Lets talk Rega Planet 2000

audio, it sounds to me like you would really like the rega, not because i have one but because ive heard lots of others. otherwise i would point you to the eastern electric minimax (which i still covet.)

 

Hi,

I've found the Planet 2000 to be a great player for under $1k. It's smooth & warm w/ decent resolution. I now have two players that are far superior and still can't bring myself to selling the Planet 2000.

Take care,
Jeffrey

 

Hi Sam,

I doubt that you will consider the 963 a true giant-killer on redbook.

Take care,
Jeffrey

 

LOL, ya you're probably right! I just dyin' to find that budget audio component hiding under a rock somewhere that smokes even hi-end gear. I may have some $$ components, but nothing would satisfy me more than putting together an el-cheapo system that rivals $20K+ rigs.

Back to Adam's orginal (I think?) quest, for something that would sound good, and be something he could sell to customers, did we talk much about the Ah Njoeb stuff? Seems like the right idea to take a good stock player, spruce it up, and keep costs reasonable. Kinda like a 'mass-market-mod'. I knew a guy that had one and swore by it. Never heard one in my own system.

 

Very true.

 

Have owned my Planet 2000 for three years now.

Flawless operation. Incredible sound.

You will love it.


(P.S. Love my P25, too!)


Ben

 

I would agree with this. Naim's have more swing.

 

What's your experience with the 963SA player? I'm curious where it lacks in redbook performance since I've owned one for quite awhile myself.

 

Sam, I've found that it actually performs better in my system at 24/96. Let us know your thoughts when you have spent some time with it.

 

It's arrived, just waiting to go home from work to put it through the paces

 

Hi,

I think it's a fine player for the dollar BUT i do not consider it "a true giant-killer on redbook". I prefer the Planet 2000 to the 963 BUT do not start to consider the Planet 2000 to be "a true giant-killer on redbook". That's just my view.... i'm GLAD that you like your player!

In that comparison, i am talking about only stock players!

Take care,
Jeffrey

 

Thanks Jeffrey.

 

Re: the Njoe Tjoeb 4000. I have it. It's a nice player. Good insides, poor casing. With the upsampler broken in, it is absolutely fantastic. Very analog sounding with some PRAT with the upsampler. Doesn't touch my Rega P5 however. However, on redbook playback it is comparable to my Pioneer 563 SACD playback. IMHO, of course. I haven't heard the Planet 2000. I have heard the older Planet and the Tjoeb 4000 is better (should be, a used Tjoeb will cost more than a used Planet). I upgraded the tubes in the thing which also provided an improvement (bigger sound yet tighter) but I don't think the tubes in this thing are that big a deal unlike the upsampler upgrade.

Btw, sometimes I think there is something artificial sounding about SACD playback from the 563 (which could simply be a reflection of my prejudices). Artificial especially in the higher frequencies.

Because something as nice as the Tjoeb 4000 can't touch my P5 (recently obtained) and most of my listening is now lps, I've been debating on whether to sell and downgrade. I get closer and closer to selling each day but I am having separation anxiety with my cds. Good lps are just so much cheaper than cds. Life is tough, ain't it?

 

Once you have a nice analog rig, it really is hard to go back to listening to cds.

 

yeah. when I had the Radio Shack table, I never listened to it. not so, anymore.

 

I just got a NAD C542 to replace my older CD player in my bedroom. It's nice! Very highly rated/liked by most.

I have seen them refurb'd for $349.

 

At home, my listening sessions tend to be about 90% vinyl. CDs are what I listen to in the car!

 

Hi Sam,

What do ya think? Were any giants killed?

Take care,
Jeffrey

 

Right out of box, this Jolida JD100A sounds pretty not good. The first thing I did was remove the cover and replace the stock Chinese 12AX7s with a pair of vintage Telefunkens. The player is not broken in yet....nor is it warmed up...but I'm not impressed. It sounds like cheap digital. The player manages to be a strange combination of semi-lush, yet annoying at the same time. Drums don't sound real...they edges are softer than real life....the air is gone...but yet the player has an agressive sound. It doesn't add up, really...but this is all probably due to their eq choices when voicing the player. One thing is for sure....this player is no magic solution. It's splitting hairs between this and my Music Hall. I'm not giving up on it yet...but I would think you would get much more out of a $1000 player. For now, thumbs down. I'll report back after warm up/break in.

 

Audio: I'll definitely be interested in your impressions of the Jolida. I've been very curious about that player. The build quality seems fairly impressive and the possibility of tubes seems alluring, however, I've yet to hear one. I've had a friend's Planet 2000 for almost a week, and so far I like it. It seems to excel at PRAT, and smoothes over the highs a bit--which is something I'm looking for in a CD player. If you are looking for a player with the utmost detail, the Planet 2000 is not your player. I've also discovered that the player is fairly sensitive to cables as I started the week with some VandenHuls and then had to replace them with a cheap set of Monsters--definitely a difference for the worse. Nonetheless, if a cd has been well-mastered, it sounds great on the Planet. And even more importantly, some of the discs that didn't sound as good before (such as The Wallflowers "Bringing Down the Horses") are much more listenable with the Planet.

 

We are so close...and we're both going through the same thing here looking for a tolerable budget cd player. I suggest we help each other. Between the two of us, we have the Rega 2000, Music Hall CD25, and Jolida JD100A. Lets get together and do a shoot-out. Send me a PM.

BTW...the Jolida is really starting to smooth out now that it's been on for a couple of hours.