Listen up, we’ve got some news! There’s a new Radius in town. After the phenomenal popularity of the 5.2, this is a most welcome turn of events! Roksan have become known for their high-quality hi-fi gear, spanning a multitude of disciplines: Everything from cartridges to CD players, with no slip of quality between them. They’re the rarest of the rare, the brand that manages to do everything as though it were a specialist in that particulalr thing. Its turntables are no different, if anything they rise above many of their competitors.
And with that, it’s my pleasure to draw your attention to: the Roksan Radius 7 Turntable!
Pretty, isn’t it? But trust me, this is far more than just a pretty face! This beautiful creature may look reminiscent of the Radius 5.2 (which replaced the 5.1, which replaced the 5, and so on!) but Roksan found it was so special and so revised that it deserved a whole new number: 7! They even felt the need to skip 6 altogether! That’s possibly due to this being the Radius in a long time. But hey, the best things are worth waiting for!
This one just comes in glass rather than acrylic (as did the previous Radius-es) and has a very pleasing green-glass appearance, which really caught our eye (as I’m sure it has for you!) when it was first released show at the Bristol 2016 show. As an aside, they also released the latest Kandi K3 range CD player (the Roksan Black there will probably be a blog about it soon, so stay tuned!) which is hot on its heels and makes for a pretty exciting time to be a Roksan fan!
What we like about the Radius is its tried and tested nature. Every new model has been an upgraded version of the one before it, with everything that works remaining the same.
First off, it’s made of glass. Machined glass. This both looks very cool, and adds to its overall performance. It also has an LED display to show the relevant platter speed (33rpm or 45rpm), adding to is ultra-modern presence. But what makes this turntable a different beast to its predecessor is its newly designed motor, complete with a highly accurate electronic speed selection. This makes for an incredibly accurate and beautiful sounding turntable which – when paired with the right phonostage – will do more than just impress you with its dashing good looks! We had our first taste of its sonic-prowess at the Bristol Hifi Show and now can’t wait to get our hands on it for a proper play!
The only thing that competes with it at this price point is the starting model of the Linn LP12. As much as we love the LP12 (and we really, really do!) its overall design is much much more traditional. The R7 is more like a piece of art! We know it’s probably not for everyone as a result of that, but those who it’s suited to will love it.