And now for something completely different: The Roksan
Oxygene integrated amplifier. It does not look anything like any integrated
amplifier I have ever seen. In fact I am sure that most people who eyeball this
component for the first time with no prior information on it could well have a
hard time identifying what the dickens it really is.
The Roksan Oxygene
integrated amplifier
It is obvious that Roksan started the process of designing
its Oxygene range of products with a blank sheet and with the determination not
to be bound by any of the preconceived notions of what an integrated amplifier
should look like and how it should be operated. The design is the brainchild of
Danish designer Bo Christensen who founded Primare and later BOW Technologies.
This is a gutsy and pretty ambitious move on Roksan’s part and I might add, a
bit risky as well. This goes well beyond an attempt to be different. Rather it
seems to be a daring attempt to redefine a category and drag the integrated
amplifier into the 21st century. It is obvious that one of the design goals was
to make the Oxygene range extremely simple, perhaps even over the top simple.
As Albert Einstein famously said “Make everything as simple as possible, but
not simpler.” I am sure that many consumers taking a first gander at the
Oxygene integrated amplifier ($6,000) for the first time will conclude that its
design would qualify as being ‘simpler’ as defined by Einstein in this notable
quote. The first unwritten rule of audio that Roksan broke is the one that
requires integrated amplifiers to have buttons and a volume knob. There are
absolutely no buttons and no volume knob; you read that right, zero, zilch,
zip, nada! This has obviously given the component a very sleek and elegant look
but it can be quite disconcerting for a traditional audio enthusiast to
operate, at least for the first few days of use. The cover of the Oxygene is
CNC machined out of a 2.5 inch high grade aluminium block with a dot matrix
display and piezoelectricity touch sensitive controls. You have a choice of
getting this component in white, black or silver. The top of the box has the
words “Less is More” emblazoned on it. This script doubles up as the volume and
function controls in that the word ‘More’ can be touched lightly to increase
the volume, the word ‘Less’ to decrease the volume and the word ‘is’ allows you
to cycle through the various inputs on the integrated amplifier. The touch
controls are very sensitive and require just a light tap.
The front of the
component has an elegant perforated grill behind which are positioned bright
white LEDs that spell out the relevant status that the gear is in
The front of the component has an elegant perforated grill
behind which are positioned bright white LEDs that spell out the relevant
status that the gear is in. This design means that the Oxygene integrated amp
cannot have other components stacked on top of it. It can however be stacked on
top of the matching Roksan CD player and other components from this line coming
later this fall. I am guessing that this too was done on purpose, with the
designer intending to let the top of this component be admired by your eyes as
much as it is enjoyed by your ears. The feet of the integrated amp are milled
through allowing you to mount it to a desk, a wall, a deck on a boat, or... a
ceiling in a frat house.
Those looking to make a statement with their music system
will definitely want to take a look at the Roksan custom art finishes, which
command a $1,500 premium, but look absolutely stunning. The custom art finishes
cover the entire top of the amplifier with a beautiful piece of art. Google
“Roksan Oxygene custom” to see some of the available finishes or contact the
Roksan distributor Rutherford Audio as listed at the end of this review for
exact details and availability
In keeping with its maverick design approach, the Oxygene
adopts the Class D amplifier design. It can deliver 75 watts of power into each
of its two channels at 8 Ohms impedance. This doubles to 150 watts per channel
when driving a 4 Ohm load. This level of power should be more than adequate for
most applications provided the speakers it is driving have reasonably good
sensitivity and provided the user does not listen to music at window rattling
level all the time.
The remote continues with the ultra simple theme with
controls for only the very basic functions of the component. They include the
volume control, input selection and dimming/brightening of the intensity of the
LED display on the front panel, which is a useful feature especially if you
like listening to music in a darkened room.
The back of this integrated amplifier has connections that
include stereo inputs for three analog RCA sources, left and right speaker
outputs and two line level outputs to feed active subwoofers. The Oxygene
offers a total harmonic distortion of less than 0.1%, a signal to noise ratio
of 95 dB and input impedance of 10 kOhms. This seven-kilogram beauty has vital
statistics of 31 X 31 X 6 centimeters. One of the aspects of the Oxygene that
should appeal to the younger generation of music lovers is its Bluetooth capability,
which is quite extraordinary and which supports 16 reception channels that
allow wireless connections to multiple devices. The typical modern home has
quite a few Bluetooth music playback devices and with its multiple channels the
Oxygene will probably never run out of channels to not only accommodate
multiple Bluetooth devices but also memorize each one’s unique connection to
this integrated amplifier.
The back of this
integrated amplifier has connections that include stereo inputs for three analog
RCA sources, left and right speaker outputs and two line level outputs to feed
active subwoofers
