About
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.
