Advice on Roksan Xerxes please

[Hifiver]

I am in a bit of a panic.

I do suffer anxiety.

I own a Well-Tempered Simplex 2 turntable. My brother owns a Mitchell Engineering Gyrodec and knows of an original Roksan Xerces, used turntable for sale, which he says will blow both our decks out of the water.

He says he would buy it, but his wife would kill him, due to lack of space. He has told me I would be daft to pass on the purchase. I have been thinking of buyomng the Well Tempered Amadeus 2.

Does anybody know of the original Xerces?

Brother says when it came out it cost over £3k and is still a mind blowing deck today.

Advice please?

 

[Al ears]

I am in a bit of a panic.

I do suffer anxiety.

I own a Well-Tempered Simplex 2 turntable. My brother owns a Mitchell Engineering Gyrodec and knows of an original Roksan Xerces, used turntable for sale, which he says will blow both our decks out of the water.

He says he would buy it, but his wife would kill him, due to lack of space. He has told me I would be daft to pass on the purchase. I have been thinking of buyomng the Well Tempered Amadeus 2.

Does anybody know of the original Xerces?

Brother says when it came out it cost over £3k and is still a mind blowing deck today.

Advice please?

It would need a good looking over as it's quite ancient. It can have issues.
A lot would depend on price / condition/ tonearm and cartridge if any fitted.
Sometimes it's better the devil you know.
Why do you need new deck?
What cartridge do you have fitted to your current one?
What makes your brother think it will both your, quite respectable decks, out of the water? Has he heard it?

 

[Al ears]

It would need a good looking over as it's quite ancient. It can have issues.
A lot would depend on price / condition/ tonearm and cartridge if any fitted.
Sometimes it's better the devil you know.
Why do you need new deck?
What cartridge do yiu have fitted to your current one?
What makes your brother think it will both your, quite respectable decks, out of the water? Has he heard it?

On another note I would take a Gyrodec over an original Xerxes any day.....
Oh, and if it cost over 3k when it first came out I am a Dutchman....
Try a simple Google search.

 

[Hifiver]

Thank you.

I currently have a Dynavector moving coil DV-10X5 on my Well Tempered Simplex 2, but am currently thinking of upgrading to the Amadeus or Vesalex from Well Tempered. I have the funds and time for it.

Brother has told me it will need a sevice, a new tonearm upgrade and a professional to set the deck up for me.

He says I'd be nuts to pass it up and is now short-tempered with me as I now feel put on the spot.

I have Googled the original Xerxes and some have suffered a sagging plinth, which I believe is remedied with a brackek from Roksan, if the still sell the brackets.

He also says my Simplex 2 sounds 'Just okay' and the Xerxes will blow me away.

I live about 250 miles away from the seller.

 

[Al ears]

Thank you.

I currently have a Dynavectormoving coil DV-10X5 on my Well Tempered Simplex 2, but am currently thinking of upgrading to the Amadeus or Vesalex from Well Tempered. I have the funds and time for it.

Brother has told me it will need a sevice, a new tonearm upgrade and a professional to set the deck up for me.

He says I'd be nuts to pass it up and is now short-tempered with me as I now feel put on the spot.

I have Googled the original Xerxes and some have suffered a sagging plinth, which I believe is remedied with a brackek from Roksan, if the still sell the brackets.

He also says my Simplex 2 sounds 'Just okay' and the Xerxes will blow me away.

I live about 250 miles away from the seller.

Personally I would avoid it and stick with your plans for a newer Simplex if you are used to such a design, but that's just me.
I wouldn't let your brother, who appears to know not a lot about the Xerxes, push you into buying one unless you can get it for peanuts and certainly not if you cannot go and inspect and transport yourself.

 

[Hifiver]

My brorther has just told me he bought it and that I missed my chance on it. £729.

I asked if he is aware that some of the original models have had issues with sagging plinths, which they have, and he said he does not know as it was on the internet and he has to drive to collect it.

I was on the spot and would have bought knowing nothing about Roksan and without even hearing it.

I have the most recent Well-Tempered Simlex, the 2 model, which is £1,995 without the cartridge. I am looking at either the Amadeus or Versalex from WT anyway. The Amadeus is £7,995, but I have the funds and the time to enjoy it. Plus, not pressured into buying it.

 

[JDL]

It would need a good looking over as it's quite ancient. It can have issues.
A lot would depend on price / condition/ tonearm and cartridge if any fitted.
Sometimes it's better the devil you know.
Why do you need new deck?
What cartridge do you have fitted to your current one?
What makes your brother think it will both your, quite respectable decks, out of the water? Has he heard it?

