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Naim Solstice officially unveiled . . .

I think some people are underestimating Guy Lamotte's pedigree in arms and turntables. Clearaudio are clearly the manufacturing partner in this pairing and Naim have used their capability in production, not referenced their books of previous designs for a quick quasi off the shelf win.
 
Looks like a nice turntable.Simple and elegant design.Sure it will be as decent as anything around that price level. Certainly exciting for Naim devotees.
 
I wouldn't/couldn't spend £16K on a turntable and certainly not without an in-person demo, but given it includes everything to hook it up to an amp, including a cartridge I was surprised it didn't cost more, given we also know the LP12 Klimax is priced "from £18,870."
 
Fwiw I was shocked when I read the price that it was that low. I had figured based in marketing and the description it was going to be $40-50k, which is by no means a value judgment on what I think is "worth it", I'm not saying that. It's just about expectation.

They're including a boron cantelevered mc cartridge, arguably min. $3k in our typical landscape, the modern day aro wouldnt sell for less than $4-5k, the phono section has to be worth at least $2.5k, and that's being conservative, and a power supply... Well
.. Come on. The table itself has maglev, looks quite robust and has a high mass design which never comes cheap.

Don't get me wrong. I feel that naim prices across the board have all creeped up so high that it's a tough recommend today when taking into account vfm. But relative to their line and also competitive products this is really quite reasonable.

What would an amg viella with 9t and, say, ortofon cadenza black AND a MC phono section of high quality run these days?

Klimax lp12 with radical urika and kandid? I think thats closer to 30k.

The only other comp would be a p10 aphelion with aria which is likely, what, $12-13k total and that's from the budget Champs.

I havent heard this. Jealous of Mr. Sircom who has but I'm very impressed. What an effort. Pretty cool that hell froze over on the longest day of the year.
 
That big chunky platter looks odd aesthetically; it looks nicer from the overhead view. Pricewise, it's competitive given that it incudes the arm, cart & phono stage.
 
yuckyamson said:
Klimax lp12 with radical urika and kandid? I think thats closer to 30k.
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I think the Klimax LP12 includes everything, so the Solstice has been priced just below it

I keep going back to the pictures on page 1. It's really not growing on me. We have been inured over the years by that LP12 look....
 
RJohan said:
Maybe Tony was an early adaptor of heavy 200 g records ;)
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I think it is just luck of the draw. Mine was a very early one bought just after the HiFi Review rave, all black, Mk I PSU (which blew up). I only had an RB300 too, so a light arm. Some folk seem to have had no issues at all, though enough of us did that the original Xerxes is a hi-fi meme! I suspect much depends on the quality and maybe grain direction of the top wood veneer as MDF has little if any long-term structural integrity so it will be that holding it up to a large degree. It was a ridiculous design error whichever way you look at it.
 
I’d order one save for the fact that the platter would interfere with the bottom of my tv screen. Mrs Tutu would be most upset when she’s watching Bake-Off.

It’s an exciting time and I for one cannot wait to see or hear one. If it’s the beginning of a wider analogue range, then bring it on!
 
Tony L said:
I think it is just luck of the draw. Mine was a very early one bought just after the HiFi Review rave, all black, Mk I PSU (which blew up). I only had an RB300 too, so a light arm. Some folk seem to have had no issues at all, though enough of us did that the original Xerxes is a hi-fi meme! I suspect much depends on the quality and maybe grain direction of the top wood veneer as MDF has little if any long-term structural integrity so it will be that holding it up to a large degree. It was a ridiculous design error whichever way you look at it.
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So why was Touraj regarded as such a great turntable designer?
 
Bob Edwards said:
So why was Touraj regarded as such a great turntable designer?
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No idea. The original xerxes was the one turntable that I couldn't get rid of quick enough. I felt sorry for the person that bought it from me tbh. It was definitely a budget deck at a top-end price.
 
Bob Edwards said:
So why was Touraj regarded as such a great turntable designer?
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I don't know how he is regarded but putting out a turntable that was new, cheaper and sounded better than an LP12 (to my ears) was an achievement; and I've personally been pleased with its longevity too.

Tim
 
When I read posts that are very overly critical of very expensive audio equipment, I sometimes wonder about motivation.

Most here seem to object to high prices in general, and that's fine. There are some very valid reasons for being skeptical. We all have different views on what constitutes good value for money.

For some, the pricing of luxury goods presents a moral issue. I have no problem with that, as long as the critics are consistent (e.g., Naim shouldn't produce an expensive TT, but neither should Linn, SME, and so on). For others, the criticism seems more of a knee-jerk reaction. Naim clearly remains a popular target for some here.

Strictly as a thought exercise, I do wonder at what point the purchase of a $20K TT becomes (for lack of a better word) ordinary. I wonder what income (for younger audiophiles) or net worth (for older audiophiles) would position such a purchase as affordable or perhaps even routine.

I am glad to see Naim continuing to find ways to survive. Anything that keeps them and their distributors in business is a good thing for those of us who need service from time to time. Personally, am all set for decks right now, and have little interest in purchasing the Solstice package. But I am curious about Naim's new direction for phono stages (e.g., how they compare to the Superline with different PS's), and I am also curious whether or not the new ARO could work on my TD-124 Mk 1. Was leaning towards a GrooveMaster II as a modern tonearm alternative to my Ortofon RMG-212.

Always fun to dream!
 
david ellwood said:
Naim enthusiasts have been asking for a turntable for forty years, and begging for the Aro to go back into production since it was discontinued over ten years ago.

Naim finally giving their customers what they’ve been begging for after decades is somehow a ‘cash grab’?
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Isn't every business out there to 'cash grab'? Or just make a profit. Same thing surely?
 
Why does a new product launch gets over 14 pages of discussion here. Just because it’s by Naim?
I doubt a new turntable by Avid, Clearaudio, SME or any other brand that offers models at a similar price point would create so many comments & opinions.
£16k all in isn’t ultra high end, compared to carts or phono stages which alone can easily cost a quarter or third of that.
What is it about Naim that pushes so many buttons?
I used to own Linn & Naim gear, I’m still very familiar with their low-mid product range & as an example think the Uniti range of stuff is great.
Long story short, a company has launched a mid-high end ( in the grand scheme of things) turntable package. I’d love to hear it, but I doubt I will, though my guess is that it will be superb.
So what am I missing?
 
Hook said:
I am also curious whether or not the new ARO could work on my TD-124 Mk 1
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Looking at the top-down picture of the deck in the trade announcements I have a feeling the new Aro might be a 10” arm. That’s a very awkward length for a 124 as it can foul the chassis edge under the armboard depending on design (e.g. you can get away with a Rega). 9” is fine, 12” fine, but 10” can be an issue. It depends what hangs down beneath. An original Aro would likely work fine if you were able to drill the armboard for the connection plug etc.
 
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