Quote:
Originally Posted by Jakek03 /img/forum/go_quote.gif
Thanks sacd lover!
My gut is telling me to go with a Rega Apollo demo that is for sale for $850 instead of the E5-m. Any thoughts on the Apollo over the Eastsound?
|
I have not heard the M. I am sure it is better than the origianl E5 and E5 Signature
The original E5 had some tone glare with some harshness - on some CDs - at times. Early transport problems have been resolved now for years, in spite of what sacd lover may say. I do free labor in repairing the laser or transport on any E5, whether in warranty or not, or for the original owner or not. This takes a few hours of my time per year and I enjoy it. Some people assume that Cattylink pays me to tout their products. I lovethe Bada 12 and oge 6210 amps they sell - the Bada 12 is the best headphone amp I have owned or listened, and with the HD600 and Cardas HD600 cable, is better than past ultra-expensive elecrostatic systems I have owned. Again, some people say I give such opnions because I am in the pocket of Cattylink. This is not true at all.
The Rega Apollo is very smooth and free of harshness, but the E5 has higher resolution, forms 3-D images sharply deliniated in black space, and clearly separate an instrument from other instruments in an open soundstage. I prefer the Apollo because of its lack of harshness but others might prefer the E5. The Apollo seems to go for smoothness and lack of harshness at the expense of resolution, but few people would notice this. The greater resolution of the E5 comes at a price, as I said, of some harshness.
The Apollo I owned sparked my interest in the Saturn so I quickly sold my Apollo and bought the Saturn. That was two years ago and since then I have touted the Saturn as the best for the money and urged people to buy it over the E5.
The Rega Saturn has the same sonic signature as the Apollo, but the Saturn has a slightly more natural timbre, slightly better bass, and slightly more resolution (and better 3-D imaging) than the Apollo. It still has some reduced resolution compared to the E5 but without any harshness sometimes found in the E5. It is a Stereophile Class A component - the top class.
I recently bought the new E5 Reference ($1750 USD total, shipped 2 to 3 day express, if you previously bought an E5 from Cattylink). After just a few minutes of listening I realized it was better than the Rega Saturn. My Satrun is up for sell. I have since listened to about 20 CDS and am amazed with each CD of how much better the E5 Reference sounds than my Saturn. The new E5 Platinum Refernce beats the Saturn in every way. The Rega Saturn sounds dull and lifeless by comparison - I am shocked. If the Saturn is a Stereophile Class A component, then the E5 Reference should be a Class A+Super. I would not rate the Saturn as a Class A component, compared to the better E5 Reference.
So the new M would be great if it does not have the harshness of the original E5 and Signature. Maybe some of the tech used in the E5 Reference is also employed in the M. I don't know.
For those who believe my remarks about the E5 Reference and Saturn are invalid as based on my touting Cattylink products, my only hope is that they never buy the E5 Reference (and thereby be punished in denial of great listening pleasure). I know of an Apollo owner who wants to sell his used but excellent Apollo for $700 or maybe less, to raise money for a new E5 Reference, for those who want one.