I've got a better idea.
Buy a decent CD player ......just joking.

 

[skinnypuppy71]

If you have plenty of funds and like quirky turntable's, The Bergmann modi & Thor could be right up your street.

View: https://youtu.be/3B8VNmIS_1w?si=6YPFq3V25UuWzLwn

 

[Al ears]

I've got a better idea.
Buy a decent CD player ......just joking.

Comments like that are going to get swiftly deleted.
Behave.

 

[Al ears]

If you have plenty of funds and like quirky turntable's, The Bergmann modi & Thor could be right up your street.

View: https://youtu.be/3B8VNmIS_1w?si=6YPFq3V25UuWzLwn

Nothing quirky about it, should you have the shekels...

 

[JDL]

Comments like that are going to get swiftly deleted.
Behave.

Right you are. I beg your pardon.

 

[Al ears]

Right you are. I beg your pardon.

it's not my pardon that matters it's relevant comments in the sub forum as you well know.

 

[JDL]

Ok, in future, I will keep my comments relevant.

 

[skinnypuppy71]

Nothing quirky about it, should you have the shekels...

When

Nothing quirky about it, should you have the shekels...

when I say quirky, I really mean innovative.

 

[plastic penguin]

When

when I say quirky, I really mean innovative.

Nothing quirky about the Simplex 2. Looks a nice turntable.

 

[plastic penguin]

Personally I would avoid it and stick with your plans for a newer Simplex if you are used to such a design, but that's just me.
I wouldn't let your brother, who appears to know not a lot about the Xerxes, push you into buying one unless you can get it for peanuts and certainly not if you cannot go and inspect and transport yourself.

Concur. Not sure why the OP is being influenced by a sibling who doesn't seem to have all the facts.

 

[Gray]

Not sure why the OP is being influenced by a sibling who doesn't seem to have all the facts.

Makes a change from the usual stories of partners forbidding henpecked blokes buying something that they don't like the look of 🤨

 

[plastic penguin]

Makes a change from the usual stories of partners forbidding henpecked blokes buying something that they don't like the look of 🤨

Possibly. If it's partly the wife's money or a purchase could compromise their way of life then it's okay to hear their point of view.

 

[Gray]

Possibly. If it's partly the wife's money or a purchase could compromise their way of life then it's okay to hear their point of view.

Nah.
Think how many times you've read things along the lines of:
"If the wife finds out how much I paid...."
or "SWMBO would never go for that,"

Where SWMBO stands for She Who Must Be Obeyed FFS.
It's just pathetic.....though some blokes seem to like being controlled.
(I imagine them dressed as Gimps, asking their masters if it's ok to switch the hifi on).

Anyway, back on topic 🙂......

 

[Hifiver]

A neighbour streams music and says if he had his way, he'd have a hi-fi set up, but does not fancy the chances of his wife letting him.

 

[GSV Ethics Gradient]

I guess it boils down to whether someone's hifi is more important to them than their partner. If so, something isn't right. I've always been indulged by Mrs 12th, but most couples own and occupy the same spaces jointly. No reason why both voices shouldn't carry equal weight.

 

[Gray]

A neighbour streams music and says if he had his way, he'd have a hi-fi set up, but does not fancy the chances of his wife letting him.

☹️ He chose the wrong wife.

 

[plastic penguin]

Nah.
Think how many times you've read things along the lines of:
"If the wife finds out how much I paid...."
or "SWMBO would never go for that,"

Where SWMBO stands for She Who Must Be Obeyed FFS.
It's just pathetic.....though some blokes seem to like being controlled.
(I imagine them dressed as Gimps, asking their masters if it's ok to switch the hifi on).

Anyway, back on topic 🙂......

It's true but still in a minority.

The OP needs to decide whether to stick or twist on a replacement turntable.

 

[Rui]

about the roskan xerxes ,in my opinion what you already have might be a lot better there are components to be added by roskan but never a good turntable in my opinion and i remenber when this model came out and wasn´t that atractive ,the price you refer is not what they used to be sold ,but much cheaper

 

[Oxfordian]

Nah.
Think how many times you've read things along the lines of:
"If the wife finds out how much I paid...."
or "SWMBO would never go for that,"

Where SWMBO stands for She Who Must Be Obeyed FFS.
It's just pathetic.....though some blokes seem to like being controlled.
(I imagine them dressed as Gimps, asking their masters if it's ok to switch the hifi on).

Anyway, back on topic 🙂......

I was going to comment but the wife won't let me.