rowooo Posted July 7, 2002 Share Posted July 7, 2002 Not sure what I'm going to do yet (fix my Adcom/or buy a new player) anyway my audio store really loves the Arcam 72 in my price range. Has anyone heard this player or the 62. Thanks......... ------------------ 2 Channel System: Klipsch Epic CF-2s McIntosh C-15 Preamplifier Adcom GFA 5500 Amplifier Music Hall MMF-5 Table Adcom GCD 700 CD Adcom ACE-515 AC Enhancer Transparent Audio Cabless> Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mobile homeless Posted July 8, 2002 Share Posted July 8, 2002 The Arcam Alpha series of players were really nice sounding units, despite the funky styling. I auditioned Arcam Alpha 8 and Alpha 9 at length when shopping for my last digital purcase. These players were amazingly open and detailed, without sounding too harsh in the top. I compared them (along with others) to the Rega Planet and ultimately picked the Rega Planet as the most musical and closest to vinyl of the bunch. It was less expensive than the Arcam 8 and did a number of things that were right while sounding just a bit more natural given extended listening. The new Arcam CD-72 and CD-92 are the models that took the place of the Alpha series but I have not heard them. I happen to like the Burr Brown DACs and a 24bit version is employed in the CD-72. The CD-92 jumps up to the dCS ring DAC. I thought the Alpha series was very nice and I imagine the new DIVA series to be fine as well. IF I were you, I would ask to audition the CD-72 at home to see how it fits with your system. I thought the Alpha 8 to be the great player in their past lineup as it bettered the lower 7 by a big margin and was a good portion of the 9's sound. Still, I have to say that I preferred the original Planet as it was the most analog like. I still love this player. I doubt many on here have heard the new Arcam players. But why not give the 72 a whirl in your own system, surely the best way to find out how you really feel about the unit. kh Phono Linn Sondek LP-12 Valhalla / Linn Basic Plus / Sumiko Blue Point CD Player Rega Planet Preamp Cary Audio SLP-70 w/Phono Modified Amplifier Welborne Labs 2A3 Moondog Monoblocks Cable DIYCable Superlative / Twisted Cross Connect Speaker 1977 Klipsch Cornwall I w/Alnico & Type B Crossover Links system one online / alternate components / Asylum Listing f>s> This message has been edited by mobile homeless on 07-08-2002 at 08:27 AM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mobile homeless Posted July 8, 2002 Share Posted July 8, 2002 BTW, I now remember a guy in the Digital Drive Asylum doing a comparison between the original Rega Planet and the new Arcam CD-72. HE much preferred the Planet. There were some interesting responses as I remember. Do a search in the archives over there. Was it Thrusti from this very forum? He had Cornwalls. kh Phono Linn Sondek LP-12 Valhalla / Linn Basic Plus / Sumiko Blue Point CD Player Rega Planet Preamp Cary Audio SLP-70 w/Phono Modified Amplifier Welborne Labs 2A3 Moondog Monoblocks Cable DIYCable Superlative / Twisted Cross Connect Speaker 1977 Klipsch Cornwall I w/Alnico & Type B Crossover Links system one online / alternate components / Asylum Listing f>s> This message has been edited by mobile homeless on 07-08-2002 at 08:34 PM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rowooo Posted July 8, 2002 Author Share Posted July 8, 2002 Mobile....To tell you the truth I'm somewhat scared of the original planet, ecspecially since I would be buying used. I have read about some problems with the suspect lid mechanism, and what some people would call a cheap power button. I just don't think I could take a chance buying a used planet with no warranty. I'm going to audition the Arcams sometime this weekend and will let you know what I find. Thanks for your responses. ------------------ 2 Channel System: Klipsch Epic CF-2s McIntosh C-15 Preamplifier Adcom GFA 5500 Amplifier Music Hall MMF-5 Table Adcom GCD 700 CD Adcom ACE-515 AC Enhancer Transparent Audio Cabless> Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mobile homeless Posted July 8, 2002 Share Posted July 8, 2002 The Rega Planet is one of the most solidly built CD players I have owned or been around (under 2000). I bought mine used and it worked like a charm. It is my second one as my ex-girlfriend took the first. The lid mechanism is FAR more solid than the average and above average sliding tray mechanism in the bulk of the CD players. Seriously, the Planet is built like a tank. You just have to remember to keep the lid closed as the lens is directly exposed if open. As for the comment about the cheap power button, you are misreading or not remembering this correctly. What was said in the past was that the remote window area LOOKS a bit like the power button, hence some goons would push it in! The power button, as in all the buttons for the player, is well made. On the other hand, this is not a player of bells and whistles; most of the controls are on the remote (the remote is the weakest point with the Rega - does ok but the design is rather lame). I would not hesitate to recommend a USED Rega Planet from a reliable source (or person you trust). The Rega is a hard one for the average "audiophile" type to grasp as it really does