Rega vs. Cambridge Audio

Gold Member

Username: Dmitchell

Ottawa, Ontario
Canada

Post Number: 1891
Registered: Feb-07

Posted on Monday, December 29, 2008 - 06:27 pm:

Big upgrade moving from a CA 640C to one of the Rega CDP?

Not that I'm thinking of buying one, just wondering.

Seriously...

Silver Member

Username: Soundgame

Richmond Hill Toronto ..., Ontario
Canada

Post Number: 479
Registered: Jun-08

Posted on Monday, December 29, 2008 - 06:43 pm:

Apollo on your mind? Looking new or used, Dave? What models on your mind?
You think Rega will give you the sound you want over moving up the CA line?

Gold Member

Username: Dmitchell

Ottawa, Ontario
Canada

Post Number: 1892
Registered: Feb-07

Posted on Monday, December 29, 2008 - 07:07 pm:

On the mind maybe a little George. Just wondering really. Starting to build up a fairly substantial CD collection and was just wondering what say the Apollo would bring to the table. I know a couple of the guys on here are Rega fans.

Chris H

Silver Member

Username: Hawkbilly

Nova Scotia
Canada

Post Number: 454
Registered: Jul-07

Posted on Monday, December 29, 2008 - 07:15 pm:

Let me ask you this David. If you had a complaint about the CA player what would it be ? If you could improve one or two things what are they ? Moving to a Rega cdp will change the presentation to be sure, but whether it's for you depends on what you're thinking of chasing.

Gold Member

Username: Dmitchell

Ottawa, Ontario
Canada

Post Number: 1894
Registered: Feb-07

Posted on Monday, December 29, 2008 - 07:21 pm:

That's a really good question Chris. Really thinking about it, there isn't very much I would change about the CA. It's very reliable (contrary to a lot of other member's experience with CA), it's quiet and to me sounds very balanced (not too laid back, not too forward).

What I guess I was thinking is would I notice a difference if I upgraded to a CDP such as Rega.

I was speaking to my dealer (who sold me the 640C) about whether the upgrade to the 840C would be worth it (it's almost twice as much if I recall). He told me that I would definitely be entering the realm of diminishing returns.

Art

Gold Member

Username: Artk

Albany, Oregon
USA

Post Number: 8545
Registered: Feb-05

Posted on Monday, December 29, 2008 - 10:19 pm:

David I recommend that you take one home for a test drive if at all possible. I prefer the Rega sound to the Cambridge but not all do and the Cambridge players are very good. We have a forum member who may already be on sabbatical who has owned the 640 and the Apollo and would be uniquely qaulified to answer here...Kevin that is.

Gold Member

Username: Dmitchell

Ottawa, Ontario
Canada

Post Number: 1896
Registered: Feb-07

Posted on Monday, December 29, 2008 - 10:34 pm:

Unfortunately Art there are no Rega dealers in town that I know of. If I pick up one eventually it will be second-hand.

Gold Member

Username: Frank_abela

Berkshire
UK

Post Number: 3457
Registered: Sep-04

Posted on Tuesday, December 30, 2008 - 11:38 am:

David, the Rega presentation is different to the CA presentation. Given you're happy with what the CA does, I don't see the point in moving on. If you seriously thought of upgrading to the 840C, then you should seriously entertain the Apollo since it offers a difference as well as potential gains in performance.

However, I get the impression you'd really rather stick with what you've got since you rather like it.

Gold Member

Username: Dmitchell

Ottawa, Ontario
Canada

Post Number: 1903
Registered: Feb-07

Posted on Tuesday, December 30, 2008 - 12:40 pm:

Yeah, you're right Frank. I'm actually pretty happy with the 640. I can probably find better ways to spend my money.

Gold Member

Username: Nickelbut10

Post Number: 2209
Registered: Jun-07

Posted on Tuesday, December 30, 2008 - 01:30 pm:

Whats up David. The Apollo will definitely bring a difference to your system. It may not be for you though. I definitely love mine. Just buy a used Bryston cdp and call it a day.LOL!!! Now that would be an upgrade.

Gold Member

Username: Dmitchell

Ottawa, Ontario
Canada

Post Number: 1905
Registered: Feb-07

Posted on Tuesday, December 30, 2008 - 01:32 pm:

Hey Nick. I might as well, eh? That way I'd have an all Bryston system.

Silver Member

Username: Soundgame

Richmond Hill Toronto ..., Ontario
Canada

Post Number: 487
Registered: Jun-08

Posted on Tuesday, December 30, 2008 - 01:35 pm:

Nick,

You've sparked my interest. What are the key differences in the presentation of the Apollo vs. CA, from your experience, acknowledging that the differences may not always be an individual's cup of tea.

