Origonal Roksan Xerses

[Last Perfect Day]

Hi
Its a post on the origonal Xerses that I read that led me to your forum - (Restoring a Roksan Xerxes (original)... Wow!), from 2016. The discussion was that restoring one is generally considered to be a worthwhile exercise, especially if you are the origonal owner. As always the main issues are the sagging cuttout on the top plinth, and the reliability of the motor.
I decided to begin restoration of my system (bought before year 2000), a few months ago. I have boxes of pristine LPs, life is now well settled, and I have the ideal settup in my house to install, where the system will be in one room, and the speakers in another providing good isolation.
After stripping and cleaning and re-aligning the Xerses, I noticed that my belt ran so close the the top of the inner platter that it jumped off. After long experimentation I had to accept that the top plinth was sagging sufficiently to cause this. My solution can be best explained by the attached photos, and I think offers a good degree of maintaining isolation. The results were better than hoped for, and the levels of all surfaces are satisfactorily complaint.
Any comments on re-introducing this issue?2309323094

[Pharos]

My concern would be that you are in essence disregarding the original design criterion of the 'flapping' decoupled board with the clamp and felt, thus changing decoupling and also resonance.

[hifi_dave]

It's not an ideal solution but the alternative is a non working turntable. The design was flawed to start off with.

[walpurgis]

It may work fine. But it's not what I'd do.

I'd be inclined to pull the board 'cut-out' back in position and slightly beyond perhaps and clamping it there. Then carefully using a hot air gun on the board's underside to try and reset it at the correct level.

[Last Perfect Day]

Hi
i have seen more ìnvasive` methods used, and as you say Hifi Dave, its better than leaving it, i would have had to shim up the motor or platter to redress the problem. Maybe there should have been reinforcing stringers, or another laminated layer to strengthen it. I still have to align the SMEIV and wait for my phone preamp to be fixed for a dead channel. Then hope that age hasent affected mt cartridge, but we will get there and back into the world of vinyl!

[Pete The Cat]

I recall that there was a US dealer called Gene Rubin who appreciated the Xerxes so much that he proposed a similar method to the OP's a few years back. The other alternative which I think Roksan themselves marketed was a shim to raise the platter.

There's now someone on eBay claiming to have a 10 day plinth sag restoration process. I'm no cabinet-maker but it does seem to me that it should be possible to gently reverse the sag thorough some sort of heat treatment.

I enjoyed my time with the Xerxes although I remember that setting it up (replacing blobs) was as fiddly as the LP12 in its own way. It does seem that the sag issue has dented its legacy but once set up it's up there with the best of its era IMHO.

Pete