For the last week, I have been testing my Rega Planet 2000 vs. the Philips 963SA. It has been very interesting to say the least.
Stereo Setup:
Rega Mira 2000 Integrated Amp
Kimber Hero Interconnects
B & W CDM1-NT (on B & W stands)
Kimber 4TC biwired
Rega Planet 2000
Philips DVD-963SA
Various Mapleshade vibration isolation tweaks
As a CD player for the price the Philips represents good value for the money. Add SACD and a whale of a DVD player and you have a true bargain.
The Philips does lows very well. They are nicely controlled and seem to go deeper than the Planet 2000. When you engage the upsampling feature, control and depth of the lows is increased still. Plucked basses and bass drums are much more defined and heard. This gives the musical presentation a bit more drive and pace, comparing the Philips to the Rega.
The mid range of the Philips is damned neutral. This is one of the places where the Rega shines. It has such a sweet, open mid range that the 963 sounds the tiniest hint antiseptic by comparison.
The 963’s upsampling feature, which does some magic (or plays tricks), is quite an interesting feature. When disengaged, CD’s sound a bit forward, but not too forward, depending on the recording. When upsampling to 96/24, a little bit more soundstage is developed and the digital etch is removed. When upsampling to 192/24, soundstage is deepened tremendously. There is more air around instruments and there is much more focus to their location within the musical presentation. This deep soundstage, however, sacrifices the sparkle and high overtones of the instruments. Sacrifice may be too strong a word; bury might be a better one. The sparkle is still there, it resides with each instrument on this deepened soundstage; it is just not fleshed out well, making your perceived listening position relative to the music further away.
This brings me to the Philips’ major fault – its handling of the high frequencies. The highs are rolled off a bit, which manifests itself in a number of ways. This is true whether using or not using the upsampling feature, by the way. First, the crispness associated with percussive transients is diminished. Strikes to snare heads and triangles don’t have their characteristic leading edge. This, again, places the listener further away from the musical action. Second, there is a whiteness or opaqueness to the sound in the high frequencies. Instrumental overtones are not as prevalent as they are in the Rega, resulting in a more sterile sound. Third, due of this high frequency lack, microdynamics do not have their intended dramatic effect and seem to lack their subtle energy and vibrancy. Last, because of this high frequency extension problem, vocals and transients with much high frequency information, which need the highest overtones to complete and focus them, can have some sibilance to them.
I do have a bit of a proviso to the preceding paragraph; I have only had this player for one week, and although I have made great efforts to burn it in since I received it, I am sure there is more burn in to go. And, high frequency extension is where I have noticed that burn in helps most with this player. Also, putting the last paragraph in perspective, it is not as though the Philips has no high frequency extension; relative to the Planet 2000, this is the Philips’ greatest fault. Further, these differences can be measured mainly in degrees, not orders of magnitude.
Also, the Philips’ transport is noisy. It tends to make a clicking/rumbling noise on some CD’s on the first few tracks. This diminishes as later tracks are played.
Overall, the Planet beats the 963SA; the Rega has greater musicality, fluidity and refinement. The Planet has greater high frequency extension, is much more natural and, hence, sweeter in its musical presentation and gives each instrument its due in terms of individuality and delicacy. However, at the low end of the spectrum, the Philips does outdo the Rega a bit. And, depending on how important video is to you, not to mention SACD, the Philips proves to be an exceptional value. On the other hand, for sheer CD musicality, the Rega is unbeatable at its price point. And, both players represent tremendous value for the money.
