New from Naim – Solstice Special Edition turntable

Anyone who is an avid cyclist knows just how bad it is. I have issues getting replacement parts (chains, tires, etc) for my bikes, and getting new bikes is challenging. I’ve ordered a new hand-built custom bike. The frameset won’t be finished until 1st qtr 2022, but I’m still hoping all the other parts can be acquired by then, and worried about snags/delays in that regard.

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So, if Naim do decide to manufacture and sell more Solstice’s TTs as either a complete package, like the 500 for the Special Edition, or as stand alone components I guess that these will be not be on the market until well into next year. But, there again I may well be wrong.

Richard

…perhaps with the potential upside that by then the dealers will have had chance to conduct and report on comparables with things like using a Superline and/or other potential cartridge choices?

Indeed, a royal mess with bikes. I took delivery or my new one weeks before covid hit and bought the new Naim system in last autumn before it got really bad with the supply, so I am feeling very pleased with myself :wink:

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I’m a huge fan amd started seeing them live in 1996. From the [Tool (band) - Wikipedia](https://Tool wiki page):
“In 1997, Tool named King Crimson, Melvins and Peter Gabriel’s Passion as common influences on its development. In describing their wide range of styles, critics have noted that they are “influenced as much by Pink Floyd as by the Sex Pistols.” In a 1993 interview, Adam Jones mentioned Joni Mitchell, King Crimson, Depeche Mode, and country music as being among their inspirations. In 1997, Maynard James Keenan named Hejira by Joni Mitchell, Holy Money/Greed by Swans, Physical Graffiti by Led Zeppelin, Red by King Crimson, and Passion by Peter Gabriel as his five favorite records.”

I don’t have much KC experience, but I’ll surely be spinning Tool on my SSE whenever it arrives.

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10 posts were merged into an existing topic: My bike and what is planned for it

Fair enough. I am more of a casual listener if I want to hear something heavy. I would be interested to know what you think sounds like floyd from them, genuinely. Their recordings a very good, but I find I need to really be in the mood.

My plan for later today is to dig out of the mover boxes a few of my 1970’s vintage lp’s to play on the Solstice. Thus far I’ve only played a few very new “audiophile” pressings. Much more reminiscint of the ND555 presentation (I’ve been playing digital files too) than I recall the Rega being.

What I do remember about the Rega P10 is what I wrote here some months ago – as enjoyable as the ND555 digital playback but the ‘background is not as inky black.’ By that I mean for example when I play The Wall on the ND555, the background is SILENT. What I call “black.” Not just devoid of clicks or pops, but just silent. Hard to express in words.

On the P10 it was just a little less silent; more of a “gray.” Could have been surface noise but I don’t think so. For something like The Wall, with all those little bits of little sounds they put in there, coming out of that blackness, is really something. (Maybe more hi fi than music but it’s very enjoyable to hear.) Let’s see how my nice 1970’s pressing sounds.

Will report.

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Maybe I don’t tell the truth, but I think that digital will be always more silent, even if the turntable is the Techdas Air Force zero.

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I remember my Rega RB300 sounded grey compared to Naim digital, an Aro didn’t. I’d have hoped that an RB2000 wouldn’t have this character at its price point, or is it another shade.

Tool is more a cross b/t Black Sabbath and Pink Floyd. But try these songs “Reflection > Triad” (album Lateralus), “Third Eye” and “H.” (album Aenima), or “Rosetta Stoned” and “Wings for Marie > 10,000 Days” (album 10,000 Days).

Maynards vocals can be ruckus (think “Be careful with that axe, Eugene”). Tool is actually quite psychedelic, and the music & lyrics are infused with the Fibonacci sequence, among a lot of other cerebral elements of life & being. If you can get past the stereotypical Tool fanbase, Tool is rather incredible. The lead singer is wildly intelligent, a successful business man (he launched a vineyard in the desert of Arizona) and has 3 successful, concurrent bands.

If you can stream to a television with excellent audio, spend 9 minutes and watch this video of their drummer Danny Carey play “Pneuma”. I promise you will not regret it. This song is off their latest album Fear Inoculum.

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In trying to describe Tool to someone who’d never heard them, I suggested he think of a cross between Crimson and Metallica, I wasn’t thinking of Moonchild. Never thought of Floyd as a comparison.

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Maybe @Richard.Dane could open again the “any peloton bike user thread?” for you guys. :grin:

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Yes, please let’s keep this thread focussed on the Solstice turntable. By all means please do start a new thread in the Padded Cell regarding bike parts if you wish to continue the discussion. I’ll then pass over the relevant posts from here.

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Probably shades…we all hear and then describe things differently enough. And there are arms and cartridges and, and and . . .

With the extended production delay maybe a Peloton discussion will be less painful :shushing_face:

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Yup….sorry about the diversion. I’m only supposed to have one expensive hobby, and I have two (at least).

My Peloton is getting plenty of “where is my Solstice” frustration. I really hammered it last weekend especially! :relieved::blush::joy:

…I do love it though. Dennis Morton, Christine D’Ercole, Matt Wilpers….my top3 instructors. I WISH I was as cool as Dennis Morton :sunglasses:

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Did they gave you an approximate date of delivery, at least?

Indeed, Danny begins to take the song into another gear near the 6 min mark and then further still with all four limbs playing to his freakish polymath ability with incredible propulsion around the 8 min mark and on. This song would be simply amazing to hear on the Solstice! Tool better get to issuing Fear Inoculum on vinyl ASAP! I can only imagine how well rendered his struck notes would sound with the Equinox/Aro 2 combo grooving through the spiral.

As it stands now, I’ll have to settle for “spiraling IN” with Lateralus once this new Naim beauty is on my rack.

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