Rega Saturn-R; Any impressions?


I'm wondering if anyone has listened to the new version of the Rega Saturn. How does it compare to the original Saturn? Is it the same except for the digital inputs? Concerning the digital inputs, is the DAC section an improvement over Rega's standalone DAC? How does the DAC section compare to the other famous modern DACs such as the PWD II, W4S, Bryston BDA-2 ?
rfprice
Rfprice,
I second that; I'm a Rega Elicit-R owner, considering seriously the Saturn-R, not only for the CD side of the unit, but also for the DAC side.
Interested in the answers you get; I posted a question similar to yours in the digital forum, and not only can I not find my question, but I have not received any answers.

So, folks, for the two of us, please respond.
(Rfprice, thanks for letting me jump in.)
Jeff
You're welcome, Jeff. Rega and Arcam have been my mainstays for the last 7-8 years.
Actually, Jeff, I can tell you this. I've been having some conversation on this topic with a guy at a different forum. He is also a big Rega fan and has a complete Rega system. He says he tested the combinations thoroughly and that the Saturn-R is equivalent to the original Saturn fed through the standalone DAC. It makes sense.
Rfprice,
Thanks for the information; yes...until I bought my Elicit-R, I had an Arcam Alpha 9 power and integrated amp, which I bi-amped with my B&W 805S speakers. I'm now bi-wiring with the Rega, and it sounds quite good.

The Saturn-R will most likely be the next purchase; not only for the transport, but for the back-end DAC, which would allow me to branch out into digital downloads, which I already do and stream with my Audioengine D2. At some point, I would like to incorporate a laptop or server into my system, hence the attraction of the Saturn-R.

Jeff
I'm really loving my Saturn-R demo unit. Very impressed with both the DAC and playing CD's.

It's been a while since I've had an original Saturn here, but from memory, the new -R is for sure a step up (and I liked the original unit quite a bit).

***Rega Dealer disclaimer***