@MattCray firstly No I am too far down my LP12 journey
Having said that the Soltice is a lovely deck, and the PR photos don’t do the deck justice in the flesh @Cymbiosis and Jason had set it up system was from memory 552, 3 X 250 active into Kudos 808
Musicality rythem timing pace we’re there from the start, my favourite track was Kate Bush The Red Shoes Moments of Pleasure was sublime
The whole package just works musically that’s for sure, as I said to the Naim guys Juliett Binoche or Kristen Scott Thomas was one analogy I used
Demo is a must if you are considering deck at that level
Having had the opportunity to hear the Solstice, it really is a fabulous record playing system.
Very Naim sounding, as you would expect, and beautifully musical. Incredibly atmospheric and very much in the room with the musicians - utterly compelling.
I’m sure the Solstice could give the KLP12 a run for its money in terms of sound quality, but judging from Peter’s picture, it’s already run up the flag of surrender in the looks department. The Linn has no competition to fear from the Solstice there.
My Qbs have been fine too, but the plastic slab is on the bottom rather than the front. Presumably the power supply and phono stage have the same front. If Naim were to go this way with the rest of the range, I wonder how the knobs and buttons would work. You can hardly have all the buttons and knobs on the top for things that by their nature need to be racked.
HH, I’ll bet a “dollar to a donut” as they say in the USA, that you have a solstice of some version in your home in a year, depending on production decisions.
It’s a no nonsense, no suspension tuning, plug and play TT system. And it will compliment any existing Naim components with the Naim sound. It will easily replace the Rega.
I wouldn’t say the Solstice looks “modern” either. Just a bit tubby and the profile is too high. As I said earlier, the proportions are all wrong. The Linn just looks timeless, well-proportioned and, from the plinth, made from natural materials. It looks more handcrafted.
Agree. The Solstice looks chubby where LP12 looks elegant. I believe if cutting that huge platter in half the Solstice would look more in balance and I’m pretty sure it wouldn’t sacrifice sound quality. Like the VPI Classic. Much better balance between platter and deck IMO.
But in some ways that comparison shot makes the LP12 platter look too thin! If the Solstice plinth was just a centimetre or so taller to balance it out though.
It’s interesting. I was one who was not impressed with the looks of the Solstice, but in the flesh it is much better than I had imagined. There is an elegance and beauty about it.
It very little time the Linn platter started to look a bit puny in comparison.
It doesn’t really matter if the Linn platter looks puny in comparison with the Solstice’s, though, does it? Because it’s exactly the right size for the Linn, in terms of that deck’s dimensions. I’m of the school that doesn’t like huge thick platters.
Interesting debate this, I would assume that it has sprung up because so few can contribute to a debate on how it sounds.
Opinions about the aesthetics are just that, opinions. No one would argue that one’s opinion on a wine is wrong…would they?
