Atessa Streaming Amplifier Review
Roksan is an English Hi-Fi electronics brand that has been around for about forty years. Now part of the British Monitor Audio group, it offers a product range focusing on the essentials. The Attessa Streaming Amplifier model is an excellent example of this. This connected amplifier carries on the brand’s philosophy in the world of audio streaming.
by Alban Amouroux
A decisively modern-looking device
Over the generations, Roksan has always released products whose design stands out from the crowd. Generally quite flat, the brand’s devices never look like those of the competition. This is certainly true of this Attessa integrated amp. Moreover, from the outset, Roksan has always had one or more CD players in its catalog. There is currently one model in the Attessa range, completed by a third reference, which is an integrated amplifier without the streaming section.
The style is therefore original, modern, and angular. The front panel is beveled on the lower edges to give the whole unit a bit of lightness. The connected Attessa amplifier is available in black or silver. In both cases, the lettering is discreet, featuring only the full-spelled logo on the front.
A slim black horizontal shiny strip runs across this front panel. It’s interrupted in the middle by the volume knob, which also functions as a source selector when you press it while turning. This component has been meticulously crafted, and the materials used were chosen to give it a luxurious appearance. It’s substantial, pleasant to operate, and offers a certain level of resistance.
To the left of the volume knob are four buttons and a small screen. The first button, always backlit, is for powering on. Next to it are three “transport” keys: play/pause, previous, and next. The orange backlit OLED screen displays the logo of the currently playing source, along with the few available settings. To the right of the volume knob are thin, vertically backlit bars. Their number permanently indicates the volume level. Once again, it’s quite an original and well-thought-out touch.
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In-house Class AB amplification
The amplifier is fairly heavy, weighing in at 10 kg on the scale. Part of the reason is the large toroidal transformer occupying a good portion behind the front panel. It directly powers the main central circuit board, on which four 6800 µF capacitors are mounted. The Class AB amplification was developed by Roksan, which created a specific platform called Euphoria. The preamplifier section operates exclusively in the analog domain. This is therefore a classic design, revisited with modern technology and expertise by Roksan’s engineers.
The Attessa Streaming Amplifier delivers 2 x 80 watts RMS into 8 ohms. This board is attached directly to a large heatsink that’s almost as deep as the amplifier’s chassis. There is an opening in the lower part of the chassis as well as in the top cover. Air can thus circulate freely around the heatsink. The analog and digital boards are separated. Above the digital board is the network board, developed in collaboration with BluOS. The Attessa Streaming Amplifier has the same networking features as other BluOS devices from brands such as Bluesound, NAD, Dali, or Monitor Audio.
A sufficient set of connections, lacking only HDMI
The back panel of the Roksan Attessa Streaming Amplifier is divided into three sections. On the left, you’ll find conventional speaker terminals, which accept banana plugs once the small caps are removed. The analog section comes next, with three RCA inputs and one pre-out. This pre-out can also power a subwoofer. The digital section includes four inputs using the internal 192 kHz/24-bit DAC and MQA. This is also where you’ll find the network connector for audio streaming. The unit also features two USB ports for plugging in a flash drive containing a music file collection. Just below, the 12 V trigger and IR port can be useful for an integrated and advanced system. Finally, the round cutout in the chassis on the right simply conceals the Bluetooth antenna.
This setup is fairly standard. It supports up to seven external sources, plus network and Bluetooth. Note that the first RCA input is dedicated to a turntable. It’s paired with a grounding post for turntables with an MM cartridge. On the other hand—and this is a little unfortunate—there’s no HDMI ARC input to be found. It’s really the only thing missing on this integrated amp, given that such a port has practically become standard nowadays. You will find it on the higher-end Caspian connected amp, which is more powerful but also twice as expensive.
Two mobile apps for full control
To get the most out of the Attessa’s connected features, you’ll need a control app on your smartphone or tablet. First, there is the MaestroUnite app, shared by Roksan and Monitor Audio. It’s relatively new, and its purpose is to set up certain products from these two brands. In the Attessa’s case, it connects the amplifier to the Wi-Fi network and provides access to certain settings.
For instance, you can manage the auto-standby function, adjust the sensitivity of the analog inputs as well as that of the front headphone output. You can also change the icons for the various inputs. Two additional settings are available via the front display and remote control: selecting one analog input in bypass mode for a home theater system, and switching off the internal amplification for use in preamp mode.
However, there are no audio adjustments—neither in the MaestroUnite app nor in the BluOS app. The latter controls the amplifier over the network and gives access to streaming music or locally stored music. The functions of this app are already well known, supporting Hi-Res playback via Qobuz and Tidal, the ability to create playlists, access web radios, and so on. But all sound tweaks—including subwoofer crossover management—are not provided with the Attessa. Aside from a balance setting, no personalization is possible. So you’ll need to choose your amplifier, speakers, and room synergy carefully.
Listening to the Roksan Attessa Streaming Amplifier
The Attessa Streaming Amplifier delivers a velvety performance. It’s clearly a gentle-sounding device, which doesn’t mean it’s weak. On the contrary, the bass is dynamic and tightly controlled. The sound comes across as muffled in a good sense, as if our room were slightly more damped than usual. The upper bass/lower midrange is well explored, which benefits bass guitars, double basses, and low-pitched voices by adding a slight extra roundness.
In our setup with Dynaudio Special Forty speakers, the sound is both engaging and relaxing, encouraging hours of uninterrupted music. There’s a subtle liveliness in the treble that can occasionally push that range slightly forward on mid-quality recordings. We’re not entirely sure pairing this amp with extremely bright speakers would be ideal, especially since there’s no tone control on the Attessa, let alone automatic calibration. Finally, the soundstage is nicely delineated, stable, and full between the two speakers, without making them stand out too much. Overall, Roksan’s offering is convincing.
Specifications
- 1) Type: Hi-Fi streaming amplifier
- 2) Power: 2x 80 W into 8 Ohms, Class AB amplification
- 3) Signal-to-noise ratio: >80 dB (at 1 W/8 Ohms)
- 4) Channel separation: >75 dB (at 10 kHz)
- 5) Frequency response: 5 Hz – 50 kHz (-3 dB)
- 6) Integrated DAC: 24-bit/192 kHz, MQA
- 7) Inputs: 3x RCA analog (1x phono), 4x digital (2x coaxial, 2x optical), Bluetooth, 2x USB ports, IR
- 8) Outputs: 2 speaker terminals, stereo pre-out, 3.5 mm headphone jack, 12 V trigger
- 9) Networking: Ethernet/WiFi, BluOS, AirPlay 2, Roon
- 10) Dimensions & Weight: 432 x 16 x 373 mm, 10.4 kg
In summary
Roksan brings its own take on a BluOS-powered integrated amplifier. On paper, it’s the equivalent of a Bluesound Powernode or a NAD C700 V2, both also running BluOS. Unlike those two examples, Roksan opted for the traditional Hi-Fi format for the Attessa Streaming Amplifier, whose design we find quite successful. The robust Class AB amplification also opens the door to a different kind of sound. The result is pleasing, but you’ll need to carefully match it with the right speakers since the unit has no audio adjustments. You either like it or you don’t: the Roksan Attessa amp, you take it as it is.
Roksan Attessa Streaming Amplifier | Deep Unboxing
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