Roksan caspian amplifier.

The Roksan caspian is a British built integrated with power output of 85 watts. Roksan started as a turntable manufacturer and they also make cd players and speakers. The Caspian integrated is the cheapest model in the Caspian range, there is a pre/power above it and they also make monoblock power amplifiers. the Caspian has five inputs is available in either black or silver and comes with remote control.

First impressions of this amp are good, in fact they are very good. From the first minute you hear it, it is obvious it is a transistor design. It sounds fast, has very slightly edgy treble (only just!) and is a little bit on the bright side, not so much that it matters, this is more of an observation than a flaw. It also sounds warm and quite fluid.

The midrange is really nice and detail is good although not all that obvious which is a good thing. Detail isn't thrust at you, it is just there if you listen. One huge bonus is that coherence is as good as you can get, bass and treble align perfectly and upbeat music sounds exactly that, upbeat.

Other strong points are its ability to forget about recording quality. It does not matter what you are listening to it won't make a meal of it. You can enjoy music for what it is without scrutinising the recording conditions.

It also has the ability to get the most amount of fun out of your records. You cannot help but tap your feet and nod whenever you hear this little amp! It is also very live sounding, music definitely feels like it is happening in your room rather than a recording studio.

Now for the bad points. It is not all that refined and can become a little bit tiring after a while. Also and this is something that all Roksan amps seem to do regardless of cost is they do not grab the bass fully. They try and extend too far down but don't really have the current to do it properly so bass can sound a little bit loose. Of course that matters entirely on the speakers this amp is only rated at 80 watts so don't go crazy!

I really like this amp and if the Sugden a21 did not exist I would have this. It times well and has the same coherence as a Naim nait, has the detail of the Cyrus 8 with the easy going nature of the Arcam a90. It is well built too and the company have a very good reputation. All in all it is an excellent amp that will appeal to more people than not, definitely a firm favourite of mine.

Ebay alert!

This is a popular model so expect to pay between £350 and £600 depending on age.