Roksan Caspian Integrated Amplifier Only a few short years ago Roksan's reputation was as a high-end manufacturer specialising in turntables, but with the 1997 launch of its Caspian range, this British company made its first step towards the mainstream. With the imminent arrival of its even more affordable Kandy range, the Caspian amp has now been hot rodded to keep it competitive at its price point by improving power delivery, dynamics and transparency. Aesthetically unchanged, the casework feels sturdy and solid, while the supplied remote control operates a complete Roksan system. And although the control count is rather low, the Caspian is intuitive and ergonomic to use. Still rated at 70W - per channel, the Caspian has always been a good amp, but the internal changes have made significant improvements, the midrange in particular is clearer and more sharply etched. This makes the complex instrumental mix on Mary J Blige's All That Can Say much easier to follow and appreciate. On some of the other amps this song can sound a shade confused and messy but the Caspian's top-notch resolution and composure prevent this. This Roksan's dynamic performance has always been praiseworthy, too, but there are now several noticeable improvements. Transients hit harder and faster while the flow of All That Can Say is better conveyed. Meanwhile, rhythms are fluidly delivered and this amplifier isn't far behind the Exposure when it comes to reproducing bass with plenty of depth and gusto. There's also a lovely cohesion across the frequency range, the sound being seamless from the smooth, yet sparkling, treble through the natural-sounding midrange and agile bass. And when the Sonny Rollins disc can be reproduced with the superb stereo imaging and wide-open sound staging as it is here, the conclusion is easily reached that the reworked Caspian is a must for any self-respecting amp shortlist. Conclusion Sonically the Linn is the weakest here, while the Exposure Super XX and Naim's 3R prefer pop and rock. The versatile Arcam, meanwhile, has now lost its edge to two sonic superiors: the Cyrus 7 and Roksan's tweaked Caspian.
	Extracted from WHAT HI-FI? November 1999
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