Hi everybody. I’m about to pull the trigger on a Home demo for a Caspian M2 integrated amplifier as the base for my second system, but I am reading a little bit of chatter on the internet about Roksan’s reliability. The unit I am looking at is second hand through a dealer, but apparently it needs an internal fuse repairing by the manufacturer before I can demo it. Should I be worried in general about the brand, or do you think the reports I am reading, and what has happened to the specific unit I am considering, to be isolated? Many thanks.
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Roksan reliability
- Thread starter Gazzip
- Start date
Infiniteloop
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- Jul 23, 2010
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Gazzip said:
I had an M2 CD player some years ago and it was superb. After some years, the display got dim and the laser started malfunctioning. Roksan sorted both very quickly FOC and it went on performing flawlessly until I sold it on.
knaithrover
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- Nov 24, 2013
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I owned an old KA1 mkiii amp which I bought 2nd hand which never missed a beat and I currently have Roksan's Oxygene set which again runs flawlessly. Therefore my limited experience with the brand is positive. I would worry as to why the unit you are interested in has blown an internal fuse though...
Not directly Roksan-related, but the fuse went on my subwoofer within the last year. The dealer replaced the fuse, turned it back on and the fuse immediately blew again. It needed the main board replacing. £200 later it was sorted. So yes, I'd be a little concerned about the dodgy fuse. It depends whether any repair costs outweigh the savings made for going used. FWIW, I think the Roksan Kandy K2 CD player is excellent, if you're looking for a reasonably priced but high performing source.
I used to own a roksan amp - the Kandy Liii - never gave a problem over the 5 years I owned it. Very good with bass articulation.
I assume you have a very good relationship with your dealer based on the amount of equipment you plough through ... If it fails send it back.
There is an 'open box' Caspian for sale on the audio affair site ....
I assume you have a very good relationship with your dealer based on the amount of equipment you plough through ... If it fails send it back.
There is an 'open box' Caspian for sale on the audio affair site ....
chebby
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- Jun 2, 2008
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It’s always going to niggle at you anyway.
“Why did it blow a fuse?”
”Why did the dealer end up with it?” (Dealers give pitifully low trade-in/part-exchange prices, so why didn’t the owner sell it himself?)
So it could be amazing after it’s new fuse is fitted, or it could plague you with problems.
Who needs the doubt? (Unless there is proper warranty in place, like you get with brand-new, you will be paying.)
“Why did it blow a fuse?”
”Why did the dealer end up with it?” (Dealers give pitifully low trade-in/part-exchange prices, so why didn’t the owner sell it himself?)
So it could be amazing after it’s new fuse is fitted, or it could plague you with problems.
Who needs the doubt? (Unless there is proper warranty in place, like you get with brand-new, you will be paying.)
surely its going back to Roksan to check why the fuse had blown not to simply change a fuse?
How many audiophiles does it take to change a fuse?
How many audiophiles does it take to change a fuse?
chebby
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- Jun 2, 2008
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ellisdj said:
I wondered about that. I’d hope it would be serviced/tested and some effort made to check for any underlying cause. I’d also expect a report back from Roksan in the same way my Quad Vena came back from repair, under warranty, fully serviced and tested (48 hours of test) and with a litlle report about what the fault was and the components that were replaced.
Electro
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- Mar 30, 2011
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I don't know about Roksan reliability but how about a pair of PMC twotwo 5's *wink* *smile* .
http://sxpro.co.uk/pmc-twotwo-5-pair-pre-owned-pair-2/?utm_medium=googleshopping&utm_source=bc&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIrsSihIP61gIVDxMbCh104QjsEAQYASABEgJaOfD_BwE
http://sxpro.co.uk/pmc-twotwo-5-pair-pre-owned-pair-2/?utm_medium=googleshopping&utm_source=bc&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIrsSihIP61gIVDxMbCh104QjsEAQYASABEgJaOfD_BwE
ellisdj said:
They are not refined fella. You can trust me on that. They just aren't very good. When you have lived with them for a while this becomes clearer and clearer. I don't mean that they weren't to my taste. I can appreciate quality without liking the product.
They are what they are - a streamer, amplifier, DAC and loudspeaker combo for £2K. That's £500 per component and I'm afraid that you can tell. Don't believe the hyperbole 'cos it's 100% sales BS.
Gazzip said:
I purchased a brand new K2 a while back and it died after 3 days or so, blown fuse I suspected. Dealer replaced with a new K2 BT. Transformer on that buzzed terribly and very often main house trip switch would trip when I powered up the amp. Many other amps worked fine on same electrical socket before and after. It was a new house and wiring. Returned amp after a week or so.
Never again with Roksan for me. Sounded great while they worked though, pity.
DougK said:
I heard a pair being 'shown off' at a dealer a year or so ago, the '5s are much smaller than you might think but offer plenty of level and a decent bandwidth. Using unknown 'master' quality recordings, power, presence and dynamics were pretty awsome by hi-fi standards though the setup did not really conform to hi-fi norms and factors such as soundstage were difficult to evaluate.
Some of the control functions are unlikely to be used in the home and must add to the cost but a pair of TwoTwo 6s would probably suit me down to the ground.
Okay, so my dealer gave a very honest account of what was wrong with the Roksan Caspian M2 amplifier. By his account it is an older spec model without a modded circuit board to prevent the fuses from blowing, so it is back with Roksan having a new PCB fitted and a service. So on that basis I have had his demo unit on loan since Friday, running in to PMC TwentyFive 22's. Sources are a Chord DAC 2Qute and a Minix Neo Z83 Pro fanless, solid state PC running Logitech Media Server and Squeezelite, all cobtrolled via my iPad. Music is stored on my NAS as FLAC.
PMC, Roksan and Chord are a lovely combination, so if you are in the market for a system at the £5K to £6K mark then they should all be on your audition list. FWIW I have gone ex-demo speakers, dealer secondhand amp, and new DAC, snagging the lot for £3850 (£1100 of which was PX) without really haggling... The Chord 2Qute is great in this combination, which comes as something of a surprise as I don't usually like Chord DAC's...
The Minix Neo Z83 Pro fanless solid state PC is a real steal. £179 from Amazon for a PC running Wndows 10 Pro. I can now install Dirac Live DSP on this second system, which is fantastic news.
This setup delivers everything I hoped the KEF LS50W's would deliver but sadly didn't. Then again it bloody well should deliver at over twice the price of the KEF's!
PMC, Roksan and Chord are a lovely combination, so if you are in the market for a system at the £5K to £6K mark then they should all be on your audition list. FWIW I have gone ex-demo speakers, dealer secondhand amp, and new DAC, snagging the lot for £3850 (£1100 of which was PX) without really haggling... The Chord 2Qute is great in this combination, which comes as something of a surprise as I don't usually like Chord DAC's...
The Minix Neo Z83 Pro fanless solid state PC is a real steal. £179 from Amazon for a PC running Wndows 10 Pro. I can now install Dirac Live DSP on this second system, which is fantastic news.
This setup delivers everything I hoped the KEF LS50W's would deliver but sadly didn't. Then again it bloody well should deliver at over twice the price of the KEF's!
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