Is it still possible to buy counterweights for the original ARO? I have a vague recollection that it used to be possible to get a heavier-than-standard ARO counterweight).
It may be worth a call to your dealer, or a specialist (TomTom, Grahams or Cymbiosis, for example).
I faced three obstacles when installing the DV into ARO2 and one with the arm cable RCA’s into Superline.
First two. The counterweight/ spring bearing issue and the fact that the underside of the headshell was fouling the top inside cartridge pin (white) not allowing correct overhang/ node point alignment. Both issues were both negated by fitting three copper washers between headshell and cartridge.
Then there was the lack of pull on the stock anti skate magnet which was adequate for Equinox but not the DV. I sat a stronger disc magnet (bought off Amazon) on top of the stock one (as per previous posts) . I ran all mods by Jas Gould who liaised with R@D and they confirmed that all mods were fit for purpose.
The RCA plugs on the arm cable are another story. Let’s just say that I was glad to see the back of them and that BNC’s are all round better into Superline IMO. If you can find someone to fit them then just do it is my advice. Alternatively do like some other members have done and look at an improved arm cable from the likes of Lyra or Chord.
I really didn’t envisage these issues with the arm as it’s a first in my experience with Naim and it is a predominantly Roy George design. It’s definitely flawed IMO but not many owners are complaining about the way it sounds. Myself included. Just prepare yourself for a few bumps along the road if you own a Solstice and want to improve on the package.
With everything going on the world right now small issues like this are no big deal as far as I’m concerned.
I’m surprised that so many Solstice owners are apparently taking their own steps to ‘improve’ the TT, in a number of different ways.
It suggests that Naim and Clearaudio didn’t get the design quite right.
Yes, there are heavy counterweights for original Aro around. I use one with XX-2 Mk 2.
To be fair, this is a bad take. How many turntable owners in the history of higher-end turntables haven’t swapped cartridges? It’s a “thing” with turntables.
And yes, I know “sold as a package.”
That’s the real issue, not that a better/worse/different cartridge should have been chosen for the package.
It’s not hard to figure out why the “package” strategy was taken when Clearaudio and other makers of higher-end turntables actually do the opposite. With Clearaudio it’s a la carte; you pick your table, and your arm, and your cartridge . . . same with many many other turntable makers.
So why a “package?” Because it assured a certain financial return so long as they were all sold to dealers. The package pricing and ‘packaging’ obviously were highly attractive to Naim.
True Bart
But from what I’ve seen on this forum it’s not only the cartridge that had been replaced
Superline has also taken over in many instances that I’ve read
So yes it was pitched as a package , but was it value for money and SQ for the punters , that’s the overriding question
I think about it this way:
1- they needed MoQ’s for the phono-stage which, along with the cartridge, is the most replaceable part of the package. It wouldn’t have been a complete package without this – bearing in mind the product was more marketed as lifestyle IMHO (akin to the SMEs).
2- it sounds very good in package form per most reports, but in Naim-land, it’s obvious many would already have Superlines (ignore any words about the new phono-stage being close to/as good as a SL).
So, the package aspect narrowed the interested market quite a lot IMHO, certainly the switch from a good-spec LP12 was going to be expensive, the moreso if a SL was already being used and the dealer didn’t want to compensate/trade back the phono-stage. And then we get to the cartridge limitations. Ho hum.
Two questions for those that bought.
Is the cartridge a limitation that you didn’t know about before buying?
Are Naim going to service or sell replacement cartridges for the foreseeable future?
@Cohen1263 has placed a $9800 RRP cartridge on his $20,000 Solstice package.
No one should think that @Cohen1263 or anyone else thought they were getting a cartridge of that quality in this package. That’s just silly talk.
There is nothing “wrong” with the Equinox cartridge. Nor is there anything wrong with the supplied cables. If anyone is shocked that a certain percentage of hi fi owners want to ‘play with’ different cables or cartridges, they’ve not been in this hobby long. Coming from me who’s only been in it ~ 13 years. It’s just drama for people to talk about. “Slow news days” until the NC 300’s dominate discussion.
I’ve read a lot of phono stage reviews and the SuperLine is one of the best reviewed (for what that’s worth) phono stage at any price. I think this says more about the SuperLine than anything else.
Thank you for doing this Nigel!
110db posted this comparing the Superline and NVC TT, which I thought seemed pretty honest!
I’m sorry it’s not more positive. If I was a Solstice owner I’d take comfort from the fact that adding weight to the headshell isn’t hard. As the arm was presumably optimised for the weight of the Equinox, if I wanted to use a cartridge that weighted 6g less, I’d just add a 6g lead weight - like those used on alloy wheels. That would leave the counterweight at the same distance from the pivot, effective mass etc would remain the same and it should all work happily. Some of the design decisions do seem a bit potty, but it is what it is and there is a simple solution.
Jas Gould echoed Steve’s judgement when I first broached the subject. Both are good guys who I trust.
This argument that the cartridge can’t be changed because the solstice is a packaged system is nonsense.
The packaged system contains a phono stage that allows adjustment to accommodate a vast number of cartridges.
So the phono stage is flexible, but the arm isn’t.
Is your lp12 stock or have you “improved it”?
Yes
Yes
I think at least part of the rationale behind the NVC TT was to have a new phono stage. It seems to integrate with NSC222 and NAC332 pretty nicely, and adding the NPX300 gives the NVC a dedicated rail IIRC from a post from 110db. So I suspect it was designed to fit into the NC range in a way the Superline and Stageline won’t. More rationalisation. Maybe the NVC is the only phono stage Naim will produce going forward?
