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Naim Solstice officially unveiled . . .

Thanks, sounds like an open day perhaps? If I go you can spot me as the one not wearing an anorak.

But you will be sweaty? :D Not sure what compels Mr. Superiority Complex to post way he does all the time, but I guess it's the anonymity of the Internet that encourages such bullish behaviour... wearing for us more normal folk however. If I was anywhere near Brighton I'd love to have a listen to the LP12/Solstice comparison.
 
Although I live in Brighton and Audio T are my dealer can't make it due to another arrangement.
John - Paul and Adrian are a great bunch and I am sure it will be a good day they are putting on.These guys love their music BTW and have black and white framed photos of Led Zeppelin in their hayday.In the store
Not that means anything but its good to see some passion.
Would love to hear the new Radikal 2 @ Exstatik on the Klimax LP12 though and the Solitice which I have seen in their store,but not heard.
I am sure it will all sound superb.No heavy sell just an event for customers.
 
I live in Brighton and know Audio-T well, I'd like to pop down but not sure if I know where my anorak is. Perhaps if I dig it out in time I'll make it down, suitably sweaty from the rush.
 
Thanks, sounds like an open day perhaps? If I go you can spot me as the one not wearing an anorak.

I think it's an alternative event to RSD or to celebrate RSD, anyway have a nice time and report back with your opinion on the 'battle of the TTs'
 
I need to pop to brighton actually to visit the tailors. Maybe i should pop in and listen to the solstice! I'm not one to provide an expert opinion ... haven't heard vinyl since 80s/90s on a bog standard all in one player at my parents.
 
I went to Audio-T’s open day (there from 12:45 to 13:45 approximately if any of the folk there at the time were fishies?).

Listened to a few A-B’d tracks from The Wall (PF), Friday Night in San Francisco (Dimeola, McGloughlin, Delucia), I am the Phoenix (Judi Tzuke) and Irish Tour ‘74 (Rory Gallagher).

Reasonably well level matched. On each occasion the Solstice was first up, followed by the full-fat LP12.

Both sounded good through the Naim amps/passive ATC 50s. I preferred the LP12. On the Solstice the mids were a little forward, the bass had slam but was also a little loose. The upper frequencies were slightly recessed. The LP12 had the same slam, but tighter. Mids seemed more natural, and the highs gave more air and finesse.

The Solstice was by no means poor, but if money wasn’t relevant, and if these were the only choices the Linn had it.

I’m even going to have to admit that I had to laugh at myself when I realised the Linn did elicit a bit more foot tapping!
 
I was there first thing in the morning and listened to a few tracks. I heard the Soltice first as it was playing when I arrived and instantly was very impressed with it. After listening to a few songs on both I felt the Linn just edged it for me, but maybe as an LP12 owner into Naim amp and ATC speakers, albeit at a much more modest level this is fairly predictable. It definitely wasn't a clear cut decision, both decks have their strengths and give a slightly different presentation to the other, rather than better or worse. Whilst overall on my brief listening, I would go for the Linn on some tracks I preferred the Naim presentation and I guess if you have the money and space then having both would be ideal. Goes off to buy a Euro Millions ticket.
 
It may sound better thean the LP12 but I just can’t get over the Ted Danson look.
Naim should have followed the Lenco or Continuum trick of making a tall platter look better.
You don’t have to show all of the platter. Submerge partly in the plinth like an iceberg.
 
Tricky situation for the Solstice as it’s unlikely tempt owners at from Linn on this showing. Obviously it is a little cheaper but doesn’t have the variety of 2nd hand options enjoyed by LP12 advocates.
 
Well it's always going to have that midrange bump as that's what naim sources have, that's the reason I moved away from them as its not a true presentation of the music.
But it can sound move alive and pushy compared to other systems and some people like that.
I would take the linn as its much more tuneable over the packaged naim and going forward I could see myself with a different phono stage, cartridge, etc on the naim
 
Tricky situation for the Solstice as it’s unlikely tempt owners at from Linn on this showing. Obviously it is a little cheaper but doesn’t have the variety of 2nd hand options enjoyed by LP12 advocates.

Important, perhaps, to note:

1. I effectively spent only around 25 minutes listening to each deck.
2. “Both were good” - perhaps I should have said “very good indeed”. I’d reserve “excellent” for the Linn, but these are small margins at this level.
3. As @Darren L noted the Naim is somewhat hamstrung if its cart is “just” a £1.1k affair. Stick a £5k cart on it and maybe things would be rather different.
4. On cost, there’s something of an overall disparity between £16k and £24k(?). If there’s a Sondeck package at the £16k price point again things might fall differently?
5. Unless I win the lottery (actually I did buy a ticket yesterday for the first time in years and haven’t checked) I’m not in the market for this price point. Much happier to mess about with two or three good decks for half the price of the Naim. Take from this that nowadays I see vinyl as the fun option, not a quest for ultimate SQ.
 
I was there first thing in the morning and listened to a few tracks. I heard the Soltice first as it was playing when I arrived and instantly was very impressed with it.

I think this is one of the dangers of short dealer dems.

I bought an RP10 blind as I wanted a no faff record player and the Rega got nothing but highly positive reviews. When I first played it I was so impressed I instantly decided I was keeping it and selling the LP12. However, on longer acquaintance I found that I wasn't enjoying records as much and I had two years of frustration trying to get it to sound satisfying. Moved back to a Linn and I'm happy again.

I'm not saying this is the exact situation here, I can't know that. The Salstice could genuinely be a great turntable, all I'm saying is that a short time at a dealer with it might not reflect what it's like to live with it. Back in the day, Naim amps were always the most impressive amps in the room. However, with hindsight, I think I would have enjoyed more satisfaction with Exposure or some other alternative instead of spending twenty years trying to 'fix' my Naim boxes with more boxes.
 


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