CASPIAN Amplifier and CD player

ROKSAN roll

" T3 verdict: Objects of Desire- 9 Out of 10"

There's no doubting that the best part of 1700 pounds is a lot of dosh for an amp and a CD player. I mean, once you've added a decent pair of speakers (and you have to spend a fair amount on speakers to make the most of this kind of system), a stand and cables, you're looking at close to two-and-a half grand for a hi-fi.

But there's also no doubting that when there's a ROKSAN label on the front of your hi-fi, you're getting what you pay for. This is a company that prides itself on producing top-notch gear - audio components that make your average midi system pale into insignificance.

And these two finely crafted boxes are no different from the top-end kit that came before them. just look at them and you know that you're looking at quality kit, and that's before you turn the things on and listen to what they're capable of. The brushed aluminium facias, the Allen bolts holding them together, the minimalist button layout, and the weight of presence that these small boxes have; this is not only serious hi-fi, but it's cool hi-fi. This is hi-fi that wouldn't look out of place in a particularly stylish person's house, in fact.

Perceived quality is also abundant when it comes to lifting the amp and player out of their boxes. these things are heavy. Really heavy, especially in the case of the amp, which features gold-plated connectors at the back and a power transformer the size of a very large doughnut. You're going to need a sturdy stand for this pair - none of your built-it-yourself wooden racks from Ikea here. You need a big, metal frame, and one that's got high level of isolation for each of the components.

As ever with a simple amp/CD system, connecting the Caspian boxes together is no more complicated that plugging in your interconnect and speaker cables. Even though the binding posts for the latter haven't been designed for banana plugs (in line with European legislation), it is possible to use banana-plugged wire; the holes in the posts are, funnily enough, exactly the right size to accept 4mm wires/plugs. This means that if you've got cable with soldered plugs you don't need to go through the effort of having them de-soldered - good news. Anyhow, five minutes and it's job done.

Turning the amp on and firing it up to play music is a two-tierd process. First there's the huge 'power on' rocker switch at the back of the machine which lets the mains flood in, and then there's the 'mode' button on the front which converts the amp from a control amp to an integrated amp (yes, ROKSAN intends to launch a power amp later this year, so you'll be able to use this integrated Caspian as a control amp with its matching power partner). Once the mode light changes from red to green, you select which input you'd like (from red to green, you select which input you'd like (from five, line-level and one tape loop) and, er, away you go.

No mater which source you're using (the Caspian CD player itself, a different CD player, a tuner or whatever), this is an amp which sounds quite superb.. there's a solidity to the sound which is rarely found in amps even at this kind of price; the bass is tremendously weighty without being bloated, and providing your speakers are up to it (we used a pair of Monitor Audios which cost in the region of 450 pounds), the presence that this amp can muster will fill any room, no matter how large.

The main problem with the amp is that it's so easy to play really, really loud. Unlike cheaper amps which start to strain at volume, therefore becoming wearing to listen to, the ROKSAN Caspian never becomes flustered. It just keeps on pouring out the music, perfectly clearly, supremely confidently, and so you just want to keep on turning the thing up towards its 70 watts per channel limit. Until the police arrive.

The CD player is also superb, though for an extra couple of hundred notes over the amp you'd expect it to be. It manages to scrape every last detail from your discs, and kicks out a signal that translates wonderfully through the Caspian amp. It's a quick, polished sound that comes from it, never slow or laborious, and it's all the more list enable for it. You can quite happily sit in front of this CD player and amp, immersing yourself in music for hours on end - that smile never leaves your face.

Each of the two components come complete with remotes, though, strangely, the styling of each is complete different (one's all round and curvy, the other completely rectangular). All of the functions of both the amp and the player can be accessed using these handsets, so you'll only have to get up off of your arse to change discs.

ROKSAN rally has produced a storming combination with this duo. The ROKSAN range as it stands now is excellent, so god only knows how good it it's going to be once the power amp and tuner are added alter in 1997. If you're in the market for a new hi-fi, this is a great place to start, though you are going to have to be bloody well off to afford the whole set-up. If you're already well into hi-fi, especially in the mid-range, and you're after upgrading, then this is a great place to turn (again, providing you've got the dosh). And if you've already a top-notch system, well, I'd suggest that you give the ROKSAN a listen and compare it to your current hi-fi. Suffice to say, however, that hi-fi rarely sounds as good as this. If you're loaded, it's got to be on the shopping list.