Roksan Xerxes / RB-300 (or Michell TecnoArm) / Goldring 1012

An original classic!



There are two options available:

Roksan Xerxes with XPS-II power supply and Rmat-5 platter mat upgrade, Rega RB-300 tonearm plus Goldring 1012GX cartridge (about 60 hours use) for £500.

Or I can substitute Michell TecnoArm in place of the RB-300 for £300 additional (£800 total).

The Xerxes is in black ash finish and in pristine condition. The turntable and power supply have been fully serviced by Roksan within the past year (copy of the work order available).

IMHO, easily betters Linn LP12, Rega P7 and countless others. The Michell TecnoArm takes it to an even higher level of performance.

Best turntable I've yet heard; selling only in order to upgrade to new Roksan Xerxes.20. (I've always fancied owning a turntable finished in high-gloss maple )



Original packing and boxes for both the Xerxes and TecnoArm.

Even more exhaustive details available upon request!

Collection should be quite easy; I will be in London between September 22 and September 25 for the Heathrow Show.

Thanks for looking!

Dex

 

Is your Xerxes 20 imminent then, Dex??

Cheers,

Jon

 

Jon, it is a fait accompli.

Now, who wants to buy my fabulous deck?

Best, Dex

 

Further Details

A few folks have PM'd me requesting further details. Here 'tis:

This Xerxes is in as immaculate shape as I can imagine, given that its age is somewhere between 16 and 17 years. It has been much loved and well looked after. No nicks, gouges or scratches whatsoever and only a very few hints of the paint wearing thin on small spots of its black ash finish from normal use. But you need to look really close to notice them.

The platter also belies its years and retains a near-mirror finish along its visible edges; its underside betrays the only slight indications of usage, exhibiting the signs of replacing it on the sub-platter that one would come to expect in attempting to fit their precision interface. The dust cover is in fine shape, too; its hinges are still tight and its surface displays only light marks from cleanings over the years.

With the platter removed, the cutout "peninsula" is dead-level at the tonearm end (no arms any heavier than the RB-300 had ever been used) in regard to the plinth. The motor has obviously been seen-to (not a speck of dust in the motor-well) and the pulley is as shiny as the platter. The sub-platter is every bit as impressive, silky-smooth and tightly interfaced with the bearing; it revolves seemingly forever when disconnected from the drive belt.

The XPS-II PSU is in as fine a condition as the turntable; clean, perfect finish, no marks, etc., looking essentially new and performing like it too! Replacing the platter, it powers the deck right up without any manual assistance. The spinning platter indicates absolutely no wobble and has excellent clearance with regard to the plinth around the entirety of its perimeter. Switching to 45rpm via the XPS-II occurs smoothly and without hesitation.

The Rega RB-300 is in great shape as well and was the original tonearm with this Xerxes. I purchased the Michell TecnoArm last year, and it is in absolutely perfect as-new condition. The Goldring 1012GX cartridge has been unused for the last nine months (I've been using the Roksan Corus Black cartridge that came with the Xerxes). I replaced the stylus on the Goldring about 18 months ago and it has had about 60 hours use since then, so there is a good deal of life left in it.

In deciding on the Xerxes, I also demoed Linn LP12, and Regas P25, P5, and P7. The Xerxes managed to combine the finest attributes of them all and it was really never a contest! The detail the Xerxes manages to retrieve from the grooves, the tight power of its bass and the sheer speed and rhythmic accuracy of its presentation continue to surprise me with every listening session.

From the moment the stylus hits an album, you know you're listening to something special. Dead-quiet surface and background, fast and incisive, lush and musical, taught and precise without ever sounding studied or analytical.

This deck has been lovingly fully-serviced and reconditioned (power supply, too!) by Roksan just over a year ago, which should provide additional peace of mind for its next owner:



It certainly did for me and it has performed flawlessly since I purchased it last December from a very nice gent in Kent! But don't let the invoice fool you; if Stephen hadn't been a paying member of Roksan's Cognoscenti Club (labor free of charge, parts discounted 20% for £100 annually) the service would have come in at about £300.

I think you'd be hard-pressed to find an original Xerxes in better nick!

Cheers, Dex

 

bump

 

Now SOLD!

Thanks to everyone who expressed interest!

Cheers, Dex