I suppose that could mean that the heat sinks are working most efficiently. It would seem most odd to include such a feature for cosmetic reasons.
I was just relaying what Jason told me Dave. He was hypothesising to illustrate comparisons in quality. I have a Supercap on order.
Although it does allow a standardised case design and some products (present and future) may require extra heat dissipation - regulators on the power supplies, output devices on the power amps for example. It would be interesting to see an internal shot of the NPX to see whether they are used here.
I shouldn’t think anything is attached to the heat sinks in the phono amp, it’s just a box that is going to be used for many things going forward and its much cheaper to do it this way compared to making different boxes
That plus if you want to run different cartridge adjustments over what naim has set it for
Unlikely, unless the user is prepared to sacrifice the support from the third screw, since that’s not slotted. The slots must therefore be provided for those wishing to experiment with cartridges using the more normal two bolt mounting arrangement.
Look closely at the connector. Its not a 5 way DIN - it more than that…
Tried that already, wrote above before a few weeks…instead of SC, I’ve used my 552 PS…
In complete surprise the Solstice phono stage sound far better, I guess that about the synergy between the Solstice Package, IMHO.
In the meantime, and after a month of break in, The Solstice sound is quiet magic!
Planning in the near future to install my Linn Kandid, and than compare it (again) with the SL…
Switched already, right from the start the interconnect to Chord music with far better results…
It looks like you’re right - I’ve just spotted a photo of the internals at post #57 and it doesn’t look like anything is mounted on the heat sinks. It seems form no longer follows function, but cost instead!
Certainly for the NVC as the internal shot shows but the NPX (PSU) may make use of them. No internal shots of the NPX around yet unfortunately.
No not really, naim will have set it up using the 3rd bolt hole, so it’s easy to fit the cartridge and it is then fitted in the right place they want it to be and all will be the same, that’s fine and it makes sure that naim will get the same results form each deck, but it also sets the cartridge in that one set up, that will probably be fine for just about everyone as like I said this package is designed to be as much a plug and play turntable you can get.
But there is many different cartridge sets ups you can choose from and each has its own advantages and disadvantages, it all depends on what you like the sound best using and if you have old records or new, but to use these you will adjust the cartridge to suit and so the 3rd fixing hole is no longer used.
But this is all getting probably a bit to technical for what most will do and try, but the extra fixing hole is nice and used to guarantee placement for said cartridge for a certain ark, just like rega do as well.
Hi Dunc,
How is your Exquisite cart sounding now ? Better ?
I’d guess it’s for establishing a common new design across the range that will also accommodate hotter components. This also creates economies of scale in enclosure building
It’s got much better thanks.
But haven’t played any music for 8 days as been away working, maybe later tonight but the Christmas tree is now up and it gets in the way of the right speaker some what
Just a quick update on my Solstice ownership experience.
11 days in now and it sounds very different to how it did on day one.
Firstly it’s not completely a “plug and play” turntable. Jason Gould told me to do a few checks after the first week and I noticed that the VTA wasn’t perfect. Any owner setting the turntable up themselves should note that the manual omits to inform that a grub screw at the base and behind the uni pívot needs easing off prior to the adjusting the VTA sleeved cylinder.
It’s been a while since I owned a turntable with a platter mat so I forgot that the felt mat needs removing to get an accurate cartridge downforce reading. So after corrected my ignorant discrepancy and a little experimenting I feel that the Equinox’s optimum downforce is 2.3gm. It tracks beautifully and surface noise with spot on Azimuth on a level FRAIM is the lowest that I’ve experienced.
Unfortunately I can’t compare with another turntable but it has all the sonic strengths of my ND555 with that extra analogue magic with regard to timber and texture, sounding slightly less “processed” and more open during complex passages.
My new 808’s are being delivered early next week and although I’m still waiting for a Supercap DR my dealer is loaning me a Hicap to power a Superline. Once past the worst of the burn in I will post an update on how they sound over the Solstice phono stage.
Good call out on the VTA.
Having come from a very much plug and play non-VTA/azimuth Rega, coupled with failing eyesight - I resorted to removing the tonearm assembly before locating the grub screw.
This was after unwinding the VTA sleeve and pursuing the belief that it had to do something whilst gingerly winding in and out and the VTA doing nothing. Although I have say, the sheer amount of graduations on the sleeve appears to be somewhat exaggerated unless you want to play a flexi-disc.
With the lack of any real instruction in the user manual and the fact I’ve never had to deal with VTA/azimuth I resorted to a £10 Amazon purchase for a VTA gauge (whilst I now appreciate this isn’t totally necessary). To the uninitiated who has to resort to a Google search to set-up a £16k turntable……the inclusion of at least some pointers in the pack and even a gauge would have been most welcome.
With over 100hrs burn-in I’m addicted to playing vinyl more than ever. As others have said, it is so much nicer in the flesh and without being more verbose….the sound is stunning.
Only bugbear is the cue lift/lower which seems to lack the finesse of the rest of the package, especially given the sheer simplicity of it.
how can Naim omit the reference to a grub screw locking in the VTA adjustment in the manual?!! Imo, the Aro2 is NOT a plug and play tone arm and a more detailed instruction manual should be developed asap, Rant over,
I was wondering what that screw is for.
exactly…why do we have to wonder what the grub screw does? Provide a complete manual for the tonearm- is it too much to ask?
You will have noticed two screws Bart. It’s the one below the pívot not the one below the VTA adjuster.
Folks will have there own method to check VTA. With an average thickness LP on the platter I use a boat spirit level laid on its side in line with the arm and “sight” the top of the arm tube with the top of the level. It needed four 360 turns of VTA adjuster to bring it in line.