The reference Rega Isis CD Player is built to the highest quality internally and externally and includes Rega's proprietary CD technology, black chrome top and front and a solid anodized aluminum cabinet weighing an impressive 19kg.
We hope you like it, we have spent a lot of time creating this very special CD player; using our many years of experience in building hi-fi.
THE TECHNOLOGY OF ISIS
One of the most important design goals was to take the current output of the converter, with no internal amplification in the DAC, and transform it into voltage, using discrete amplifiers and class A filters.
This type of circuitry can be optimized for acoustic quality, while the use of standard IC op-amps inextricably ties into the sound of these ICs, reducing the scope for improvement. Curiously, the current/voltage conversion class A amplifier used in the Isis is the evolution of the first stage of the Rega IOS MC phono preamplifier.
It shares the same low noise, high drive capability and broadband gain demands. We have been very careful in choosing each component in the digital and analog signal path to ensure signal integrity.
Careful PCB design ensures isolation not only of the digital and analog sections but also of the motor, display and user interface processor. All important electrolytic capacitors have been bypassed with polypropylene or polyester capacitors. Furthermore, even electrolytic capacitors with important values have been bypassed with audio grade electrolytic capacitors.
The supply impedances in the DAC are kept very low by using solid polymer capacitors. All power supplies use custom Rega K-Power capacitors, coupled with fast diodes used throughout power rectification.
Isis uses improved and optimized control code for processor and display control. This speeds up initialization due to a more rigid control interface between the micro and the CD processor.
ANALOGUE SECTION
The analog section uses two Burr Brown PCM1794 digital-to-analog converters, in dual-mono parallel mode.
This conversion, combined with the class A amplifier stage (current/voltage) generates an exceptionally wide dynamic range, low distortion and linear signal. All driving an enhanced version of the Class A discrete output amplifier. The circuit is fully balanced from the digital-to-analog converters to the balanced XLR analog outputs.
The analog stage has its own dedicated 50 VA transformer; this ensures galvanic isolation between the analog and digital sections of the player. You'll find 10 separate power regulators in the analog loop alone; each individual amplifier stage has its own low-noise voltage reference.
DIGITAL SECTION
The digital section is highly selected and sees significant improvements to the mechanics, the optical amplifier, the DSP, the PLL, the master clock and the motor power supplies. The digital circuit includes another 10 separate power regulators.
The motor, user interface processor and display have their own power supplies. The digital stage also has its own 50 VA transformer which ensures galvanic isolation. The action is matched and matched to the servo circuits: this ensures that the servo and optical amplifiers work to the best of their potential, thus improving error correction and playback quality.
The amplitude of the optical amplifier has also been improved by 10% by increasing the supply voltage.
DIGITAL
This revolutionary player took 5 years to design. Rega, together with its partners have developed a highly advanced servo control which uses the latest signal processing techniques to ensure that data is retrieved from disk at the highest quality. Because our all-digital servo can use very advanced algorithms, the laser is kept in the optimum position for focus, size and tracking for data retrieval.
EXTRA BUG CORRECTION
Previous chips always required compromises on error correction. It was impossible to have good stamina or better musical performance. The new Rega chip allows for the best musical performance and optimum resistance to vibrations.
SUPER STABLE PHASE LOCK LOOP
The entire IC is clocked via a special PLL of our own design. This allows for better data recovery and improvements in the quality of the data sent to the DAC.
LOW NOISE DIGITAL DESIGN
We have gone to great lengths in our CPU IC design to make sure that data noise is kept to an absolute minimum. This ensures that the ground and signal connections going to the DAC are as 'clean' as possible.
USB INPUT
Direct connection to a laptop or PC via a USB AB cable allows you to stream internet radio, MP3 or WMA files directly from your computer via the Isis' high quality internal DAC. The USB input uses an isolated dual clock USB interface which allows the analog/digital stage to be used with a computer USB interface and its own regulated power supply. USB also has galvanic isolation from the main circuitry of the ISIS player: this eliminates the flow of ground currents between the CD and the host computer and eliminates noise generated by the computer power supply.
DISC ANALYSIS
Isis analyzes each disk individually. During the initialization period (a bit like the engine management system in modern cars which optimizes engine settings for temperature, fuel etc.) Isis adjusts itself to each disc to give an optimal reading. For this reason, Isis will often be able to read discs with marks or scratches that other players cannot read.
We hope you enjoy this product as much as we enjoyed building it.