NMyTree

Silver Member

Username: Nmytree

Post Number: 216
Registered: Aug-04

Posted on Tuesday, December 30, 2008 - 04:18 pm:

I've never heard the 640C, so it's difficult to know how it differs from the Apollo.

Does it sound anything like the 840C?

The Apollo is a bit laid back, smooth, less punchy, softly refined, yet warm and organic sounding.

When I heard the 840C it was a wee-bit more forward than the Apollo, a little more punchy and to my ears and the sysytem it was in; it sounded a little brighter. Seemed a little less polite in the higher frequencies/treble.

Not that I found it offensive or anything. It wasn't. Just different than the Apollo.

I will say that I much prefer the highs and treble of the Apollo and Saturn, to the 840C.

But that's personal taste and preference. It's not a criticism or knock against the 840C.

Maybe you can find someone near you who owns an Apollo, who will permit you to audition it in their home? May be worth a try.

Gold Member

Username: Dmitchell

Ottawa, Ontario
Canada

Post Number: 1914
Registered: Feb-07

Posted on Tuesday, December 30, 2008 - 08:09 pm:

Thanks for your insight NMyTree. We should all head over to Nicks house for an audition.

Gold Member

Username: Nickelbut10

Post Number: 2212
Registered: Jun-07

Posted on Tuesday, December 30, 2008 - 09:15 pm:

lol Anytime David buddy.

George, I think NMyTree's description is a very good one. The midrange detail in the Apollo is superb, and the highs are very polite yet airy and detailed as well. I can't give you an A/B comparison as I have never had the chance. I have heard CA stuff and it is very good. Comparing the Apollo to my NAD cdp, the Apollo was clearly better.

An all Bryston system is my dream David. Well not so much a dream as I see the Bryston used CDP is getting cheaper. Around the 1 Grand mark it can be had. mmmmmm.

Stu Pitt

Gold Member

Username: Stu_pitt

Irvington, New York
USA

Post Number: 3134
Registered: May-05

Posted on Tuesday, December 30, 2008 - 10:29 pm:

A BCD-1 under $1k? The cheapest I've seen them is about $1700.

Gold Member

Username: Nickelbut10

Post Number: 2213
Registered: Jun-07

Posted on Wednesday, December 31, 2008 - 12:16 am:

under? where?lol I meant getting close to the 1k mark. A few weeks back I seen on on CAM for 1450.

leo stierer

Silver Member

Username: Magfan

USA

Post Number: 400
Registered: Oct-07

Posted on Wednesday, December 31, 2008 - 01:11 pm:

Several pre-loved Apollo players on Audiogon rite now. VERY reasonable prices. Several 840s, as well.
The Mod Guys would like you to spend another 2 large on what amounts to a complete rebuild of the CA player.

New MSRP on the 840c is 1795$ (GASP!)

The 840c runs in well. Out of the box some report it can be a little brisk in the hi-end. Mine has settled in nicely.
Also reported is the slight help running balanced I/Cs make. I never ran any but the issued unbalanced until swapping for Mogami balanced. The issued unbalanced are the Cheesiest cables EVER issued with CDP with that target audience. I expected to see a SONY label on 'em. I suspect they are to be used to see if the darn thing works than put in the round file. The majority of owners will do some minor cable tweaking, at least.

loc

Silver Member

Username: Lamcam

Orange County, CA
USA

Post Number: 151
Registered: Nov-07

Posted on Thursday, January 01, 2009 - 10:48 am:

Have you considered Ayre or Cary CDP? To me, they are better than Rega (Apollo and Saturn). I have never owned a CA so I don't have comments.

Neil Waterman

Silver Member

Username: Jazzman71

Phoenix, AZ
USA

Post Number: 486
Registered: Dec-07

Posted on Friday, January 02, 2009 - 02:43 am:

DM, IMO it makes sense to stay with the CA player if you're happy with it unless you are ready to move to another class of machine. When you are ready to make a significant upgrade, there are plenty around, including the Bryston that will match up well with your gear. I would not move from one I like that is working well to another one that I cannot hear with my system, especially if it's a small incremental or lateral move.

Gold Member

Username: Dmitchell

Ottawa, Ontario
Canada

Post Number: 1923
Registered: Feb-07

Posted on Friday, January 02, 2009 - 09:07 am:

Good advice Neil. I think I'll hang onto the CA, I like it. Someday when I'm ready for significant upgrade I'll go all out. Hmmmmm.... my dealer sells Mcintosh ;-)

Chris H

Silver Member

Username: Hawkbilly

Nova Scotia
Canada

Post Number: 464
Registered: Jul-07

Posted on Friday, January 02, 2009 - 09:45 am:

I've got my eye on a Cary 308T when I make the move. It will have to used though.

Gold Member

Username: Frank_abela

Berkshire
UK

Post Number: 3472
Registered: Sep-04

Posted on Tuesday, January 06, 2009 - 12:18 pm:

Certainly also consider the BCD-1 with appropriate balanced cabling.

