Roksan

Roksan is a British manufacturer of high-fidelity audio equipment for domestic listening systems. Founded in London in 1985 by Tufan Hashemi and Touraj Moghaddam, the company became associated with technically ambitious British hi-fi design, particularly turntables, tonearms, cartridges, amplifiers, CD components, loudspeakers and later network-capable digital products. It is headquartered in Rayleigh, Essex, and has operated as a specialist audio brand rather than a mass-market electronics company. The company’s origin was closely tied to Touraj Moghaddam’s dissatisfaction with the performance of established turntable designs. After comparing expensive high-end equipment with the unexpectedly musical sound of a small television, Moghaddam began examining the mechanical relationship between a cartridge and the record groove. His work led to a design philosophy that challenged the prevailing reliance on sprung sub-chassis isolation. Instead, Roksan sought to control groove drag, lateral movement and cartridge-to-groove stability through a carefully engineered drive and support arrangement. A prototype, reportedly built using a fire door, became the basis for the Xerxes turntable. Roksan presented its first product at a London hi-fi show in 1985. The Xerxes attracted attention because it used a relatively light platter and a distinctive non-traditional approach to turntable isolation and motor control. Its name, like many later Roksan names, reflected the Persian heritage of the founders: Roksan derives from Roxana, associated with the Persian royal tradition, while products such as Xerxes, Darius, Caspian, Shiraz, Tabriz, Artemiz and Artaxerxes drew on Persian history and geography. The brand’s identity therefore combined British engineering with a deliberate Persian cultural reference point. Roksan expanded rapidly beyond turntables. The Darius loudspeaker introduced mechanical isolation between the tweeter and bass unit using springs, while the Artemiz tonearm and Shiraz moving-coil cartridge broadened the company’s analogue offering. It subsequently developed phono stages, integrated and power amplifiers, preamplifiers, CD transports and players, digital-to-analogue components, home-cinema electronics and loudspeakers. Product families including ROK, Attessa, Caspian, Kandy, Radius, K3, Oxygene and blak allowed the company to address different levels of the specialist audio market. Its products generally emphasized sound quality, distinctive industrial design and compatibility with both analogue and digital sources. Corporate ownership changed during the company’s history. Verity plc acquired Roksan in 1996 as part of a hi-fi group that also included Mission, Wharfedale and Quad. Hashemi and Moghaddam later reacquired the business after Verity reorganized around flat-panel loudspeaker technology. Touraj Moghaddam resigned from Roksan directorships in 2011, although he continued working in audio through Vertere Acoustics, with a focus on cables. In November 2016, Monitor Audio acquired Roksan, bringing the brand into the portfolio of another established British loudspeaker and audio manufacturer. Roksan continued to develop both traditional and contemporary components under Monitor Audio ownership. The K2 and K3 electronics combined integrated amplification with features intended to suit modern systems, including phono inputs, digital conversion and Bluetooth aptX on later models. The blak range offered more ambitious amplification and digital functionality, while Radius and Xerxes products maintained the company’s turntable presence. In 2021, Roksan introduced the Attessa range, covering a turntable, amplifier, streaming amplifier and CD transport. The Caspian Series 4G range followed with streaming and integrated amplification, with additional preamplifier and power-amplifier models identified in the supplied reference material for 2026. Roksan’s enduring position is that of a specialist British hi-fi brand spanning a…

Roksan was established in 1985 by Tufan Hashemi and Touraj Moghaddam, whose academic and personal backgrounds included the University of London, Imperial College London and Queen Mary College. Moghaddam’s experiments arose from concerns about the mechanical behavior of high-end turntables and the stability of the cartridge as it tracked a record groove. The resulting prototype evolved into the Xerxes, introduced at a London hi-fi show in 1985. Its unconventional engineering rejected the assumption that a sprung sub-chassis was always the best way to isolate a record-playing system. Roksan instead concentrated on lateral rigidity, groove drag and the controlled relationship between motor, platter and cartridge. The Xerxes established the company’s reputation, while the Darius loudspeaker extended its design thinking into speaker mechanics. Roksan used springs to isolate the tweeter from the bass enclosure, an approach intended to manage the different movements of the drivers. During the late 1980s and early 1990s, the company built a broad analogue and electronics portfolio: Artemiz and Tabriz tonearms, Shiraz and Corus cartridges, Artaxerxes phono amplification, Radius record players, ROK amplification and the DP1 CD transport. The Attessa CD system and later Caspian products demonstrated that Roksan was not limited to vinyl. Industrial designer John Cornock joined in 1990 and contributed to the appearance and development of several important lines, including Radius, DP1, ROK, Attessa and the TMS reference turntable. He later worked on the K3, blak and Oxygene products. Through the 1990s and 2000s, Roksan introduced successive generations of Xerxes, TMS, Radius, Kandy and Caspian equipment, along with loudspeakers, home-cinema components and digital products. The company maintained a premium specialist identity while also offering more accessible systems through Kandy and related ranges. Ownership changed in 1996 when Verity plc acquired Roksan. Verity’s portfolio included several notable British audio names, but the group later demerged as it concentrated on flat-panel speaker technology. Hashemi and Moghaddam subsequently regained control of Roksan. Moghaddam left the company’s directorships in July 2011 and continued audio work through Vertere Acoustics. Monitor Audio acquired Roksan in November 2016. Under Monitor Audio, Roksan continued to develop analogue turntables, amplification and digital products. The K3 range succeeded K2 with stronger amplification and Bluetooth aptX, while the blak series combined substantial amplification with digital and wireless features. The Radius 7 continued the entry-level turntable family with integrated speed control. Roksan launched Attessa in 2021 as a coordinated modern system, and the Caspian Series 4G appeared in 2024 with streaming and integrated amplification. The supplied reference material also identifies additional Caspian 4G streaming preamplifier and power amplifier models for 2026. Across these phases, Roksan’s central proposition remained the integration of rigorous audio engineering, distinctive design and a balance between vinyl heritage and contemporary digital connectivity.

