Rega's ISIS CD player is here

Nice looking player from what I've seen so far.

How did that remaster of Abbey Road sound on that?

 

From what I understand, I'm doing the world premier on this baby...

The review sample I was sent did have some hours on the clock and I have to say it's very impressive. Going back in forth between that, the Wadia 781 and the Naim 555 and the Rega is holding its own.

It needs more hours of play time and I want to see how good the USB DAC section is as well... That's a definite plus for a player this expensive and a definite minus for something like my Naim, which can only be used as a CD player.

Initial impression though is off the chart. This is a very well sorted out CD player! Abbey Road sounded great, that was the first disc I played!

 

8900 +- ........

I think I'll stick with my "cheapo" used Audio Research CD3

 

Would not want to get hit with the remote, lol

 

I'm not going quite that far yet, but it is excellent!

 

Can't wait to hear the Isis and Osiris; this fall will be a great time at Rega dealers.

 

When I get the amp in (which should be very soon) you should drive down from Seattle and have a listen....

 

Big fan of NAIM recently ? Still enjoying the Uniti ?

 

Bought the Uniti. It's fantastic. Matter of fact, we are giving the Uniti our overall Product of the Year award in November. Review will be up by Monday.

Overall coolest piece of HiFi gear I've used in years.

 

Cool, I am also extremely satisfied with the performance of that CDI 10 unit I bought. Really love how it sounds ...

 

Shouldn't there be more pictures?

 

That is tough competition between the Wadia & Naim...

 

Isis

 

Agree. Jeff has provided an intimidating contest for the new Rega player! I've been fortunate to get to hear both the top-line Wadia and Naim players, and they're incredible. As good as CD playback gets, more or less*...and that's past the point where you forget it's "digital" at all. Music!



*Haven't heard the Meridian 808.2 thats supposed to set a new standard as well with its apodising filter.

 

The 808.2 is not at the level of the Naim 555 or the Rega ISIS.

 

Rega is really going upscale ...

 

When I visited REGA this summer, Roy Gandy said that he's always tried to build the best products he could for as little money as possible, so that everyone could have affordable hifi.

He felt after 30 plus years he was ready to design something that was the best product he could make, with no budget limits. So I think it's pretty admirable that his idea of a "money no object" CD player/DAC and amplifier is still about $9000 a box. I know that's still a lot of money but in the day of 50 thousand dollar amplifiers and 30 thousand dollar CD players, still representing good value.

 

Good, I can cross that one off my shopping list.

Interesting to hear you say that, the guys at Absolute Sound (or was it Stereophile?) were saying what a breakthrough product it was. I'd rather buy a Rega product anyway, so I'm glad!

 

Roy Gandy is my hero. I've been directing people Rega's way since I first heard the Planet*/Brio/Ela combo. Stunning music, for (relatively) little money. If I ever do get a turntable, obviously a Rega will be on the shortlist.


*Probably the first CD player I ever heard that really sounded organically musical; like, well, a turntable in a way.

 

Nine grand is still an awful lot of money. Why not get completely rid of the transport and all the issues attached thereto that drive the price of these CD players through the roof, and just rip CDs to lossless to a Mac Mini and output to a Firewire Dac, like a Metric Halo or even a USB Dac like the Ayre? And save 7500-8500 clams in the process?

Or you could go world class and get a Weiss Menerva Firewire DAC and still save four grand.

 

Jeff, how does the ISIS compare to the Sooloos?

 

This is my train of thought also. Though I can't pass judgement on the Naim or Rega cd players because I've never heard them. But I'm considering getting a Macbook Pro with a solid state drive and Amarra into a firewire dac like the Metric Halo ULN-2 to run as a dedicated music server. I would then have all the convenience that a music server can offer and a playback source near the top of the food chain, or so I've been told. But then I hear of CD players like the Rega Isis and wonder if you want the best, is this still the way to do it - to stick with a disc spinner of this calibre!

 

I found a discussion of the Isis on another forum:

http://www.pinkfishmedia.net/forum/showthread.php?t=69018

 

Because the Rega is a huge improvement over the Ayre... And you can use the Rega as a USB DAC. Personally, I think it's worth 8 grand as a DAC and it's a bonus that you can spin CD's too...