Rega iSiS Reference CD Player
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Third-generation owner
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Availability
Availability
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Family-Owned Authorized Dealer
Family-Owned Authorized Dealer
We're an authorized dealer for every brand listed on this site, so your warranty is valid and fully supported. We're a real brick-and-mortar shop in Chestertown, MD with shelves of actual inventory, not a drop-shipper. Family-owned and run for three generations, since 1978.
Delivery and Shipping
Delivery and Shipping
Free shipping for most items over $100! Local delivery up to 500 miles more with minimum qualifying purchase.
See our shipping policies for details. We will contact you after your order.
The Rega Isis is the absolute pinnacle of Rega's engineering capabilities, a "cost-no-object" flagship designed to transform the CD medium into a high-fidelity experience that rivals the finest analog turntables. Housed in a massive, 19kg custom CNC-machined aluminum chassis, the Isis is built to isolate the delicate digital signal from any external vibration or interference. Whether you choose the precision of the Solid State model or the organic richness of the Valve Edition, the Isis offers a lifetime investment in musical reality.
Key Features:
- Flagship Build Quality: The 19kg solid anodized aluminum case features Rega's proven manual top-loading design, kept in place of a motorized tray mechanism because those wear, ensuring mechanical stability and vibration control.
- Intelligent Disc Analysis: A unique system that initializes each disc individually, optimizing the laser’s focus, tracking, and beam size so it will often play marked or scratched discs that other players cannot read.
- Dual Mono Power Architecture: Separate 50 VA transformers for the digital and analog sections provide complete galvanic isolation, preventing noise from the digital servo from contaminating the sensitive audio signal.
- Galvanically Isolated USB: Features a double-clocked USB input that allows you to stream digital audio files from a computer directly to the Isis’s reference DACs (16-bit 44.1/48kHz).
- Reference Control: Includes a solid aluminum CNC-machined remote control and high-quality Rega Couple interconnects.
- Rega K-Power: Utilizes custom-designed smoothing capacitors and audio-grade electrolytic capacitors throughout the signal path for maximum dynamic headroom.
Choose Your Sonic Signature
While both versions share the same reference-grade digital transport, power supply architecture, and chassis, the heart of the machine, the Analog Output Stage and DAC Chipset, differs significantly to offer two distinct sonic experiences.
Option 1: The Solid State Isis (Precision & Dynamics)
The Solid State model is designed for absolute transparency, speed, and dynamic range.
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The DAC: Uses twin Burr-Brown PCM1794 converters running in a parallel dual-mono mode.
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The Output: Features a fully discrete Class A operational amplifier and filter circuit. It eschews standard integrated chips in favor of a bespoke discrete design optimized for sonic performance.
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The Sound: Breathtakingly fast, clean, and punchy. It digs deep into the recording to retrieve the finest details with vanishingly low distortion (< 0.0013%), making it the choice for those seeking absolute neutrality and impact.
Option 2: The Valve Isis (Texture & Holography)
The Valve model reimagines the output stage to bridge the gap between digital precision and the fluid soul of tubes.
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The DAC: Swaps the Burr-Browns for twin Wolfson WM8741 converters, selected specifically for their differential output which naturally suits the valve topology.
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The Output: Features a differential valve stage using military-spec triple-mica 5814A (ECC82/12AU7) triodes driving an ECC88 (6DJ8/6922) output buffer. This is followed by a passive Butterworth second-order LC filter.
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The Sound: Delivers a rich, three-dimensional soundstage with the harmonic texture and body that only valves can provide. With a slightly higher, even-order harmonic profile, it offers a more organic, "liquid" presentation that is non-fatiguing and deeply emotional.
The Listening Room Difference
We’re a third-generation family business with a brick-and-mortar showroom in Chestertown, Maryland, and a reputation built on trust, not hype. Whether you’re visiting in person or ordering online, we bring decades of experience, personalized service, and honest guidance to every interaction. We don’t just ship boxes. We help build systems, answer your questions like real humans, and make sure every detail of your setup is right, from the cables to the final connection. Our passion is helping you get the most out of your gear, with support that lasts well beyond the sale.
Specifications
| Feature | Solid State Isis | Valve Isis |
|---|---|---|
| DAC Chipset | Twin Burr-Brown PCM1794 | Twin Wolfson WM8741 |
| Analog Stage | Discrete Class A Op-Amps | Valve Differential (5814A & ECC88) |
| Filtering | Active Discrete Class A | Passive Butterworth LC |
| THD + Noise | < 0.0013% | Typically 0.06% (2nd Harmonic Dominant) |
| Tube Complement | N/A | 2x 5814A (ECC82), 2x ECC88 (6DJ8) |
| Frequency Response | 17 Hz - 20 kHz ±0.1 dB | 17 Hz - 20 kHz ±0.1 dB |
| Outputs | 1x Balanced XLR, 1x RCA, 1x Optical, 1x Coaxial | |
| USB Input Resolution | 16-bit / 44.1kHz - 48kHz (Galvanically Isolated) | |
| Power Consumption | 23 W | 46 W |
| Dimensions | 434 x 112 x 350 mm (W x H x D) | |
| Weight | 19 kg | 19.5 kg |
Can I use the Rega iSiS as a DAC for my streamer?
Can I use the Rega iSiS as a DAC for my streamer?
Only from a computer. The iSiS's one digital input is USB, which takes 16-bit files at 44.1 or 48kHz from a PC or Mac and needs no driver. Its coaxial and optical sockets are outputs, for sending the CD signal to an external DAC, so a streamer with only a coaxial or optical output cannot feed the iSiS's converters. The USB cable is not supplied.
What is the difference between the iSiS and the Valve iSiS?
What is the difference between the iSiS and the Valve iSiS?
The digital and USB sections are the same; the analog stage is not. The solid-state iSiS runs two Burr-Brown PCM1794 converters in dual mono into a discrete Class A stage, fully balanced to its XLR outputs. The Valve iSiS uses a Wolfson WM8741 converter driving two 5814A triodes, with two ECC88s as the output buffer, a transformer-coupled balanced output and a three-position digital filter switch. The valve version mutes for about 30 seconds at switch-on and reaches operating temperature in around five minutes.
Does the iSiS have a motorized lid?
Does the iSiS have a motorized lid?
No, and on purpose. Rega kept a manual top-loading lid rather than a motorized tray, because it considers motorized mechanisms vulnerable to wear. You lift the lid, place the disc, and it initializes once the lid is closed. Leave room above it: Rega gives 200mm of height needed to operate it, and the player weighs 19kg, so check that your shelf can carry it.
What happens if the iSiS laser ever fails?
What happens if the iSiS laser ever fails?
Rega plans for it. During manufacture it matches three identical laser mechanisms: one goes in your player and the other two are marked with its serial number and archived at the Rega factory. If the laser ever fails, an archived unit is sent to your dealer or distributor to fit. Rega backs its products with a lifetime limited warranty against manufacturing defects.
How should I connect the iSiS to my amplifier?
How should I connect the iSiS to my amplifier?
It has balanced XLR outputs (4.4V) and RCA outputs (2.2V), and Rega supplies a Couple RCA interconnect. For the Valve iSiS, Rega recommends a fully balanced connection over XLR to use its transformer isolation, and calls it the perfect partner for the Osiris amplifier. Rega builds a 115V version. Get in touch with Mike to plan the connection for your amplifier.









