[Havana]

Hi - I am new here and would really appreciate your advice. My current system is the Rotel RA1520 amp, the Audiolab 8200CD player and KEF Q500 speakers. In general, I am very pleased with the set-up which has a clear, punchy sound, However, I have found that on well recorded CDs it sounds great, but on not so well recorded CDs, especially louder rock, it can sound harsh and strident and really highlights poor cds. The Who, for example always sound pretty dreadful. The filters on the Audiolab don't seem to help much.

I am now in a position to upgrade and am considering the Rega Saturn which sounds warmer in the demos I have been able to do so far and more forgiving. Would this seem a sensible upgrade path to address the issues I have mentioned ?

[JohnR]

Are you able to audition it at home in your system?

Another path to consider is an external DAC, using your current CD player as a transport.

(I'm not familiar with any of the equipment listed, these are just general suggestions.)

[2gumby2]

I've heard the Rega Saturn and I think it's a fine CD player, but I would recommend the Arcam FMJ CD37. It's the best CD player I've ever heard and around the same price as the Saturn. After purchasing my first CD37 I bought another one for a different system. The Arcam is really fantastic IMO.

[Havana]

2gumby2 - can you describe the differences between the Arcam and the Rega - why is the Arcam preferred by you ? Thanks

[JLM]

I don't know any of your pieces, but the Audiolab 8200CD is well reviewed.

I own a much older Rotel, and frankly I'm not impressed (sounds thick and slow).

But I'm a "speaker guy" and from your description it seems like you're alternating between hearing higher fidelity than what you may be used to and overloading the speakers.  The information I found on the Q500 indicates it has a 5.25 inch coaxial and a 5.25 inch woofer (plus passive radiators).  Both drivers are aluminum (personally I'm not surprised that small aluminum drivers distort at higher volumes).

I'm much fussier about speakers, but a quick listen to a Uni-Q disappointed (even though I'm a big fan of highly coherent sound).  We'd have to know more about your musical tastes, your audio tastes, and your room/WAF considerations before we could make speaker recommendations.

[2gumby2]

2gumby2 - can you describe the differences between the Arcam and the Rega - why is the Arcam preferred by you ? Thanks

What makes the Arcam stand out compared to other CD players is how smooth the sound is. No hint of fatigue at all. I've never enjoyed CD playback as much from any other player. I bought a Sony SCD-XA5400ES earlier this year and was so impressed that I went shopping for another one. I found a Sony dealer that also carried Arcam and the salesman recommended the Arcam CD37 over the Sony. I was rather skeptical, but took a chance and he was right. As good as the Sony is, and it is VERY good, the Arcam is a step up. Back to the Rega, I think it is a nice CD player, but not a particularly good value and not as good as the Sony I mentioned. I've heard the Regas in several different systems, but there are many other CD players that sound just as good for less money.

[Stu Pitt]

If you're considering a Saturn, you should take a look at the Rega DAC.  Less than half the price and most who've heard or owned both say they're equal sonically.  A little different sounding from one another, but equal.  I haven't heard both side by side to comment.

Haven't heard the Audiolab, so no comment on if that's in fact what's causing the problem or not.  Rotel can get a bit sharp sounding, just as an FYI. 

[jtsnead]

I have a Sony 5400ES which I preffered to a Marantz 11S2, if the Arcam is that good than that is impressive, see below:

[url][http://www.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/cls.pl?dgtlplay&1310170039&/Arcam-CD37-sacd/cd-player-$129/url]

[geowak]

I have a Rega Apollo. It is my favorite Cd player. I had an Arcam CD72, two Sony models, a Hitachi and a Cambridge Audio. I thought both the Cambridge Audio and the Arcam were very good, but the Rega was better. I would imagine the FMJ is a step up from the model I had, but too much money for my taste.

 I would agree with STU and JohnR. The external DAC is your best bet for great sound for the money. As much as I like my Apollo, when I added the Benchmarck USB DAC1 it took the sound to newer levels. Quieter background, much better soundstage, clarity and smoother resolution.

If you go with the right DAC, it can be used as a preamp, a USB for a digital player like Itunes or a Squeezebox touch and even a headphone amp.

My Benchmark eliminates my use of a preamp, (shortens the signal path), makes a tremendous sounding headphone amp, and it improves the sound of my Squeezebox.
AND it improves the CD sound of my Rega Apollo. 4 improvements for the money!