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Re: Could you describe the Rega Saturn and 840 sounds?

Posted by KT88 (D) on December 8, 2006 at 08:35:40

In Reply to: Could you describe the Rega Saturn and 840 sounds? posted by WBWB on December 7, 2006 at 21:21:06:

They are both great sounding players. If you have heard the Saturn, then you are half way there to making a decision. Yes, you really should hear both if you are that torn about it. If you already have a suitable DAC for the Squeezebox, then the Saturn will make for a great main system player and one that you can be certain of as you have heard it.

Tonally, I find the Saturn to be warmer and easier to listen to than the 840. Both are non fatiguing but the Saturn has a richer, more analog sound. The 840 is at least its equal in dynamics and is possibly greater in that area, which is truely amazing as the Saturn is very dynamic. Where they part company is that the Saturn manages to do that without getting too analytical or forward. I don't want to describe the 840 as being one that suffers from the typical digital flaws as it does not. It also has an amazingly high level of resolution without glare. It is just that it really strips recordings bare so that you can here things like micing techniques which would not be noticable on lesser machines. The Saturn also has that sort of resolution and I can't say that it is quite as great, but nearly so. What makes the Saturn special is that you still get to hear the micing techniques if you listen for them but they don't impose themselves on the recording in such a way as to separate its parts. The Saturn provides a more fluid rendering of the details and so I keep going back to describing it as "very analog like". I also have four turntables and cartridges set-up in the same room so it is rather easy to compare them all even though they are not all connected to the same system.

Some people might prefer one clearly over the other as the differences are noticable. Obviously, the different loading styles, with the Satun being a top loader and the 840C being a front loader, may help some people decide due to placement desires. Both sound so nice that you can't really say that one is better than the other. They do portray the same discs somewhat differently and the best advice that I can give you is to listen to both. If that is not possible, then you might consider that the Cambridge 840C seems to provide greater separation and perhaps a more dynamic, articulate view while the Saturn allows a similar level of resolution and bass with a smoother overall layering of the sound. I hope that helps you. I find often that the more you read, the more confused or torn you become, so there is no substitute for listening.
-Bill

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