Rega Saturn. Is it really a giant killer?

I have mine plugged into surge protected power conditioner so I leave it on 24/7, only consumes 15 watts or less.

I don't like the term "giant killer" since this has a cynical or hyped tone to it, but I think the Saturn is very high performance for the money, great for audiophiles with real world budgets. I also think it looks very stylish and love the top load door function, very elegant.

I had both the Rega Saturn and the Meridian G08 for a few months and decided to keep the Saturn, it was a tough decision though. I have not heard the Appollo but have read comments from several other owners at other forums that lead me to believe Saturn is noticeable improvement.

I run my Saturn through a tube hybrid integrated which gives me a very nice full balanced sound.

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 don’t have a SACD collection and didn’t 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 agree with Bmontani. Saturn is a significant step up from apollo. I had Apollo and upgraded to Saturn. Saturn is less bright and has more detail in the bass.

There seems to be some consensus that the Saturn has a more natural treble and better bass. But then people are divided as to how much better the Saturn is. Some think it is not worth 2.4 times the price, and could live with the Apollo. Others think there is a significant difference.

There was only one person who found it to sound congested, with no dynamics, and boring. Interesting differences of opinion. Thanks for your thoughtful responses, and any further ones are welcome.

There is no such thing as a "giant killer" in audio. Yes, there are pieces of audio that belie their costs, but it is very unlikely that a $ 1,500 piece of audio is comparible soundwise to a $ 10,000 unit.

Chris