I have owned the XCD-88, which is the same player as the CD25, both being made by Shanling in China and just rebadged, and still own the Planet. I have also tried several NAD players, as well as the excellent Rotel RCD-1072. I had all but the NADs at the same time and was able to make direct comparisons in a somewhat different rig than your own.
The ONIX has excellent detail retrival and exceeds the other players in this aspect. Bass is somewhat dry and does not have the power of the Rega or Rotel. It sounds more forward in the midrange with a bit less forward treble than the Rega. Some of that detail reveals digital artifacts in the upper midrange, grain and etch. In the end, this player tends to pull the music apart rather than putting it together into an organic whole.
The Rega, has less detail and is more laid back sounding. After listing to the ONIX the Rega sounds like there is a blanket over the upper midrange. Less information and less detail. Multiple instrumental lines run together and are not separated as readily as on the other players. Without hearing this in comparison, it is not as evident, and the midrange lacks the artifacts of many other players. The treble is a bit forward, crisp if you will and the bass is just great. Excellent pace, good weight and a natural sense of the music moving forward. It is a very organic player that makes all of the music sound connected as a single whole. Many complain that it is boring, and the lack of midrange snap can give that impression in some systems.
The Rotel treads the middle ground, more balanced than the ONIX, with greater detail than the Rega, it isn't quite of one piece like the Rega, nor is the bass as naturally propulsive, but many will prefer it.
A word on ergonomics. The logic on the ONIX is not good, the Philips transport is slow to respond to commands and this becomes more irksome as time goes on. But build quality is excellent. The blue display can be dimmed, but not completele turned off. The op amps are socketed and you can switch these out if you wish to tweek.
The Rotel has good contol features, the blue display can be dimmed, but not completely turned off.
The Rega has good control features and the red display can be completely turned off.
Players tend to be so flawed at this price point that the distinctions are more finely drawn than with more expensive players. It may have no bearing on a differnt system but I kept the Rega and have never looked back; it has satisfied over the long hall and is one of the few digital classics out there. That said, I am more a music collector than an audiophile and tend to play a lot of older music that is not well recorded, and the Rega suits this type of stuff quite well. Audiophiles may prefer one of the other players.
The ONIX has excellent detail retrival and exceeds the other players in this aspect. Bass is somewhat dry and does not have the power of the Rega or Rotel. It sounds more forward in the midrange with a bit less forward treble than the Rega. Some of that detail reveals digital artifacts in the upper midrange, grain and etch. In the end, this player tends to pull the music apart rather than putting it together into an organic whole.
The Rega, has less detail and is more laid back sounding. After listing to the ONIX the Rega sounds like there is a blanket over the upper midrange. Less information and less detail. Multiple instrumental lines run together and are not separated as readily as on the other players. Without hearing this in comparison, it is not as evident, and the midrange lacks the artifacts of many other players. The treble is a bit forward, crisp if you will and the bass is just great. Excellent pace, good weight and a natural sense of the music moving forward. It is a very organic player that makes all of the music sound connected as a single whole. Many complain that it is boring, and the lack of midrange snap can give that impression in some systems.
The Rotel treads the middle ground, more balanced than the ONIX, with greater detail than the Rega, it isn't quite of one piece like the Rega, nor is the bass as naturally propulsive, but many will prefer it.
A word on ergonomics. The logic on the ONIX is not good, the Philips transport is slow to respond to commands and this becomes more irksome as time goes on. But build quality is excellent. The blue display can be dimmed, but not completele turned off. The op amps are socketed and you can switch these out if you wish to tweek.
The Rotel has good contol features, the blue display can be dimmed, but not completely turned off.
The Rega has good control features and the red display can be completely turned off.
Players tend to be so flawed at this price point that the distinctions are more finely drawn than with more expensive players. It may have no bearing on a differnt system but I kept the Rega and have never looked back; it has satisfied over the long hall and is one of the few digital classics out there. That said, I am more a music collector than an audiophile and tend to play a lot of older music that is not well recorded, and the Rega suits this type of stuff quite well. Audiophiles may prefer one of the other players.