REGA’s new Saturn-R has surfaced, before the year-end as promised, and it certainly is a mean machine that incorporates just about everything needed currently to please the growing demand for a multi-functional approach. Which is why Rega describes it as a CD-DAC player.
The route to the Saturn-R was paved by award-winning products like the flagship Isis CD player and entry-level Rega DAC – the Rega literature says the new player “encapsulates everything the new Saturn-R should be.” We should think so!
The Saturn-R is essentially a two-in-one – a high-spec transport section and a DAC which has an independent circuit, both offering remote-controllable options with the supplied Solaris handset.
Two optical and two coaxial inputs each are provided in the DAC section, along with fully asynchronous USB and “direct” digital inputs; if you’ve other digital audio gear, the Saturn-R can be employed as a “digital centre” that is capable of up to 24-bit/192kHz resolution.
The Saturn-R also has separate coaxial and optional digital outputs in its CD and DAC sections, apart from a shared analogue output.
The heart of the DAC is a Wolfson WM8742 chip – a pair of them, in fact. According to Rega, the Saturn-R uses a high-stability master clock, 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 is performed in the digital-to-analogue converter stage, and the signal path of the transport section in CD mode is kept to a minimum.
All in, this one looks like a well-specified CD spinner for the times.
The Saturn-R, available in black only, is made in the UK. If you already have the Elicit-R integrated amplifier, the Saturn-R looks to be its perfect mate.
