How good or otherwise is an original Roksan Xerxes with original psu and Rega RB300 arm

[Tony L]

FWIW the ‘Xerxes sounding lean’ thing is largely down to bad setup IME. Sure, it sounds a bit drier that the very warm pre-Cirkus LP12s of its era, but if the top-plate is working properly, i.e. correctly centred on the ‘blobs’ and not binding with the outer plinth at all, and the arm cable is free, then it should sound very balanced. I could always tell when mine needed a strip-down or nudge, which it did every 6 months or so. Always sounded better afterwards. The ‘blobs’, whist quite clever in concept, were as poorly engineered as the rest of the deck and did tend to lean a bit in one direction or another after a while, so a little tweaking/ nudging paid off. As I mentioned above this was absolutely not the ‘plug and play’ deck many thought it was at the time.

 

[Hiesteem]

Someone did mention siting,

Ah, that would be me then! I wish I had kept mine, and I always felt there was something not quite right about the sound of the Tabrizi.
I also agree about the sagging issue, not being much of an issue really. I use to adjust mine often and sounded great. I never had a problem with the PSU either.
To be honest, I only sold the deck and my vinyl, OUCH, "I had 30 plus Zappa albums," because I was fed up of not being able to get hold of the stuff I liked. This was about the mid nineties.
Consequently realising CD would offer me far greater accessability and save me money, I took the plunge.

 

[Hiesteem]

was absolutely not the ‘plug and play’ deck many thought it was at the time.

Probably not the plug and play deck Tony, but the the main body of the deck was superbly engineered.

 

[JemHayward]

I heard one when they first were launched, and was sorely tempted as it did dynamics, like rimshots demonstrably better than my LP12 at the time. My LP12 was doing pretty impressive dynamics by the time I sold it (was it actually the same one, as no common parts by then I think) - and I'm not entirely sure that my current digital system can reproduce rimshots as well as my 'peak analogue' system did. That may be down to recording engineers being frightened of overload, where good old tape had built in compression so you could just about get away with going a little hot, and maybe what we hear as dynamics is a bit of distortion - who cares I like it!
Back to the OP question - the Xerxes was a clever design, but time has proved that the execution could have been better.

 

[Tony L]

but the the main body of the deck was superbly engineered.

What?! The crappy bendy MDF? The wonky ‘blobs’? The exploding PSU?! It had a nice shiny platter, but that aside to my eyes the build quality was far below say a SEE Revolver or Rega 3 which was a third of the price. I’m sorry, but the Mk I Xerxes was junk IMHO. The only hi-fi product I’ve ever bought where I later felt I’d been mugged. Dreadful build quality and terrible product support (they repaired the blown-up PSU but refused to acknowledge the obvious bent MDF top-plate issue as I suspect I was one of the first to observe it). I’d never personally buy Roksan (or for that matter Veritas) again as a result.

 

[Snufkin]

I’d never personally buy Roksan (or for that matter Veritas) again as a result.

I like a man who bears a grudge. I had a bad experience with a Sanyo cassette player in 1974 and have never bought another product from them.

 

[Hiesteem]

What?! The crappy bendy MDF? The wonky ‘blobs’? The exploding PSU?! It had a nice shiny platter, but that aside to my eyes the build quality was far below say a SEE Revolver or Rega 3 which was a third of the price. I’m sorry, but the Mk I Xerxes was junk IMHO. The only hi-fi product I’ve ever bought where I later felt I’d been mugged. Dreadful build quality and terrible product support (they repaired the blown-up PSU but refused to acknowledge the obvious bent MDF top-plate issue as I suspect I was one of the first to observe it). I’d never personally buy Roksan (or for that matter Veritas) again as a result.

I respect your opinion and unfortunate experience Tony.

 

[Tony L]

I like a man who bears a grudge.

I do! That deck was a hell of a lot of money to me at the time, I really struggled to find it. I’d not be holding the grudge if the product support had been good, i.e. if they had replaced or refunded for what was so obviously a design error. This was all in the days before the internet so the only power I had back then was a couple of harmless letters to a dealer and later directly to Roksan. Nothing happened.

PS The moral of the story is don’t f*** your customers as you never know who they are and how they may react later!