not push detail or even sound like other players. IT is not laid back per say, but it has a certain smoothness and lack of aggressive nature that tends to reveal itself after longer listening sessions. IT needs excellent interconnects that are on the opposite end of the spectrum as the MIT type sound. Silver wire does well here (such as the Goertz Alpha Core T2 - The DIYCable Superlative is also OK). Like other CD players, it needs to be left on ALL the time; I never turn mine off. I also leave the display function set to OFF. The older Planet uses a custom Burr Brown 18Bit DAC that Rega modified, which may seem rather archaic in this day of upsampling and 24 bit machines. However, the whole package does well and sounds better than most of the sub 1k 24bit machines. I recommend this player more now for the price as you can get it for around $350-400 where it does not have much competition. It does like a revealing system, but not a system that stresses the audiophile aspects over musicality. What it does do let the music breathe with an excellent bottom end, sense of rhythm, and good drive. In many ways, I like this player for what it DOESNT do as it is one of the few players in this range that exhibits some of the analog sense of ease. No, it's not analog but it surely far more natural sounding that 90% of the sub 1k stuff. I think the used Rega is the better bargain over the higher priced, 24bit 2000 model. In this range, I dont think there is ANY competition although others here disagree. In a side by side with the Tjoeb 99, it changed the Tjoeb's owner's mind after solid few hours of comparison. I found it more natural and correct than the loaded Tjoeb 99. But yes, there are better players out there. I just have not wanted to invest the ducats until seeing where the chips fall. And for overly etched detail freaks, the Planet may not reveal itself on first listen or in a side by side with a more typical player, especially of the 24bit variety. But it was the first CD player I could live with that didnt pain me when I put the glasp on ye olde Linn tonearm. kh Phono Linn Sondek LP-12 Valhalla / Linn Basic Plus / Sumiko Blue Point CD Player Rega Planet Preamp Cary Audio SLP-70 w/Phono Modified Amplifier Welborne Labs 2A3 Moondog Monoblocks Cable DIYCable Superlative / Twisted Cross Connect Speaker 1977 Klipsch Cornwall I w/Alnico & Type B Crossover Links system one online / alternate components / Asylum Listing f>s> This message has been edited by mobile homeless on 07-09-2002 at 07:28 AM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arfz28 Posted July 9, 2002 Share Posted July 9, 2002 How much does a used rega planet go far? How much is a new one? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mobile homeless Posted July 9, 2002 Share Posted July 9, 2002 See addition to above post. You can find deals on new and used if you are a good shopper. I think the USED player is the better choice personally, although buying used CD players has never been my first option. This player is built pretty will if not completely abused. kh Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrPyro Posted July 9, 2002 Share Posted July 9, 2002 The retail pricing of the Rega's are as follows: Planet 2000: $950 Jupiter: $1800 -dbl ------------------ Home Theater Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rowooo Posted July 13, 2002 Author Share Posted July 13, 2002 Just took my Adcom in to get it fixed. Figured regardless of if I upgrade or not it would be nice to have it working so I can sell it. Doesn't sound like it's going to cost much more than $100.00 so it's worth it. Also, Mobile, the store that I took the Adcom to loaned me out a new Arcam cd 72 with text. I will let you know how this works out in my system. They did have one used Arcam 7se but I really like the looks of the new Diva series. Well, I have some comparing to do..later.......... ------------------ 2 Channel System: Klipsch Epic CF-2s McIntosh C-15 Preamplifier Adcom GFA 5500 Amplifier Music Hall MMF-5 Table Adcom GCD 700 CD Adcom ACE-515 AC Enhancer Transparent Audio Cabless> Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sunnysal Posted July 13, 2002 Share Posted July 13, 2002 the arcam units with the ring dac do sound pretty darn good but the rega is probably a better value for the dollar, if your budget is tight that is...regards, tony Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mobile homeless Posted July 14, 2002 Share Posted July 14, 2002 The Ring Dac Arcam units are pretty pricey and not included in the 72. Reading others comments actually placed the Rega Planet ahead of the 72 although I have never head the latest Arcam. I can tell you the original Rega Planet walked all over the Arcam Alpha 7 but the 8 was a pretty ok player. I still thought the Rega the more musical player and is a GREAT transport with digital out that would be excellent as a drive. The Ring Dac Arcam is the 92. Keep us informed on the audition. I have actually only lately heard quite a few less than positive comments on this Arcam player but, as I said, have not heard it. kh Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clipped and Shorn Posted July 14, 2002 Share Posted July 14, 2002 What do you use the digital out for? Also why