Gold Member

Username: Dmitchell

Ottawa, Ontario
Canada

Post Number: 1952
Registered: Feb-07

Posted on Wednesday, January 07, 2009 - 08:36 am:

Is XLR gonna make that much difference Frank?

Nuck

Platinum Member

Username: Nuck

Post Number: 11398
Registered: Dec-04

Posted on Wednesday, January 07, 2009 - 01:39 pm:

Yep!

Gold Member

Username: Dmitchell

Ottawa, Ontario
Canada

Post Number: 1966
Registered: Feb-07

Posted on Wednesday, January 07, 2009 - 06:30 pm:

Nuck, you really should try keep your posts less verbose. ;-)

Silver Member

Username: Soundgame

Richmond Hill Toronto, Ontario
Canada

Post Number: 534
Registered: Jun-08

Posted on Wednesday, January 07, 2009 - 10:24 pm:

Yep!

Gold Member

Username: Dmitchell

Ottawa, Ontario
Canada

Post Number: 1968
Registered: Feb-07

Posted on Thursday, January 08, 2009 - 07:30 am:

Thanks George.

Nuck

Platinum Member

Username: Nuck

Post Number: 11401
Registered: Dec-04

Posted on Thursday, January 08, 2009 - 03:13 pm:

ya mon

Steve

Silver Member

Username: Smwick

B.C
Canada

Post Number: 156
Registered: Dec-07

Posted on Saturday, January 10, 2009 - 01:20 pm:

David, have you ever switched your Sttafs for the RS6's? I heard them once and liked them, but don't know how they would compare to the Sttaf's.

Gold Member

Username: Dmitchell

Ottawa, Ontario
Canada

Post Number: 1977
Registered: Feb-07

Posted on Saturday, January 10, 2009 - 01:47 pm:

I tried out the Sttafs on my HT system once (where my RS6's used to be) and they sounded quite good (naturally). I prefer the Sttafs for music than for HT anyway.

Steve

Silver Member

Username: Smwick

B.C
Canada

Post Number: 158
Registered: Dec-07

Posted on Saturday, January 10, 2009 - 02:02 pm:

Musically what is your impression of the RS6? My Sttafs do double duty 2 channel TV & music. They sound great no matter what the source is, but for music they really shine with the Apollo.

Gold Member

Username: Dmitchell

Ottawa, Ontario
Canada

Post Number: 1978
Registered: Feb-07

Posted on Saturday, January 10, 2009 - 02:07 pm:

Ain't that the truth, Steve.

Musically the RS6 are quite good. I would not hesitate to build a 2 channel system around them.

Silver Member

Username: Soundgame

Richmond Hill Toronto, Ontario
Canada

Post Number: 550
Registered: Jun-08

Posted on Saturday, January 10, 2009 - 02:37 pm:

Steve, Nick has his RS6 running for music, though I don't think he's compared them to the Sttafs. There is a terrific review that R. Reina of Stereophille did on them. I haven't heard them myself but was very tempted to look into them.

Gold Member

Username: Nickelbut10

Post Number: 2278
Registered: Jun-07

Posted on Saturday, January 10, 2009 - 04:09 pm:

Its all about preference. A lot of people like the MA speakers, a lot don't. Just like anything else I suppose. I think they are fantastic for the money. They too shine on the Apollo Steve. Very clear, robust sound with gobs of Midrange detail. I find they really excel with Jazz and rock/folk music. My system can sound a wee bit too clinical and almost too aggressive if some poorly produced music is played. I found some old Smashing Pumkins cd's the other day and they sounded horrible.LOL But its just the cd. You should pick a pair up Steve and see what you think. Just to add, they don't really come into their own until about 80 hours of usage. Cheers.

Steve

Silver Member

Username: Smwick

B.C
Canada

Post Number: 159
Registered: Dec-07

Posted on Saturday, January 10, 2009 - 05:32 pm:

Nick, thanks very much for the review. About a year ago a had a chance to listen to the RS6 for about 10 minutes. I think it was Cambridge Audio int. amp and cdp for the electronics. Sounded good to me but I had the Sttaf's already and it was electronics I was looking for at that time. If I didn't have the Sttaf's they would have been a contender. Since then I've replaced my HK receiver with a Mira 3 and Yamaha cdp with an Apollo cdp, and really love it. Now if I could just get a new pair of Sttaf's from Totem that would be nice. Don't ask, long story. See thread " Sttaf's vibrating at the terminals ".

Gold Member

Username: Nickelbut10

Post Number: 2279
Registered: Jun-07

Posted on Saturday, January 10, 2009 - 05:56 pm:

LOL I have followed your thread, but have no experience with Totem at this time, so I stayed out of it. Pity bud, as the Staff's I read and hear are a fantastic speaker. If my good pal David Mitchell like's them better than his RS6's then they must be a great musical speaker. On my short list of future auditions indeed.