• 2024

  Caspian Series 4G introduced

  [1]Roksanen.wikipedia.org

  The new generation began with Caspian 4G streaming and integrated amplifiers.

• 2021

  Attessa range launched

  [1]Roksanen.wikipedia.org

  Attessa brought together turntable, amplification, streaming and CD components.

• 2016

  Monitor Audio acquisition

  [1]Roksanen.wikipedia.org

  Monitor Audio acquired Roksan in November 2016.

• 2015

  blak range introduced

  [1]Roksanen.wikipedia.org

  Roksan introduced blak amplification with dual-monoblock architecture, balanced inputs, Bluetooth and phono capability.

• 2012

  K3 replaced K2

  [1]Roksanen.wikipedia.org

  The K3 added an upgraded power supply and Bluetooth aptX functionality.

• 2009

  K2 integrated amplifier launched

  [1]Roksanen.wikipedia.org

  The K2 combined high-quality integrated amplification with a moving-magnet phono input, unusual among many contemporary budget-oriented British products.

• 2002

  TMS2 replaced the original TMS

  [1]Roksanen.wikipedia.org

  Roksan updated its reference turntable platform with the TMS2.

• 1998

  Caspian system launched

  [1]Roksanen.wikipedia.org

  The four-piece Caspian audio system introduced a major electronics family that later expanded into home cinema and phono products.

• 1991

  ROK DP1 CD player introduced

  [1]Roksanen.wikipedia.org

  Roksan entered CD playback with the ROK DP1.

• 1989

  Radius and Artaxerxes expanded the analogue range

  [1]Roksanen.wikipedia.org

  The company introduced the Radius record player, Tabriz arm, Corus cartridge and Artaxerxes phono amplification.

• 1986

  Darius loudspeaker launched

  [1]Roksanen.wikipedia.org

  Roksan introduced the Darius loudspeaker, using mechanically isolated tweeter and bass-driver design concepts.

• 1985

  Roksan founded and Xerxes introduced

  [1]Roksanen.wikipedia.org

  The company was founded by Tufan Hashemi and Touraj Moghaddam, and its first product, the Xerxes turntable, was shown at a London hi-fi event.

Specialist British high-fidelity audio focused on engineering-led analogue playback, refined electronics, distinctive industrial design and integration of traditional vinyl systems with modern digital and streaming sources.

• Turntables · 1985

  Xerxes

  Roksan’s signature turntable platform. The belt-drive Xerxes challenged conventional sprung-sub-chassis practice by prioritizing cartridge stability, lateral rigidity and controlled motor behavior. Later versions included Xerxes.X, Xerxes.20, Xerxes 20+ and other updated generations.

• Turntables · 1989

  Radius

  A more accessible Roksan turntable family, including Radius 5 and Radius 7. The Radius 7 incorporated high-precision speed control and was offered in multiple finishes.

• Amplification and digital audio · 1998

  Caspian

  A long-running electronics family covering integrated, preamplification and power amplification, CD playback, phono equipment and later streaming products. Caspian Series 4G represents a newer generation of the platform.

• Integrated audio systems · 2000

  Kandy

  Roksan’s more accessible lifestyle-oriented audio line, spanning integrated amplifiers, power amplifiers, CD players, tuners and selected loudspeakers across several generations.

• Amplification and digital audio · 2012

  K3

  The successor to K2, with upgraded power supply arrangements and features such as Bluetooth aptX, DAC functionality and CD playback in related models.

• Premium electronics · 2015

  blak

  A higher-end electronics series featuring substantial dual-monoblock-inspired amplification, balanced inputs, Bluetooth, digital conversion and a high-performance phono stage.

• Streaming and integrated audio systems · 2021

  Attessa

  A coordinated modern system introduced with a turntable, amplifier, streaming amplifier and CD transport, combining Roksan’s analogue heritage with contemporary system connectivity.

• Loudspeakers · 1986

  Darius

  An early Roksan loudspeaker whose mechanically isolated tweeter and bass-unit concept helped establish the brand’s reputation for unconventional high-end engineering.

• 2016

  Acquisition by Monitor AudioM&A

  Background

  Roksan remained a recognized British specialist audio brand after its founder-led period.

  Action taken

  Monitor Audio acquired Roksan in November 2016.

  Aftermath

  Roksan continued operating as a distinct brand within Monitor Audio’s audio portfolio.

  Source

• 1996

  Acquisition by Verity plcM&A

  Background

  Roksan entered a period of ownership within a broader British hi-fi group.

  Action taken

  Verity plc acquired the company and held it alongside Mission, Wharfedale and Quad.

  Aftermath

  The founders later reacquired Roksan after Verity demerged and changed strategic focus.

  Source

• 1985

  Launch of the Xerxes turntableProduct launch

  Background

  Roksan was created around Touraj Moghaddam’s investigation of cartridge tracking, groove drag and turntable suspension.

  Action taken

  The company presented the Xerxes, using a distinctive belt-drive and support architecture rather than relying on a conventional sprung sub-chassis.

  Aftermath

  The product established Roksan as an innovative British specialist and became its best-known platform.

  Source

1. 1Roksanen.wikipedia.org