 

[mercalia]

I am very impressed by reading such most relevant information regarding a deck of such age.
I have not seen this type of information on the Xerxes deck could h in many years.
Wish Art was still around to comment.

Yes,
this deck cold possibly use some reengineering.

as I recall,
Touraj used MDF for some sort of reason that I can not remember.
He could have easily used another type of wood Etc.
Such as Baltic Birch but did not do so.

I have also felt Dumb as a Doorknob for not noticing this so called design fault.
Seems rather obvious to me but I am no expert on such matters.
Touraj is.

Yes,
the power supplies do over heat but that is why I think it is best to use another one than the original.

I was given the option to send my original power supply back when I purchased the second one but I decided to keep if for my collection.

I do feel quite lucky that my SME did not not sink like ship.

Knock on Wood!

is there just one type of MDF? if not maybe the mdf used has some special properties?

 

[Tarzan]

Oh happy days- had a Black Xerxes as my first ever proper T/T had an RB300 and the a Linn K9 cartridge, sounded pretty good with good, driving bass, however the top end was a tad bright but musical with it, the Rosewood and Walnut models looked very pretty indeed.

 

[mercalia]

well I dont use mine much these days. But it seems to have stayed set up properly for years without much attention. The only thing I recently replaced was an oem belt from ebay, but that needed a lot of stretching to stop it riding up too high. The blobs seem to be in fine condition have not deteriorated in 30 years. Yes the oil int cheap and I complained to a dealer I bought from that they were not even 1/2 full compared to the advert picture, so I got extra ones free. I am a bit surprised at the vitriol of some here. At the time itwas a choice between this or a LP12, and all the talk of set up put me off. and also transporting it ( I moved around alot then)

So what do people think of the Michell decks of that era?

 

[Tony L]

Obligatory grainy black and white picture. It would have been taken in 1988 I guess as the Onix OA21 is gone, but the HiCap and Kan IIs are yet to appear. Cart at that point would have been a Stilton Audio Nagaoka.

PS Given what’s turned on I was likely recording a Peel Session!

 

[Electron]

I am a bit surprised at the vitriol of some here. At the time itwas a choice between this or a LP12, and all the talk of set up put me off. and also transporting it ( I moved around alot then)

Yes I was put off by the LP12 for the same reason (I recall a dealer telling a friend during set-up of his LP12 that he had a Good-un"!). I did audition the two side by side at The Sound Organisation and also just the Xerxes at the Cornflake Shop where I eventually bought mine. They called-in my PSU to carry out the modification to prevent overheating free of charge and were exemplary dealers in my experience. I get where the vitriol comes from but not sure how people venting their spleens helps answer your question - unless after 30 years you are still not sure whether there's a piece of junk sitting in the corner or something that has given you enjoyment during that period. Thankfully there are other views posted which hopefully provide some balance. The Xerxes sound signature has always been described as being CD like which I take to mean less coloured and leaner (not thin) so I'm sure mine was not suffering from poor set up. Funnily enough, when I'm suffering from set-up paranoia I often use my CD player and familiar music/pressings to check that there is nothing obviously amiss with the vinyl rig!

 

[Tony L]

There were actually many other UK-contenders other than the LP12 and Xerxes, e.g. Dais (early Nottingham Analogue), Michell Gyrodeck, Pink Triangle, Logic DM-101 etc. Then at a higher price level (which I certainly couldn’t afford!) The Source and imported US stuff like the Oracle.

 

[Darren L]

There were actually many other UK-contenders other than the LP12 and Xerxes, e.g. Dais (early Nottingham Analogue), Michell Gyrodeck, Pink Triangle, Logic DM-101 etc. Then at a higher price level (which I certainly couldn’t afford!) The Source and imported US stuff like the Oracle.

Yep, I didn't like the LP12 or Xerxes and bought a Gyrodeck. My brother had the Source TT with a Syrinx PU-2 tonearm, always sounded good in his system.

 

[Tony L]

A couple of friends had DM-101s, and another a white Dais, which was pretty cool!

