124:
him away from using the sprung sub-chassis as part of the speed-controlling system. Needing a top plinth roughly an inch (25 mm) thick made from wood with a density of about 700 to 800 kg/m, Moghaddam found suitable material in a fire door with which he built a prototype. His friend Tufan
Hashemi – then an investment analyst – heard the new prototype turntable and wanted one. They agreed to team up to start production; Roksan Audio was formed. The Xerxes, introduced in 1985, secured the advocacy of Roger Macer, a successful independent hi-fi retailer in London who sold the then market leader, the Linn Sondek. Hashemi credits Macer with urging him to start satisfying the demand of "dozens or more a week" from his customers. The product, named after the Persian king
145:, where the sub-chassis and tonearm are free to rotate. Moghaddam believed that the design generated undesirable torsional modes. One such torsional mode is said to be caused by "groove drag" – dynamic forces exerted by the stylus on the record as it tracked it. Moghaddam chose to attenuate the torsion by mounting the turntable-drive motor casing on its own bearing. The motor, mounted separately and tethered to a spring, is allowed limited rotation about its own axis; because the load varied with groove modulations, the increases in drag would thus be dampened by the spring-loaded motor, and the platter acceleration mitigated. In the words of Tufan Hashemi, Roksan Audio's managing director:
203:
top plinth sees mountings for the main bearing and tonearm. A hole is cut out from the top board for the motor assembly to emerge from its fixture on the board below. On the lower board, to which an outer surround is attached, three compliant rubber feet give additional isolation to the turntable's chosen placement. One notable characteristic of the deck is the large C-shaped groove cut into the top plinth to control how vibrations would be transmitted from platter to the tonearm area. However, the cut-out is prone to a commonly observed "plinth sag", where the part of it would bend out of true with the rest of the board.
354:
194:(MDF) top board on which the bearing and tonearm assemblies are mounted. Firm rubber "Blobs" mounted on the bottom board (along with the motor assembly) support yet decouple from the top board. Aesthetically, the two boards are encased by a wooden surround fixed to the base board with screws. These design principles can be seen throughout the evolution of the Xerxes, right through to the Xerxes 20plus.
159:
236:(at the "top" end). Other 12-inch arms, like AudioQuest or SME 309, were also chosen by buyers. The Rega was able to function in a way that seemed more synergistic with the Xerxes than the LP12. In both price and performance terms, the original Xerxes, fitted with the Rega RB300 costing £95, became a head-on (and cheaper) alternative to the LP12 fitted with the Linn Ittok arm.
370:
a higher quality; the platter and sub-platter have been redesigned. A mat with distinctive cut-outs is placed on the platter assembly to support the disc. While the top board sits on decoupling blobs, the lower half has bright polished-metal feet. The bearing ball, Blobs and mat are available to existing owners for retrofitting their legacy Xerxes.10 and Xerxes.20 turntables.
149:"We argued that using a suspended or floating surface to support a record could not allow it to be accurately read, as the record itself would be floating. We said that the record surface should remain stationary and solid but in complete isolation from the rest of the deck, and our design provided a very stable base for isolating a record without suspending it."
350:
3-plinth design named Xerxes.X. Its top plinth houses the tonearm and the main bearing, and is isolated from the base by five Blobs, which also allow the plinth to be adjusted in two planes – parallel and perpendicular to the motor and main bearing. The motor is driven by XPS V Reference motor drive, which receives power from DS1.5 Reference Power Supply.
