I AM PRESENTLY LISTENING TO A REGA PLANET [FRIENDS LOANER] IN A FEW WEEKS A FULL REVIEW OF THIS PLAYER AND THE AH!TJOEB'99 [TUBES] WILL APPEAR ON THEESE PAGES. ANYONE WISHING INFORMATION ON THE AH! , FEEL FREE TO E-MAIL.

The player would be ok if it was in the 200-300 price range. But for this price Go do some testing. I am not going to go into why I don't like it. Everyone is different, but in my humble opinion, go listen to it next to a rotel 991 or even their cheaper 951 ( a great unit for the price). Don't buy this player on reviews alone. GO AND LISTEN TO ONE.. If you still like it compared to others, than it's the player for you. But I personally think that it is in a price range that it can't compete in..

A while ago, I reviewed the Planet and, whilst I thought it was excellent, I was of the opinion that it was unusually sensitive to the interconnect used with it. Having read through some of the other reviews on this page, it's apparent that I'm not alone in this opinion, but I thought that it might make sense to clarify the DEGREE of effect that interconnects have on the sound of the Rega. During my initial audition, I was using my own interconnects which were made of a cheap microphone cable and at the time I thought it sounded o.k. However, when I took the Rega home and plugged it in, I got the "dark tonal balance" that seems to have preoccupied this player's detractors. Unfortunately, I am not someone who can learn to live with an unusual tonal balance (how many magazine reviews have you read that quote "the ears soon learn to adjust"?)This meant that the next day I was on the phone to my dealer, informing him that I couln't live with this player, and could I possibly swap it for an Arcam Alpha 5?
To his credit, and despite my doubts about his 'supposed' solution, he loaned me a pair of Chord Co Chrysalis cables for a couple of days, to see if it solved the icky tonal balance.
Yup! It improved it no end.The player sounded far more even.Treble was less stinging, the performers actually sounded like they were in the same room and I was very, very happy; the Arcam was left in the shop!
Moral? The Planet is a different player with different cables, so before you judge it, muck around with as many cables as you can lay your hands on, (including home-made ones if you don't mind soldering-I use 3 runs of Maplin PTFE Equipment wire [order code VU08J but pick your own colours] platted together for a mono run with two of the conductors as the ground,connected to nice but cheap plugs [code FK18U for black & JH94C for red ] and these have improved significantly on the Chord cable for a total outlay of about £8 approx)and give it a good blast before deciding. I use mine with an Electrocompaniet ECI-2 integrated (reviewed elswhere) with DIY speakers using Audax carbon fibre
drivers connected by Naim speaker cable (also reviewed elsewhere)and listening to this system makes me a happy chappy!

While attempting to emulate analog sound and do away with the digital nasties, Roy and company have missed the mark. If you are in the market for a cool-looking, inoffensive sounding CD player, the Planet may be for you. If, however, you like living a little dangerously in the digital domain and have the option of comparison, the Rega Planet may not suit. Hopefully, there will be a Mk.II in Rega's future. With their design brilliance, it won't be long before the analog/digital marriage is a happy one. Unfortunately, this Planet's union has ended in divorce.
-Visually, the Planet is a tour-de-force - sonically, less so

The rega planet sounded very warm and not very detail as I connected it with MITerminator 5 interconect. The only reason I used MITerminator 5 was just because It looked good while the rega's cable seemed like just another regular interconnect. With MITerminator 5, the sound seemed to be congested, the trebble was short, the bass was not defined. The only thing that I liked about this cd player was its warmness like turn table. After listening to it for several days, I decided to sell it back since I prefer detail.Fortunately, I found a review from Wal Riley on July 6/99 on this page. After reading his suggestion, I went and searched right away for (another cable) the original calbe that went along with the Rega planet. After hooking it up and listening for awhile, I was so happy with the Rega's new performance and thankful for this suggestion. The rega planet is now like a totally new expensive cd player, I love it sooo much now, with its new interconnect, I can hear every detail on the cd that i couldn't hear before, I can locate the instruments, I can hear the singer's salivary sound, and indeed i can feel like the singer is in the room while i am listening.
I have to agree that this cd player is different player with different cable. Therefore, I think the best idea is to use the cable that goes along with the player despite it's cheap looking.
With its new performance, I now understand why it has many rave reviews and is classified as Class B in Audiophile magazine.
To those who are not satisfied with this cd player, I urge that you try different interconect to get the best out of this player and to enjoy audiophile truly class B product.

Without any doubt, this cd player deserves 5 stars

IT is a decent sounding,better than average build machine.There are a lot of used ones out there,that says something,but it's the way to buy it if you want one.

The first time I heard the planet was at a friend's house, listening to it through a Conrad-Johnson tube preamp and a McCormack DNA and some big and sweet (but very modestly priced) NHT's. He popped a live Neil Young CD in, and my jaw hit the floor. It was simply some of the sweetest, smoothest music I had ever heard on a stereo.I think that people who are critical of the planet are simply not that familiar with analog sound. In a sense, you have to retrain your ear when you listen to the planet if all you ever listen to are CD's. This is not a conventional CD player--it's a turntable that happens to play CDs instead of records. On the planet, the vocals ARE very laid back in the soundstage compared to most players, but when you zone in on them they are filled with such incredible detail and are so utterly smooth you just wont be able to stop listening. The sound is definitely euphonic, addictively so.
I am listening through B&W Matrix 804's (a very accurate pair of speakers) and the sound is simply beautiful.
Definitely make sure any machine you audition has been burned in.
Remember, erase any ideas of what you think a CD player is supposed to sound like. Just close your eyes (or turn the lights down) and listen--beautiful!

After hearing so much about the Rega Planet, I've taken the opportunity tohear it in three different audio stores. Listening to music that I've
heard through a number of systems. My opinion? I don't understand what
all of the fuss is about. This is the most lifeless, colored CD playback
system that I've heard this side of a $150 changer.

Sure it does look and sound different than other CD players. That must
be its appeal. If something sounds different enough, then there are going
to be people who like that difference, even if it is less accurate and
uninvolving.

This thing is the most overhyped joke to appear in the past two years. I spent several hours with it attached to the Linn AV51 system. It most noticeable deficits are: an undisciplined, bright top end, a cloudy, turgid midrange, and flabby, amorphous bass. The midrange is what really kills it. Its lack of presence removes any sense of liveliness or insight into the music. You can do much better with similarly priced models from Cambridge Audio, Ultech, Rotel, Sony ES, etc. If this is how analog is supposed to sound, perhaps I should go tell my dealer all his turntable setups are crap because they have refined treble, clear mids, and tight bass. I think not. 0 stars if I could.

I have had my Planet for about 8 months now and thought I would toss in my 2 cents worth. I think that this player brings a realism and presents to the tonal range and soundstge that I have heretofor be excluded from experincing in my system, because (1) most players I have heard that are remarkable are out of my price range and (2) prior to the Planet, in the less than $1000 range, the differences from player to player were not readily apperant.
I think that no matter what that this is a good player and when you factor in the price it is a great player. How someone can berate it to a "1 Star" is beyond me. I can see how one my prefere a more up front Cal Audio, or opt for the Acram but the Planet is a serious player that enhances my system. And of course that all I care about.

My one complaint is that the top loading feature seems to allow easy access to dust...so I have been forced into dusting my disc's before I play them.

My System:
SF Concertos
REL Storm
B&K Ref 10
Bryston 3B-ST
Rega Planet
Kimber 8TC/4TC Bi-Wire run w/WBT Locking Bannna Plugs
Kimber Silver Streakes