do you need to leave a unit on all the time? Curious. C&S ------------------ Cornwalls currently upgrading to all tube components Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mobile homeless Posted July 14, 2002 Share Posted July 14, 2002 The digital out would drive an external DAC unit if you ever decided to upgrade to an external processor, thus bypassing the internal Burr Brown 18bit DAC in the Rega. The Rega is a VERY stable drive would make a good transport. Still, I think it is good on its own. As for leaving it on all the time, CD players take a while to sound their best, sometimes over 24 hours. Since it is a solid state device it is actually advisable to just leave it on all the time thus avoiding warm up time (in addition to turn off turn on transients). But digital does tend to pollute your analog playback a bit, especially if using the same power strip. Some prefer to turn off the CDP when listening to analog to avoid this interference (much the same reason why you avoid dimmer switches near your audio circuit). I can tell a noticable difference in the sound of a CDP that is just turned on. You should hear the same type of change in the sound of your tube amps after a few hours of playing vs the immediate startup. kh Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rowooo Posted July 14, 2002 Author Share Posted July 14, 2002 O.K. here we go. I brought the new Arcam 72t home early yesterday afternoon, on loan. I've had approximately six hours of listening since then. Everything in my system stayed the same including all cables I just substituted the Arcam for the Adcom. I won't bore you with all the specific details of each C.D. I tested, I'll just give some overall impressions. First of all anyone who says most CD players sound the same and that a laser is a laser are just nuts. My initial reaction, after 30 minutes of listening was "when do I get my Adcom back." What was this I was hearing. The vocals presented themselves too far back in the soundstage, the bass was more extended but somehow loose, and the vocals seemed to be coming from a single thin wall, not layered at all. Now there was positives, first off was the incredible amounts of detail this player retrieved. I heard information that I've never heard before on many cd's. The vocals, while sometimes seeming to deep in the soundstage, were dead center on every cd. It was remarkable. There was no hint what so ever of the vocals emanating from the speakers, this took some getting used to but after awhile really impressed me. And finally the highs seemed slightly less harsh than the Adcoms at high volumes. Now todays listening was quite different. The player continued to impress me with its fine detail and pin point precision on the vocals. But today I also realized how quick and dynamic this player is, especially the high end frequencys. Cymballs and drums just hit with a snap. One last positive was the Arcams ability to create very impressive decay in the music, much better than the Adcoms. I really enjoyed that quality as it really created a mood between the music and me. Now, the problem. The Arcam has lower extended low frequencies no doubt about it, however this just kills the bass. I know that doesn't make sense but please read on. I noticed right away that I had objects on walls etc. that were vibrating with lower volumes or that were vibrating that have never done so before. Now I like bass extension but here is the problem, It seems like I have no punch/authority with my bass now. I don't know if my amp is not matching up right or having a hard time with this or what, but I just don't like the overall bass quality listening to the Arcam opposed to the Adcom. When I upgraded interconnects I noticed much better bass, same deal when I replaced my old Adcom pre/tuner with the Macintosh, but now that I throw a 800.00 cd player in I somehow ruined that nice tight, authoritive bass I grew accustomed to. Overall I really like the 72 and think that it would be a nice player in my system, however I just have to figure out this bass problem. One last thing I realized during these past couple days, the Adcom, I don't know if its the dual 20 bit burr-brown converters or what, is one heck of a player for it's price. Will I upgrade to the 72, Don't know, but I do like many of it's qualities. Why can't they make a perfect cd player for $800.00 bucks???????????? ------------------ 2 Channel System: Klipsch Epic CF-2s McIntosh C-15 Preamplifier Adcom GFA 5500 Amplifier Music Hall MMF-5 Table Adcom GCD 700 CD Adcom ACE-515 AC Enhancer Transparent Audio Cabless> Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike stehr Posted July 14, 2002 Share Posted July 14, 2002 'Cause it's not a perfect format. