best sounding CD player I’ve ever had - and I had hi-fi before CDs were a thing and played CDs all through the late 80’s to today.

[@samuelreggio1611]

I have a newer Apollo and I absolutely love the format and the SOUND. It’s definitely quirky and unreliable in terms of basic functionality, but the sound keeps me patient and understanding.

[@gr328]

These no doubt that some of the Philips mechs of that era were a notch up. Was the transport a Sony from memory? Maybe modded?

[@mikeemmett2394]

Tomorrow's world had put the jam on the label side!

[@johnsmith-i5j7i]

Mine suffered from skipping on heavy bass. No isolation.

[@kodithebear]

I had one and regret selling it. Saying that, the sound while warm, does not have the same fidelity of more modern players past the 2000's. I've found the Yamaha CD players to sound just as warm but with much better range.

[@johnmalone8790]

My naim cds sounded fantastic and I brought that in 94

[@georgecoles7220]

Got one still working good chat

[@chriswills9437]

There is a remote...I have one. My Planet is still going in 2023, built in 1997.

[@j.napelten897]

👍

[@nattyco]

That's very interesting. A pity you couldn't have let us hear how it sounds.

[@yunglie1445]

Nice! Last week, we at Alpha-Audio played with that very CD-player, I still happen to own after almost 30 years. It still performs very well, although I use the digital output into a newer DAC (EarMen Tradutto). We connected the Rega Planet to a Tannoy Studio Gold Monitor set: kzbin.info/www/bejne/h3qtoGeGnrdmsNEsi=JTmALkmcdP_r5gxO&t=491

[@JohnDoe-np3zk]

My rega 2000 laser died. You think rega service these in the usa, uh no. They like you.

[@ChrisStoneinator]

Imagine if I commented on a piece of American gear going "you think they service these in the UK, uh no". They don't exist all over the world, not their fault.