168:
29:
256:
tracking weight. The pendulum is tuned to 2 Hz, outside the range of warps and vibrations from footfalls. Bias is adjustable by spring and a threaded counterweight. The arm is wired using Isoda wire made to Roksan's specification. One end is terminated by cartridge tags, and the other has gold-plated
369:
According to the manufacturer, the Xerxes.20plus incorporates key design elements from the TMS3, including the tungsten carbide bearing ball, inner and outer aluminium platter, mat and decoupler blobs. The isolation between the plinth layers of the 20 has been improved for the Plus. The bearing is of
307:
people who valued a component's rhythmic and melodic capabilities had only one real turntable choice, the (still splendid) Linn LP12. But the first Roksan Xerxes was so good, and so superior to the pre-Lingo LP12, that honest listeners among the so-called/self-called 'Flat-Earthers' had no choice but
136:
Tufan
Hashemi said Roksan sought to create equipment that would excel in high-quality musical reproduction and capable of involving the listener on an emotional level. Product characteristics were to include precision and transparency of the sound. Moghaddam, acting as chief designer, set out to find
123:
tri-amped audio system. Through experimentation, he deduced that the existing turntable design failed because the cartridge was not being held still wherever the groove went. He believed that the mean line traced by the groove relative to the body of the cartridge needed to be constant. His ideas led
361:
The Xerxes.20 which superseded the Xerxes.X in 2005 incorporated new main bearing ball and the new Rmat-5 sub-plinth. The bearing, attached to the inner platter, has an unusually small-diameter hardened-steel spindle, which sits on top of a tungsten ball that measures 2 mm and is machined to a
210:
The bearing-mounted spring-loaded motor is powered by an outboard power supply designated the XPS. Its basic power supply switchable between 33 and 45 rpm. Throughout the years, there have been many changes which have significantly improved this table. The earliest and most important of these was a
247:
Launched in 1987 priced at £350, Artemiz is the flagship tonearm whose design was also a break from established conventions. The arm and headshell is a one-piece construction; the large-gauge aluminium tube interference-fitted at one end into a massive yoke that is the bearing. The tube is flat at
206:
While some other designs use clamps to couple the disc to the platter, Roksan shares the same philosophy as Linn in believing that rigid coupling would cause rumble to be transmitted from the main bearing, thus colouring the sound. To further increase isolation, the Xerxes possesses a spindle that
202:
The original Xerxes design is deliberately a radical departure from the traditional suspended sub-chassis design. Instead of having a three-point sprung suspension separating the plinth from the sub-chassis, the Xerxes is made up of two boards separated from each other by stiff rubber "Blobs". The
349:
The Xerxes exists in four distinct versions. The original two-plinth Xerxes (1985) was discontinued after about eight years' production, after the Touraj
Moghaddam Signature (TMS) was launched. On the 10th anniversary of the company (1995), Roksan reprised the entry-level Xerxes turntable with a
255:
The
Artemiz also possesses an "intelligent counterweight". Its fulcrum is balanced on a stub at the rear of the arm so that its weight is decoupled from the arm and its centre of gravity low. A rider, with a small indentation for the fulcrum, can be moved incrementally along the stub to adjust
189:
A second challenge was how to overcome the rotation of the suspended parts – the sub-chassis, platter, arm and cartridge – relative to the motor. This was done by re-imagining a suspension that had less freedom of lateral movement relative to the drive motor. The Xerxes uses a relatively light
251:
The bearing housings are at either side and the vertical bearings are above and below the arm tube are massive, and machined from a single solid piece. The bearings have a pyramidal arrangement: the upper component, consisting of three ball-bearings arranged in a triangle, rests on a single
336:
TV series, the lead character, when seen at home, is often listening to music on his Xerxes. According to the manufacturers, the producers of the show deliberately sought to feature one in the series, from the first episode, to highlight Morse's passion for music. In the first episode,
186:, the Xerxes' platters are of aluminium. The outer platter is rigid and peripherally weighted. However, the Roksan's outer platter weighs less than half of that of the LP12, to reduce load on the main bearing, yet is able to achieve a greater inertia because of its weight distribution.
96:. Designed by Roksan co-founder, Touraj Moghaddam, the Xerxes is a belt-driven turntable with a solid plinth. Launched in 1985, the sound quality of the product positioned it as a strong competitor against the established industry leader, the
318:
The Xerxes is known for its speed stability and its ability to extract information and detail from the record groove. It thus became acceptable to acknowledge good performance from products by companies other than Linn, Naim, and
248:
the other end to provide for mounting the cartridge. The arm is finished in a matt resonant paint. Unusually, there is no finger lift for cueing but the arm is fitted with a conventional lever-operated lift/lower assembly.
231:
Early versions were a platform for mounting third party tonearms. Prior to the launch of Roksan's maiden tonearm – the
Artemiz, it was most commonly partnered with the Rega RB300 (at the "budget" end), and the
547:
497:
The 2013 prices in France: Xerxes 20 Plus: €3,300, Speed
Control XPS 7 : €500, Nima : €725, Tabriz : €875, Tabriz ZI : €1,200, Artemiz : €2,850, MM Corus Silver : €600, MC
488:
In 2011, the Xerxes.20plus cost £2,420; the Tabriz ZI tonearm was priced at £795 (Radius 5 MkII cost £1375 including arm); DS1.5 sold for £1200 and an XPS6 cost £1750. The Shiraz £2475.
