So it's 9pm and I'm setting up a demo for tomorrow and there is a new cardboard box winking at me. It contains a Rega Isis, their 'no holds barred' , ultimate, forget the budget cd player, and I can't resist a listen. First of all it's heavy! 19kg, and that's over 40lbs in old money. Struggle to the dem room and carefully unpack it, it's gorgeous. You have to appreciate the engineering first of all. It's a top loader with a black chrome lid on top of an anodised aluminium case. And every movement and button feels solid and superb.
Let's check this baby's playing out. Linn silver interconnects into the Majik DSM I have just hooked up into Kef R300s. Not enough I hear you cry, but wait. First of all this system is plenty revealing to see how good the Rega is, and secondly I've just spent the past 45 minutes rearranging gear, hooking it up, adjusting the speaker positions and spikes until it's all just singing and I'm not about to rip that out when it's there ready for a demonstration tomorrow morning!! Anyway if I want to compare this to a DS then this is a great starting place
First music to hand is the Jacqueline Du Pre/Barbirolli Elgar Cello Concerto. A classic from 1965. She can wrench emotion from a cello like no-one else. Eat your heart out Lloyd Webber. Her playing dips and soars and carries you away, and boy does it on this Rega. So good I let it play through the whole symphony, 30 minutes of bliss. Let's get this rocking a bit with another old favourite. Tom Waits' Heart Attack and Vine. The title track is a crunching rhythm, and while I love the raw feeling of Jersey Girl, On the Nickel, and Ruby's arms let's move on to my favourite. Mr Siegal is raw, rude, punchy, and a delight. The Rega Isis gives you emotion, dynamics, kick, and tears all in the space of one album.
Next up is some female vocal. Christine Collis ter's plaintiff voice is amazing on this system. Her albums with guitarist Clive Gregson are fantastic. Check out Mischief, 'We're not over yet' and Home and Away 'Chasing the Dragon' Awesome!
That's enou gh for tonight, tomorrow I want to play a streamed source through it's USB input to check out what that does.
For now I can tell you that this is one of the best value cd players ever made. It's a bargain, even at £ 6125
