However - it still has a way to go to match all the LP12 upgrades ha 
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G- to be fair, it was not promoted in this way. There were some ‘weasel words’ around the quality of the phono-stage being very near to the Superline (IIRC), but a Superline + S/Cap would have eaten >50% of the budget for the TT (at cost).
Noting the other offerings from the likes of SME/Rega/Clearaudio et al, pushing the £16k package price in a limited chain of distributors, could have made it look far too much cost-wise IMHO.
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I have a pretty fully-upgraded LP12, and it’s great, I couldn’t be happier.
At that price point. We’d be looking at Statement prices if they went all out.
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Same here Graham - all the way
Wow.
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Thanks for the follow-up Richard!
Thrilled to pieces that a new counterweight may actually become a reality- good job Naim 
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Just to add a bit of largely useless information…
17D3 weight was 5.8g and if the platter was too low compared to the arnboard the counterweight on the original Aro would foul the mounting collar.
The SPU N series requires an adaptor to fit a flat headshell. The ones from Ortofon are 2.9g and included in the box but I’ve seen alternatives made of brass on a Japanese web site, sadly no longer available, that will likely be around 8g and just the thing to boost effective mass to the right level to compensate for the medium weight Aro.
There are some made of various dense woods from Stanley Engineering in Germany, I’ve ordered one in snakewood but don’t have it yet so can’t comment on its weight.
A Decca Maroon has a tendency to leave the groove at the slightest provocation when mounted on an original Aro unless a but of extra weight is added, 8g was mostly enough but it still wouldn’t play Never Mind The Bollocks.
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As for what is “ultimate”…if you factor out the cartridge and phono-stage of the Solstice then it lives price-wise roughly in the entry level Innovation range (i.e. Basic, Compact). The Innovation Wood with one tonearm costs about $20k, and that’s without cartridge, phono-stage, cables, etc.
The Master Innovation and Reference Jubilee turntables are in the $40k+ range. Then there is Clearaudio’s ultimate, the Statement at $225k or so. 
I have never really understood the Lp12 “thing”
Genuine question, just how “off” does one sound before all the upgrades are applied?
I did once heavily upgraded a Rega, and thought the changes were worthwhile. ( motor, power supply, bearing, feet, platter). Then one afternoon I reverted to standard, stunned to find that it sounded better!!
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The thing I don’t understand is the love/hate responses some have with Linn - on the one hand, the LP12 is the be all, would never change it, perfectly happy etc but on the other hand and almost in the same breath, Linn is a money-grasping company only interested in fleecing Linnies through endless LP12 upgrades…it’s just non-sensical.
Seems to be a similar thing re Solstice…how very dare Naim not bring in a world-leading TT (for 16K!). Have the detractors even heard one?
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I think anything that has been around for 40yrs and more and is still manufactured will end up with it’s fair share of love/hate. It’s not surprising that upgrades continue to be made available. It’s not because it sounded bad in the first place and really needs to be upgraded it’s just because there is still a market for them after all this time. Some will love their early LP12s just as much as those with the full on Klimax. There is no mystery and nothing to see here……move along
For those who fancy something different, a full Solstice package can now be had for £6400 if you bid smart.
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Im not sure what gave you that impression…but if the Solstice was intended to better the best that Clearaudio already does it would be priced above their $32,000 table (which is table only, no arm, cartridge, phono stage, etc.). The RRP for the Solstice package was $20,000.
I suspect it was intended to be the best that it could be at its given price point.
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Of course not!
Never underestimate the desire of hi fi hobbiest to “made adjustments.”
This may be getting at a root cause of this situation; Naim envisioned a “package” product that was not intended to be “tampered” with…yet purchasers found the “tampering” irresistible.
The LP12 experience may be highly relevant. I can guarantee you that Clearaudio customers do not look for extensive third-party changes, add-ons, “improvements” etc which turn their tables into Trigger’s broom the way that LP12 owners traditionally have. Yes you have a choice of arms . . . but it’s not nearly the same.
(I dont know of ANY other tt that gets so highly modded so widely as the LP12; if they exist people can tell me.)
So that’s where we are . . .
(But all said, it SHOULD have been foreseeable that at cartridge changes would be contemplated, and to that end the narrow range that the Solstice arm/weight combo accommodates was a miss IMHO.)
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But surely…they must have, to pontificate on its’ failings so
I still haven’t recovered from Linn robbing me with the Karousel…oh, wait…
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Surely one reason why there are so many non Linn mods available is because after the many years of LP12 production there are thousands of turntables still in use that could be modified, and there is therefore a viable commercial market to develop various possibilities. No other turntable has equivalent longevity with a modular structure. That potential market also offers Linn a commercial opportunity. However, that is not to say that modifications do not have the potential to improve SQ and ‘modernise’ the LP12.
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You can also add to this the fact for quite some time, well over 10 years, Linn didn’t do any LP 12 upgrades, possibly launched an updated cartridge but that was about it until the Keel and Ekos SE came out. So this left a gap for 3rd party companies to fill.
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Yeah, the only 3rd party stuff anyone would use on a Clearaudio is a different tonearm, cartridge, clamp. I’ve certainly never heard of any after market bearing, motor, platter, etc. “upgrades”. When I had my Ovation I did use a LPS from MCRU. The Innovation I have now came with the Clearaudio LPS.
Rega is another TT people like to mod with 3rd party stuff. Groovetracer makes all kind of stuff to ‘ugrade’ them.
Please tell me more 