Roksan for Dali Opticon?

SamyBoy13 · 23 May 2019 at 20:58

Hello guys, I'm in the middle of purchasing a new amplifier. Currently, I got Yamaha s501 which falls short when compared to Roksan K3 or Caspian. Over the last 2 weeks, I've auditioned Yamaha 2100 which sounded dull, less bodied and low end lacking in comparison to Roksan K3/Caspian which sounded musical. Unfortunately, local dealers do not have anything from NAD, Naim, Arcam, etc. Thus my question is could I get better amp than Caspian for a similar price to suit my Dali Opticon 6? Additionally, I need a DAC that would suit my new amplifier any recommendations within 700 pounds (possibly can stretch it a little bit as I'll be financing the purchase)?

Thanks in advance

GoRedwings19 · 23 May 2019 at 22:25

If you find the yamaha 2100 dull then I very much doubt stuff from Nad, arcam, marantz ect will change that. THey are generally voiced more towards the warmer/darker side of neutrality. Whereas Roksans are generally considered towards the forward/ bright end of the spectrum so maybe you might want to look at amps with that voicing. As for Dac if you are considering the Roksan amp then maybe take a look at the K3 Dac. You could take a look at the chord mojo/ hugo series and there is a whole bunch of other dacs at the price point you mentioned

kidloco · 23 May 2019 at 22:28

If you like the roksan sound then stick with them. I used to have a roksan Kandy Liii and it was the most enjoyable amp I ever owned. A few years later I picked up a Naim nait 5i which was a really good amp, but it just didn't have the heft and delicacy of the roksan.

Currently have a Arcam sa20 which I got as I've always liked the Arcam sound and it comes with a very good dac built in. It's a very good amp. But maybe it's rose tinted glasses. I still don't think it has the magic of the roksan.

Allo digione is my source into the Arcam sa20 dac.

Dac wise. Does it need to be full size. The chord mojo is a nice little dac. I had one for a while but it didn't wow me over what I already had so I sent it back. I was using a smsl Sanskrit 6 dac which sounded comparable to the mojo at a fraction of the price.

lucid · 24 May 2019 at 00:06

Okay, you scratched the Yamaha itch but found it less than satisfying. You're back to Roksan, but still not happy, or so it seems. Serious question, if you do find something better, on your door step, what's to stop you asking for the next thing, and the next, and the next? It's not a facetious question. You see, everyone has their own internal version of what 'good Hi-Fi' sounds like to them, so what's missing in the Roksan sound that you think you need? Did your toes not tap?

SamyBoy13 · 24 May 2019 at 21:32

Thank you for your responses guys

lucid said:
Okay, you scratched the Yamaha itch but found it less than satisfying. You're back to Roksan, but still not happy, or so it seems. Serious question, if you do find something better, on your door step, what's to stop you asking for the next thing, and the next, and the next? It's not a facetious question. You see, everyone has their own internal version of what 'good Hi-Fi' sounds like to them, so what's missing in the Roksan sound that you think you need? Did your toes not tap?

I'm going to be honest @lucid the advise you have given me regarding listening to different amplifiers. It was the best I got since many people on other forum recommended amplifiers that people usually buy... I don't regret traveling over 100miles twice to audition Yamaha along with other amplifiers as I would be disappointed with Yamaha. Auditioning Caspian with Dali option 6 got me goosebumps every time, and I just closed my eyes and enjoyed myself. My main reason for asking for alternative amplifiers was that I don't want to miss out but now I know Caspian is my amplifier to go.

Thus now I need some help with a good DAC any recommendations? (When I auditioned all amplifiers I used Caspian CD player but unfortunately, I Roksan doesn't have a DAC for Caspian to play music/media from digital sources i.e. optical/computer usb)

lucid · 25 May 2019 at 09:34

Thanks for the positive feedback.

If I had to sum up the Roksan sound, I'd say it's big, confident and very musical. If that combination with the Dalis gave you goosebumps every time, then I'd say you've found a winner. The Dalis with their ribbon tweeter combined with the soft dome tweeter are perhaps a touch on the polite side. That's to say they suit a pairing with an amp that a little bit more upfront, and I think that's what you've found with the Dali/Roksan combo.

Pushing things a little more towards an edgier presentation, then something along the lines of the Naim Supernait 2 or Rega Elicit-R would add extra attack. The problem is that each of these is more than you've budgeted (Rega £1,700, Naim £3,200) and we are tinkering with the tonal balance which means you could end up spending a whole chunk more cash and going backwards in the enjoyability of the sound.