Gold Member

Username: Dmitchell

Ottawa, Ontario
Canada

Post Number: 1979
Registered: Feb-07

Posted on Saturday, January 10, 2009 - 06:00 pm:

Does your dealer carry them Nick?

Gold Member

Username: Nickelbut10

Post Number: 2281
Registered: Jun-07

Posted on Saturday, January 10, 2009 - 06:53 pm:

They sure don't. Maybe I can talk him in to bringing me in a pair. How much do they Staffs retail for David?

Gold Member

Username: Dmitchell

Ottawa, Ontario
Canada

Post Number: 1981
Registered: Feb-07

Posted on Saturday, January 10, 2009 - 07:15 pm:

I think they go for around 1700 retail here in Ottawa. I get a pretty good discount here at my dealer, though. So if you're ever interested....

Gold Member

Username: Nickelbut10

Post Number: 2283
Registered: Jun-07

Posted on Saturday, January 10, 2009 - 08:01 pm:

sweet man. Gotta hear them first. You never know they may not suit my needs as much as the RS6's. Or perhaps they will suit me even more and I will have to trade in the 6's.lol I might have to take a trip to Ottawa to hear them ;) Your dealer also carries MA correct?

Gold Member

Username: Dmitchell

Ottawa, Ontario
Canada

Post Number: 1983
Registered: Feb-07

Posted on Saturday, January 10, 2009 - 08:15 pm:

They do Nick, but they haven't had them in the showroom for about 1/2 a year. They can still get the MA's. The only problem was here in Orleans (suburb of Ottawa) there really weren't too many people who were aware of what MA was all about.

My dealer really pushes Paradigm, Totem, and Def Tech (for the HT crowd, I assume).

I've spent a lot of time cranking tunes at my dealer's trying out different gear. They're really good for that... and they carry McIntosh.

Silver Member

Username: Soundgame

Richmond Hill Toronto, Ontario
Canada

Post Number: 556
Registered: Jun-08

Posted on Saturday, January 10, 2009 - 11:30 pm:

MMMM McIntosh. Just the looks of them get me salivating. One day. Think I would just go the entry leve integrated or one step up from there at around $6300. I wonder how that would stand up against the B100-SST?
On the speakers, I've heard the Sttafs and like em but need to listen to them again.
Nick: when you hit T.O. we can audition both the Naim gear and the Sttafs, as Bay & Bloor radio caries them both. In fact, I first hear the Sttafs on a Naim SuperNait.

Gold Member

Username: Nickelbut10

Post Number: 2285
Registered: Jun-07

Posted on Sunday, January 11, 2009 - 09:19 am:

Nice boyz, good to know. Thanks for the info.

Stu Pitt

Gold Member

Username: Stu_pitt

Irvington, New York
USA

Post Number: 3141
Registered: May-05

Posted on Sunday, January 11, 2009 - 02:43 pm:

George,

The Mac intergateds and Bryston intergateds are pretty equal from a sheer musicallity standpoint IMO. They're pretty different from each other in their presentation - Mac is generally warm, smooth, and laid back. Bryston is a little leaner, more aggressive, and more forward. Neither brand is overly so in any area, just relative to each other.

I'd be very happy with either. I have no regrets with my B60, and I'd have no regrets if I bought a comparable Mac. Mac does look nicer to my eyes though. Then again, my B60 draws no attention to itself and is very understated.

Silver Member

Username: Soundgame

Richmond Hill Toronto, Ontario
Canada

Post Number: 565
Registered: Jun-08

Posted on Sunday, January 11, 2009 - 03:59 pm:

Thanks for that Stu.

Yes, I'd describe the Mc as being warmer but I also found there soundstage to be larger...again that could be the source talking. I've never heard an A/B comparision nor someone running the same setup with exception of the amp.

I've heard lots about the B60 but I'm not sure what in Mc right now would be a fair comparision.

I love the Mc looks...timeless beauty. I'd say the Bryston's are handsome and the Mc's are just sexy with lots of WAF.

Gold Member

Username: Frank_abela

Berkshire
UK

Post Number: 3497
Registered: Sep-04

Posted on Tuesday, January 13, 2009 - 10:35 am:

David,

In every system I've ever tried where balanced operation has been an option, using it makes a substantial difference. the most obvious difference is the higher gain since balanced seems to run at twice the voltage, but I almost always notice a much lower noise floor, more grip and control as well.

For the cost of a pair of decent interconnects, the difference is usually more than worth it.

Gold Member

Username: Dmitchell

Ottawa, Ontario
Canada

Post Number: 1991
Registered: Feb-07

Posted on Tuesday, January 13, 2009 - 10:39 am:

Thanks Frank. My dealer said it would make very little difference, but I trust your opinion.