I honestly can't say much about the standard CD sound becasue I had sold the old player before I got this one, and have been listening mostly to SACDs. The sound through standard playback is fine though - detailed and clean, although to my ears not noticeably better or worse than the rega.
Re LPs - I think it depends on the recording - certainly you can get a midrange warmth from vinyl that you probably can't get on SACD but I find the detail and soundstaing in the high and low end are not as good. I run a Linn LP12 and for instance on the recording of Herbie Hancock "Headhunters" the drums and bass sound far more live and tight on the SACD recording. Similarly on Miles Davis "Sketches of Spain" I think the SACD reveals detail in the percussion section such as castinets much better, as well as allows you to separate the various instruments in the string ensemble much more clearly than the vinyl version (perhaps this is the remastering??).
Re LPs - I think it depends on the recording - certainly you can get a midrange warmth from vinyl that you probably can't get on SACD but I find the detail and soundstaing in the high and low end are not as good. I run a Linn LP12 and for instance on the recording of Herbie Hancock "Headhunters" the drums and bass sound far more live and tight on the SACD recording. Similarly on Miles Davis "Sketches of Spain" I think the SACD reveals detail in the percussion section such as castinets much better, as well as allows you to separate the various instruments in the string ensemble much more clearly than the vinyl version (perhaps this is the remastering??).