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phono pre-amplifier designed to sit inside the turntable. Roksan also marketed a three-legged table dedicated to the deck. In 1987 Roksan launched the Shiraz moving coil
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In 2003, the Xerxes with DS1.5sold for £2000 and a lower-cost model supplied with a DSU power unit cost £1750. The
Artemiz cost £1000, and the Shiraz £950.
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111:
Before Touraj
Moghaddam founded Roksan, he had become dissatisfied with the state of the audio arts when he heard his little television set reproduce
182:
Like the LP12, the Xerxes has a two-piece platter–sub-platter configuration on which sits a thin felt mat. And while the LP12's platters are made of
578:
252:
ball-bearing below. The bearings have deliberate play in them which allows movement in response to the dynamic forces when records are tracked.
292:, the Dunlop Systemdek, and the Logic DM-101. At its launch, the Xerxes was priced at around UK£300 – approximately £100 cheaper than an LP12.
218:). Other changes include modifications to components such as the outboard power supply, now in its seventh version, and the suspension blobs.
777:
341:, the people associated with the fictional manufacturer of the turntable (Richards Audio Research) were the focal point of the storyline.
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allows the user to centre the record, but which is supposed to be removed during listening so that the disc rests solely on the felt mat.
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considered the Xerxes "arguably the first turntable to give the previously all conquering Linn Sondek LP12 a real run for its money".
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By 2010, Roksan has three tonearms to partner their deck: the
Artemiz, the Tabriz (and its 'Zi' version) and the unipivot Nima.
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The production version of the Xerxes is called "Xerxes.20plus", a reference to the 20th anniversary of the launch, in 2005.
366:. The corresponding housing is made of bronze. The two-piece platter, when fit together, are snug and will not resonate.
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303:, who had a stranglehold in the UK. Hi-fi critic Art Dudley observed that prior to Roksan arriving on the scene,
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260:. The wire has one join, in the arm base, where the thin cartridge wires are melded with sturdier phono leads.
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276:. In 1989, Roksan launched the budget Radius record player, Tabriz arm and Corus moving magnet cartridge.
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The company was highly influential in the way hi-fi was sold, and it managed to wrest market share from
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dominated. Other competitors included the Well
Tempered Table, the Phonosophie P3, the Michell GyroDec,
128:, was launched at a hi-fi show in 1985 where the Roksan Darius loudspeaker concept was also unveiled.
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548:"Roksan Xerxes 20 Plus : l'autre platine vinyle de référence... depuis 1985"
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Inner and platter: 2-piece solid aluminium alloy, interference fitted (both)
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1029:
Henley Designs (Official Roksan distributor for the UK). Archived from
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It was launched in 1985 into already established competition where
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879:"Linn Sondek LP12 – turntable – A definitely pre-loved item"
137:
solutions to engineering problems he saw as inherent in the
268:
In 1989, Roksan introduced the Artaxerxes phono stage – a
100:. Many reviewers use the Xerxes as a reference turntable.
932:"40 years of Stereophile: The Hot 100 Products Page 4"
898:"The Hot 100 Products No. 53: Roksan Xerxes turntable"
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in a more musically satisfying way than his high-end
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470:", sometimes affectionately, sometimes derogatorily.
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382:Roundess & concentricity: < 5 μm
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176:Original Xerxes Blobs (left); TMS Blobs (right)
968:"DID YOU KNOW? – Xerxes & Inspector Morse"
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628:, Hi-fi Pig, 19 January 2013. Archived from
397:Main bearing housing: solid phosphor bronze
80:transcription turntable (often shortened to
21:
798:
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755:"Roksan Xerxes X turntable and Artemiz arm"
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409:Isolation: 3-level decoupling with "blobs"
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424:Motor mount: unique synchronising bearing
379:Main bearing spindle: hardened tool steel
33:Xerxes.20plus turntable with Tabriz Zi arm
20:
963:
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824:"Xerxes Top Plinth Design And Alignment"
1006:Prugnard, Ghislain (March/April 2007).
