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Design technology
The Apollo-R is the result of many years of innovation, advanced
software development and elegant engineering solutions researched
by our highly skilled team of engineers and designers. It took the
completion of two of our multi award winning products, the flagship
Isis CD player and the Rega DAC to pave the way for a unique product
we feel encapsulates everything the new Apollo-R should be.
Design history
The original Apollo CD player launched in 2005. It was a huge success
selling approaching 20,000 units worldwide. The Apollo was a unique
player featuring Rega’s own software and control system ensuring
no other manufacturers player could sound the same. This key element
is carried forward and improved into Apollo-R.
Analogue & digital outputs
Development of the analogue, digital and control domains ensured
direct improvements of both analogue and digital outputs making
the Apollo-R a perfect partner for the Rega Brio-R amplifier and
an ideal ‘CD format’ front-end for the Rega DAC. The Apollo-R
internal circuitry has also been improved by tightening the PCB
layout.
Compact case design
Apollo-R is a top loading design housed in a custom compact aluminium
case matching the Rega DAC and Brio-R amplifier. The Apollo-R is
available in both black or satin silver finish.
Dedicated CD mini system remote control
A new dedicated CD remote handset is supplied as standard which
also has the advantage of Rega amplifier functionality .
Digital to analogue conversion
The DAC and the output amplifier of the Apollo-R have been enhanced
using the Wolfson WM8742 digital to analogue converter, the same
integrated circuit found in the Rega DAC.
Power supplies
The ‘digital’ power supplies feeding the CD processor,
optical block, laser diode amplifier and slicer have been enhanced.
This is achieved by using the same high performance low noise power
supplies found in the same location within the Isis CD player. This
vastly improves the playability, error correction and the ‘inner
core’ processing of the digital CD ‘spinner’ part
of the Apollo-R.
Output amplifier
The discrete output amplifier has been tweaked to reduce the overall
THD from typically 0.005% to 0.0025%, whilst at the same time improving
the overall sound quality of the output amplifier.
User interface
We have improved the user interface control by using a dedicated
display microprocessor, which eases the workload on the main control
processors giving an improvement in the control code stability,
usability and improved speed of initialisation of the disc being
played which now matches that of the Isis CD player.
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