 

[wylton]

The other issue that I had with mine, was it came fitted with a Rega RB300 and that is what was written on the box too; i.e. it was supplied from new fitted with the Rega. I mentioned earlier, that at Roksan's request, I sent it to them so they could fix the sagging plinth issue and service the PSU. When the deck came back, the arm was so loose, that it was surprising that it hadn't fallen off in transit! I took a look and found that the cut out for the arm wouldn't fully accommodate the pillar nut. Roksan tried to get out of it by saying the Rega arm wasn't supplied as standard on their deck, even though it was clearly marked on the box! Totally unbelievable!

It's worth looking back at the introduction of the Xerxes. It came out in 1985 and I remember attending a London hi-fi show around about that time. They were demonstrating a little system with a Naim Nait and Wharfedale Diamonds; both products had been around for a couple of years. Linn/Naim, had already been demonstrating systems like LP12/Rega/ADC/Naim 22/120 Mordant short carnival, which sounded very nice. From Linn’s point of view, it was a way of getting people to buy into the LP12, by persuading them of the source first principle. When the Xerxes came out, Roksan decided to pitch it directly against the LP12 and so had to price it as such, even though, in terms of materials, it should have cost no more than a typical mid-range deck. The demonstrations were convincing though, and after all, it did play 45’s, which Linn, with the Lingo, didn’t introduce until 5 years later.

A friend of mine was running a system consisting: LP12/Grace/Supex/Lecson AC1/AP1 (beautiful looking amplifiers, but unreliable)/IMF TLS80s. He asked me if I would take my turntable/amps around to his place for a listen. I was running an LP12/Ittok/Asak. Naim 32/250 at the time. We hooked it up to the IMFs and he was impressed enough to book a demo at a dealer. I had been using the Sound Organisation, London bridge, so we booked a demonstration, but Roger Macer (RIP), was very keen on the Xerxes and was pushing it quite hard at the time! My friend ended up buying the Xerxes/Rega/Van Den Hul, instead of the LP12 upgrade and Ittok that he went in there for! Years later, the Xerxes sat there unused, with the plinth sagging etc; another thing for me to feel guilty about!

 

[stevec67]

I am a bit surprised at the vitriol of some here.

I'm not. Nobody likes getting ripped off. That's one reason why cable debates get so heated on here. Many of us, myself include, have spent proper money on cables and spent time persuading ourselve that they made a difference. Mine was an Audioquest interconnect, £70 for 0.5m. I persuaded myself that the Emperor really did have new clothes, Bullshit. I was duped. I allowed myself to be duped. I'm still f*ing angry now, and it was, what, 25 years ago? I still use the cable so even at £70 it's hardly been bad value. But sound better? Does it bollocks. If I'd spent hundreds on a record deck that had turned out to be a crock, and a badly designed crock at that, I'd be looking for the salesman and laying in stocks of a cross, hammer and nails.

 

[wylton]

If I'd spent hundreds on a record deck that had turned out to be a crock, and a badly designed crock at that, I'd be looking for the salesman and laying in stocks of a cross, hammer and nails.

That’s a bit OTT Steve! I've stopped being angry now, but as Tony L said, lose a customer and you've probably lost them for life, which is a bit short sighted to say the least! In the end, we have to take some responsibility for our purchasing decisions, learn our lesson and move on. Doesn't stop me from being a bit vitriolic when someone mentions the Xerxes though!

 

[Tony L]

That's one reason why cable debates get so heated on here. Many of us, myself include, have spent proper money on cables and spent time persuading ourselve that they made a difference. Mine was an Audioquest interconnect, £70 for 0.5m. I persuaded myself that the Emperor really did have new clothes, Bullshit. I was duped. I allowed myself to be duped.

I see that as something different. I’ve never owned an Audioquest cable, though have (and still do) several audiophile cables, and assuming they are well made and have lasted I have no issue with them at all. They remain exactly what I chose to buy at the time and hold an appropriate resale value as a functional and desirable item. The equivalent here would have been if the plugs fell off or it otherwise no longer passed a signal. I’m not arguing my initial choice to buy the Xerxes was wrong, nor that the dealer knowingly mis-sold it, just that it later proved unfit for the purpose for which it was sold. As an older wiser person with a reasonable grasp of current UK consumer law no company would get away with that shit with me today as I’d take them to court!