579:"Roksan Xerxes.20Plus Turntable System"
510:
459:
427:Motor drive: external speed controller
412:Motor: custom made 24-pole synchronous
519:"Roksan Kandy K2 integrated amplifier"
466:Linn/Naim aficionados were nicknamed "
357:Sub-chassis assembly for the Xerxes.20
7:
877:Quaschik, Hartmut (September 2004).
546:Stemmelin, Pierre (25 January 2013)
388:Main bearing ball: tungsten carbide
430:Wow & flutter: < 0.02%
374:Specifications of the Xerxes.20plus
826:. Roksan Audio Ltd. Archived from
654:"Roksan Xerxes 20plus(£6890 inc.)"
14:
1061:Audiovisual introductions in 2005
1056:Audiovisual introductions in 1995
1051:Audiovisual introductions in 1985
778:"Roksan Xerxes 20 Plus (Package)"
711:"Review: Roksan Xerxes Turntable"
652:Simpson, Andrew (December 2011).
139:belt-driven suspended sub-chassis
753:Husband, Geoff (November 2002).
709:Newyorkjosh (30 December 2002).
166:
157:
27:
904:, November 2002. Archived from
864:(courtesy link). Archived from
802:Kennedy, Jason (January 2012).
659:, pp 30–32. Archived from
626:"Tufan Hashemi of Roksan Audio"
391:Roundness: < 1 μm
982:Bolton, Tony (February 2003).
609:Hi-fi News & Record Review
603:Harris, Steve (4 March 2008).
433:Rumble: < −80 dB
415:Pulley: solid aluminium alloy
385:Length – diameter ratio: 11:1
264:Power supplies and accessories
1:
917:Wheeler, Mark (Summer 2008).
881:. TNT Germany. Archived from
856:Steward, Malcolm (May 1989).
212:
92:and produced by London-based
88:named after the Persian king
949:Vinyl Engine. Archived from
677:Dudley, Art (January 2007).
577:Sircom, Alan (2 July 2013).
858:"Roksan Xerxes and Artemiz"
757:, TNT Audio. Archived from
517:Dudley, Art (15 May 2010).
1082:
713:. Audiogon. Archived from
362:tolerance in the order of
930:Dudley, Art, April 1986.
192:medium-density fibreboard
26:
438:450 mm × 370 mm × 115 mm
900:, pg 4. John Atkinson,
227:Tonearms and cartridges
804:"Roksan Xerxes.20plus"
421:Belt: ground neoprene
358:
316:
313:Art Dudley, April 1986
151:
400:Clearance: 2/1,0000"
356:
147:
69:Official product page
1012:Prestige Audio Video
605:"Steady as a Roksan"
406:Structure: 3-plinth
394:Diameter: 2 mm
141:turntable design of
970:. Roksan Audio Ltd.
885:on 13 January 2012.
442:Weight: 12 kg
339:The Dead of Jericho
23:
611:, June 2008 issue.
450:: UK distributor)
359:
211:new main bearing (
16:1985 record player
984:"Roksan Xerxes X"
558:on 11 July 2013.
132:Design principles
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42:Touraj Moghaddam
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1008:"Roksan Xerxes"
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330:Throughout the
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113:Thelonious Monk
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436:Dimensions:
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22:Roksan Xerxes
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556:the original
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198:Construction
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102:
94:Roksan Audio
81:
77:
75:
59:Roksan Audio
55:Manufacturer
18:
1016:(in French)
936:Stereophile
902:Stereophile
782:What Hi-Fi?
684:Stereophile
560:(in French)
523:Stereophile
364:micrometres
325:What Hi-Fi?
270:moving coil
216: 1989
1066:Turntables
1045:Categories
988:Hi-fi News
657:Hi-fi News
506:References
308:to say so.
280:Popularity
222:Partnering
47:Inception
921:, TNT UK
345:Versions
311:—
126:Xerxes I
90:Xerxes I
39:Inventor
107:History
84:) is a
65:Website
919:"PRaT"
583:Hi-Fi+
552:On Mag
498:Shiraz
448:Source
82:Xerxes
454:Notes
234:SME V
184:mazak
321:Rega
301:Naim
299:and
297:Linn
121:Naim
117:Linn
76:The
50:1985
1047::
1010:.
999:^
975:^
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934:.
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860:,
835:^
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581:.
566:^
550:.
529:^
521:.
323:.
213:c.
446:(
119:/
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