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rowooo Posted July 15, 2002 Author Share Posted July 15, 2002 Mike....my last comment was very sarcastic. ------------------ 2 Channel System: Klipsch Epic CF-2s McIntosh C-15 Preamplifier Adcom GFA 5500 Amplifier Music Hall MMF-5 Table Adcom GCD 700 CD Adcom ACE-515 AC Enhancer Transparent Audio Cabless> Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clipped and Shorn Posted July 15, 2002 Share Posted July 15, 2002 I ran across this old review of the original Rega Planet which you undoubtedly have already seen: http://www.audiophilia.com/hardware/regaplnt.htm Wondering about any rebuttal to its points. Clearly its reputation seems in contrast with the predictions and evaluations in this review. Check it out and let me know what you think. -C&S ------------------ Cornwalls currently upgrading to all tube components Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mobile homeless Posted July 15, 2002 Share Posted July 15, 2002 Good to see the old C&S back. I was wondering where you went off to. For every one rather mediocre review, there are many opposing. I don't agree with much of the findings of that review and can only assume there were anomalies in the SETUP, system interaction, or taste in digital. Compared to the Arcam units, I think the Rega was the far more natural player. Again, how can I stress this enough: IT TAKES A LONG LONG time for this player to break in, easily longer than any piece of gear I have owned. Before break-in, it is more congested and closed in, with a slightly more confused nature (not as much separation of the instruments). Once past this stage (which is over a month or more with my second Planet), it opens up and becomes far more relaxed sounding. Also, the interconnects ARE very important with the Planet. Add the plug polarity as well, which seems to have more of an effect with this player than others. I would call the Rega Planet the LAST thing from loose in the bottom end as it has extremely good drive and pacing. You know where I stand on this player. As I always say, each to his own ears. And as it has proven in the past, many times, we have VERY different ears. In my experience, with the two Planets I have owned vs the other players I have put it up against, in its price range, I know of no more musical player. Sure, other players may sound more analytical but I think it's at the expense of the music. LEt me put this in another way: The orginal Rega Planet comes the closest to the sound of my Linn LP-12 then any other player I have had pass through here. Plain and simple. No, it does not equal it, but it is the only player I have had in here that I can enjoy in the same ballpark. We just had a major shootout with the Rega and the fully loaded Tjoeb 99 for over a week, and the Rega won hands down, to the point where the Tjoeb owner is looking for other options. Still, as in the past, since we have such different perceptions of most things audio, whether it be sonics or the role of various measurements and the correlation with the sound, I would take my recommendations with a grain of salt and go by your own judgment, especially since it differs from mine a good majority of the time, which is healthy and fine. kh This message has been edited by mobile homeless on 07-15-2002 at 11:11 PM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jazman Posted July 16, 2002 Share Posted July 16, 2002 C&S, rowoo, I had not read the linked review C&S provided. Believe it or not, many of the reviewers comments were identical to my intial impressions of the Rega Planet, some of which you can probably find in a past post of mine. I had also forwarded similar comments to Mobile. So based on some of his past posts, and because I got a decent price on the unit used, decided to continue to play it to see if it would "break in". The previous owner and seller had logged very few hours on the unit so a break in period seemed reasonable. True to the reviewers comment, better interconnects did improve the players performance and sound. The Planets users manual also recs. better interconnects. I followed Mh's advice to leave the unit on and continued to play it, all the while comparing it's response to my Tjoeb 99. The more hours I logged on the unit, the more I liked it. As much as I like my Tjoeb 99, the Planet eventually earned it's place in my system. My comments here aren't intended as Planet vs Arcam or Adcom, but to agree with many of the reviewers comments. Comments likely to apply to a Planet that would not be broken in so soon after obtaining it. Yet I'm certain those comments would have changed after spending more time with the unit. Granted, many may not be willing to wait months for a CDP to hit it's stride. I found it worthwhile. Klipsch out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clipped and Shorn Posted July 16, 2002 Share Posted July 16, 2002 Actually I am attracted to the Rega Planet, not least for its relatively friendly price on the used market, as well as the fact that it might restore elements of the vinyl (analog) sound that I prefer. I also have a number of CDs which are reissues of older collections of 78s and anything that could possibly enhance those sonics would be a great plus. Kelly is not alone in his praise of this unit. It seems that there are quite a number who value this (vintage) piece so I think one can assume there is a consensus among a pretty healthy faction. I don't think I would have any problem hearing what you are all hearing with this piece, plus it really looks cool and you say it is built very well. Thumbs up. -C&S ------------------ Cornwalls currently upgrading to all tube components Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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