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Naim Solstice officially unveiled . . .

Lamborghini only made a few cars to start with, the 350 GT in 1963 and it has taken them years to become a serious competitor to the likes of Ferrari. The Miura arrived 3 years later in 1966 and again only a few were made which is why they go for so much money today. The Countach came along in 1974, so quite a considerable time after their first car, which is what you would expect for a new manufacturer to the marketplace. Real sales have only happened since Audi took over the company and more recently since the introduction of the Gallardo, Huracan and Aventador models...
 
G T Audio said:
I really don't think most audiophiles realise how much R&D has to go into a turntable to make it sound good. If they have done their job properly a large number of prototypes will have to have been made and evaluated to ensure the sound is as it should be. And do you really think a third party manufacturer will make something for another company that is better than what they make and sell themselves...
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Do we know how much R&D went into this, though? Or are you just assuming that it was sketched out on a cocktail napkin and handed to someone from Clearaudio with the instructions to "Make this work."? For all we know, they could have been working on this together for years.
 
gustav_errata said:
Do we know how much R&D went into this, though? Or are you just assuming that it was sketched out on a cocktail napkin and handed to someone from Clearaudio with the instructions to "Make this work."? For all we know, they could have been working on this together for years.
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Depends if you think the venture capital company that owns Naim would be that patient...
 
With no gimbal/gyroscope option this is going to be useless on my yacht.

Many here assume it has to be a great sounding deck, plus all those who sold it out already sight unheard, I remember the pre-digital days when Sotas and big VPIs ruled to roost (at least in the USA) and while I had never heard vinyl sound coming from such a striking black background I had also never heard vinyl sound emanating from such a dead pool. I seriously thought the TTs were running slow and wanted the dealer to check it, which they scoffed at. The humbler Sondeks of the time slew those decks seven ways to Sunday, for me anyway.

Simply assuming the Naim must be/will be a great deck based on Naim's rep, investment banker big-boy-with-big-toys looks (the real decision behind the tall platter) and high price, is a really big mistake, but few in the hifi world buy with their ears. BTW if anyone hasn't heard a full blown expertly tweaked current Sondek is missing a terrifyingly good TT. Has all the digital era qualities we now expect from replay but keeps the old LP12 light-footedness and vim. Not saying the Naim can't be better or great on its own, but if I was an architect/intereior designer recommending for my client on looks I'd get a Gyrodeck, if a rich audiophile buying on sound I get a modern Linn, if I just wanted to spin some records in 2021 whatever my income I'd grab a Technics SL-1200. What I've learned never to do is praise or buy any hifi kit sight unheard or even well reviewed (which the Naim isn't even yet). My three cents.
 
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One thing that is kind of interesting is, according to Ken Micallef’s review in this month’s Stereophile, Naim/Focal are the US distributors of the new direct drive Thorens TD-124DD, which is within the same ballpark price-wise $11499 with arm, but without cartridge or phono stage (the matching SPU cart is $2899).
 
Tony L said:
One thing that is kind of interesting is, according to Ken Micallef’s review in this month’s Stereophile, Naim/Focal are the US distributors of the new direct drive Thorens TD-124DD, which is within the same ballpark price-wise $1149 with arm, but without cartridge or phono stage (the matching SPU cart is $2899).
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EDIT: $11,499.00
or $14,000, including Thorens SPU TD 124 Phono Cartridge, TP 124 Tonearm, Piano Black Plinth, Custom Flight Case and Signed Certificate of Authenticity
 
Sorry, yes, I mistyped leaving a digit off! Now fixed.

According to the review the flight-case and SPU issue has been dropped in America (no idea about other markets).

PS It was a purely subjective review, which as someone who knows every single nut, bolt, washer, bearing bushing and circlip in a real TD-124 on a first name basis was a little disappointing. I’d have really liked to see some constructional detail.
 
Bad Parameter said:
Flight-case? Are people heading out to Ibiza to DJ with these things? :D
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Seems to be fairly standard with high-end audio these days, pay over £LOL and you get one. First time I saw it was back in the ‘90s with the NAP500. I’ve seen cartridges in little ones!

PS I’m exactly the type of vintage collector geek who wants original packaging, but only for safe storage and transit. A well designed double-wall cardboard box and styrofoam is all I want. I’d be pissed paying extra for a flightcase!
 
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Tony L said:
Seems to be fairly standard with high-end audio these days, pay over £LOL and you get one. First time I saw it was back in the ‘90s with the NAP500. I’ve seen cartridges in little ones!

PS I’m exactly the type of vintage collector geek who wants original packaging, but only for safe storage and transit. A well designed double-wall cardboard box and styrofoam is all I want though. I’d be pissed paying extra for a flightcase!
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I always thought they did it to help them justify the price and for the customer to feel better about paying it. Trouble is once you've unpacked it, you've still got to house a flight case or get very imaginative with the re-cycling bins.
 
G T Audio said:
Depends if you think the venture capital company that owns Naim would be that patient...
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With respect and I know, Graham, you are a serious designer and manufacturer, I have a hard time imagining that the values of Naim would have so quickly evaporated after Julian's death and the inevitable merger with Focal, that they would have simply "banged this off" without some serious testing and design implementation. It doesn't fit the corporate profile and there is a lot to be said for "inertia", i.e. the nature and culture of a company, even after trading hands, remaining true to its roots.

This must have been a few years worth of design and implementation.
 
Re: flight cases, the Technics sl1000r I helped unpack had a bespoke ply case. The owners put a glass top on it and it sits as coffee table:)
 
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yuckyamson said:
With respect and I know, Graham, you are a serious designer and manufacturer, I have a hard time imagining that the values of Naim would have so quickly evaporated after Julian's death and the inevitable merger with Focal, that they would have simply "banged this off" without some serious testing and design implementation. It doesn't fit the corporate profile and there is a lot to be said for "inertia", i.e. the nature and culture of a company, even after trading hands, remaining true to its roots.

This must have been a few years worth of design and implementation.
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Lets hope so...
 
...it’s not a thing of beauty or an icon of aesthetic design. The Technics SL and Linn LP12 looking far more pretty and stylish. I’m in awe of its sheer presence though, and don’t doubt for a second that it’s reproduction will be very special; it seems to exude that statement of intent!
 
JoeJoe said:
I’m in awe of its sheer presence though, and don’t doubt for a second that it’s reproduction will be very special; it seems to exude that statement of intent!
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And what about other well established turntable brands like TW Acustic for example, that have been making turntables significantly better than this Naim for many many years?
 
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