I have owned both and have put in at least 200 hours with each at this point. I originally purchased the Apollo when it first hit the market and was very pleased overall. I felt it could have used a little improvement in sound stage depth and it was also a little weak in the bass and was slightly lacking in the way it handled the upper 3 octaves but considering the price, the Apollo was very musical and revealing. I liked it so much in fact that it got me into playing my CDs again, something I hadn't done for a while. It also motivated me to see what else was out there in CD players.
I ended up trading up to a Saturn after listening to a Meridian G08, a Krell SACD Standard and a Marantz SA-11. Regarding the Krell and Marantz, I was more interested in the CD playback since I dont have a SACD collection and didnt want to start collecting again in another format. I felt that the Saturn was the best value of this group.
Getting back to the comparison between the Apollo and the Saturn, the Saturn is a more refined version of the Apollo. It has a similar sound but an expanded sound stage in both depth and width. The bottom end is more detailed and extended and handles the upper octaves with a lot more naturalness. It is without reservation, a significant step up. Is it worth 2.4 times the Apollo-another AGner pointed out the law of diminishing returns and I must agree. It was worth it to me to trade up but if I were on a limited budget, I could be very happy with the Apollo.
I ended up trading up to a Saturn after listening to a Meridian G08, a Krell SACD Standard and a Marantz SA-11. Regarding the Krell and Marantz, I was more interested in the CD playback since I dont have a SACD collection and didnt want to start collecting again in another format. I felt that the Saturn was the best value of this group.
Getting back to the comparison between the Apollo and the Saturn, the Saturn is a more refined version of the Apollo. It has a similar sound but an expanded sound stage in both depth and width. The bottom end is more detailed and extended and handles the upper octaves with a lot more naturalness. It is without reservation, a significant step up. Is it worth 2.4 times the Apollo-another AGner pointed out the law of diminishing returns and I must agree. It was worth it to me to trade up but if I were on a limited budget, I could be very happy with the Apollo.