New from Naim – Solstice Special Edition turntable

Checking on Pre-Loved Naim at a well known St Albans dealer, I noticed that they had a ‘brand new’ Solstice available, in their Ex-Dem area … :astonished:

Gander probably.

Blu tak will add a downward force (as dictated by gravity), anti-skating needs a lateral force (usually magnetic or springs, but sometimes by more complex revectoring of gravity, for example, thread+mass).

It would be great if the Nait 50 could accommodate MC cartridges, but that’s not so. Peter Swain (Cymbiosis) has suggested to me that I buy an Audio Technica MM, the 760SLC.

I have accepted that advice, and I hope to be able to report on it in due course.

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They have previously stated the interior of a box that also contains a PSU is too noisy for a MC stage.

Hence you could fit one in a dedicated preamp, but not in an integrated. The kit to fit one in the NAIT3 I think included a dedicated shielding kit… which suggests that they could fit them with adequate shielding! But IIUC even then they recommended against it. Sorry to ask @Richard.Dane - do I have that piece of Naim lore correct?

My post was less…serious…in intent.

( I have neither Solstice nor Nait50, btw. No dog in this. )

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It was a lighthearted comment, however, the tiny bit of blu-tak was to add a bit of extra weight to the hanging bias weight - I found a combination of a really tiny bit and a tiny nut on top of the existing weight was just enough for the SPU when used with the extra heavy counterweight on the ARO…

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Could you name any of these dissatisfied customers? Most of the people who seem dissatisfied do not own a Solstice.

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That really isn’t much different to what I did to the ARO2 with XV1t by adding a stronger magnet Richard. The haters are getting all hot under the collar :smile: but the three mods that I did were all fairly simple to do. I just wanted folks to be prepared for some fettling if they want to change the original package. I have my Solstice sounding fantastic now.

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…oops…I had the impression that the ARO 2 used magnets.

It does. It uses a different method to the original ARO to achieve anti skating (anti inertia). It was hardly difficult to add the stronger disc magnet to the existing one. The pic also shows the concave side of the counterweight.

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Yes, I was referring to the original ARO which used a fishing line and weight for the ant-skate bias.

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Well, I’m feeling better about the world now for knowing that the cord used to attach the little bias weight is made from fishing line!

With both archery and fishing tackle being used in my two tonearms, I now feel like the squire of the manor!

I might have to load up the old Purdey, and shoot any yokels whom I see trespassing on the grounds of the manor.

I stand corrected!

But this thread certainly gives the impression of quite a few unsatisfied customers and to be frank from reading possibly a quarter of this thread this morning - time I will never get back! it seems a bit of a fiasco to me.

It also reinforces my long-held belief that there are members here that seem to exhibit a form of Stockholm syndrome when it comes Naim.

.sjb

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Simple question at say1,500 hours can’t the cartridges be removed and sent back for rebuild/tip as with Dynavector?

Dynavector don’t rebuild or retip cartridges. They provide the lucky user with a brand new one with a 40% (?) discount on the usual sale price. I have no idea if any parts of the original are re-used in any way.

(I have re-done this with Dynavector at least twice.)

I can only speak for the XV1t but John and Peter at Pear tell me that the cartridges that are well looked after are lasting on average 7 years.

I am running an MC cartridge directly into the Nait50……. Albeit a High output
MC [/Pedant mode] :grinning:

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That is what I find frustrating John! Reading the thread gives the impression of unhappy customers (and probably drives down resale value) when, in fact it is a minor issue that actual owners are not making a big deal of.

Strange how this solstice is set up with the weight further away from the arm pivot, than shown in your photo.