Naim Launches "Special Edition" Turntable System
nce upon a time, the headline above would have sent seismic disturbances through the very fabric of the audio community. For those audiophiles of a certain age, resident in or related to the UK, the shattering of the Linn/Naim axis, an unwritten business accord that dominated the UK audio market for over a decade, came as a considerable shock. If the arrival of Linn’s first amplifiers was the initial breach in the wall, Naim was quick to follow with the announcement of the SBL loudspeaker. Now, at last and almost forty years later, the Salisbury-based company might finally be claiming the last word in what was ever a rancorous dispute. In an uncharacteristic nod to current thinking, the Solstice Special Edition ($20,000 expected price) is more than just a turntable. Initially at least, there will be 500 Solstice systems, each consisting of an NVS TT turntable, revised ARO tonearm, Equinox moving-coil cartridge, NVC TT phono stage and NPX TT power supply, making this one of the most ambitious plug'n'play vinyl solutions on offer. While Naim has many years of experience in the field of both phono stages and power supplies (the Armageddon TT PSU for the LP12 was an early salvo in the Linn/Naim divorce), engineering a turntable is an entirely new endeavor for the firm. No surprise, then, that both the turntable and cartridge are the products of cooperative development with turntable specialists Clearaudio in Germany. Despite the turntable's resolutely Naim aesthetic, with its black plinth and deep-section, polished-aluminum platter, beneath the skin there are unmistakable strands of Clearaudio DNA, from the magnetically opposed main bearing that floats the heavy platter, to the 24V DC motor, belt drive and multi-layer laminated wooden plinth, complete with aluminum top plate and steel base. But this is no simple assembly of off-the-shelf parts, with Naim’s input apparent in the isolated "island" -- I’m guessing they didn’t want to use the term “subchassis” -- that carries the tonearm mount and main bearing. The company is quick to point out that Solstice setup is limited to leveling the feet, free of “the complications associated with performance turntables” -- a statement that’s clearly in line with the plug'n'play messaging but still manages a passing sideswipe at the LP12. Despite certain superficial similarities -- like the shape of the headshell -- the revised ARO tonearm is an entirely new design, employing superior materials and adjustability. Designated New ARO, it now includes height adjustment, a no-compromise bias arrangement and easy azimuth adjustment. The headshell even offers slots for overhang adjustment (a notable omission on the original), although it also still retains -- and the Equinox cartridge employs -- the three-point fixing that originated with Linn’s Troika cartridge. Even the mounting arrangements have been revised, meaning that were it to become available separately, the New ARO still wouldn’t be a drop-in upgrade for the older model. With a microridge stylus and boron cantilever, the Equinox cartridge follows current Clearaudio thinking, while the Naim heritage is clear in the milled-from-solid aluminum body. Despite being part of a fixed package, the NVC TT phono stage offers 16 resistive and 16 capacitive input settings, located on the unit’s rear panel. Well, I suppose at least you don’t have to lift the lid to change the settings. The NPX TT contains independent, isolated linear power supplies for the turntable and phono stage, both of which employ Naim’s DR regulators to reduce noise and ripple. The Solstice Special Edition also includes all of the tools and gauges necessary to ensure proper setup and operation -- and even includes a “True Stereo” LP featuring tracks drawn from the Naim label and remastered by original recording engineer Ken Christiansen, and a Solstice Special Edition book that covers the brand heritage and design. It’s a comprehensive package indicative of the new normal when it comes to fuss-free, high-quality analog replay. But in a typically iconoclastic step, Naim makes none of the familiar claims regarding authenticity, vinyl sound or fidelity to the original master tape. Instead, their pitch suggests that Solstice is a record player that finally, really does deliver the Naim sound. I’m sure Naim watchers and aficionados alike will find a ring of familiarity in that stance, one foot firmly forward, one set firmly in the past. The Solstice Special Edition turntable package certainly looks like a lot of carefully considered record player for the money -- as 500 owners seem set to discover. Beyond that, we’ll need to wait and see whether the individual elements become available separately (in this or modified form), although I’m sure that demand for the New ARO tonearm alone would make such a step viable. Currently there are no plans to offer the individual elements of the Solstice package separately. In an impressive feat of logistical planning, Naim
managed to land the product announcement on June 21st, in time for the summer solstice,
although who knows whether the name or the plan came first. Whether that reflects
vinyl’s status as the longest-running high-fidelity source or the beginning of the
end when it comes to analog replay only time will tell. Time (and a little listening) will
also tell whether the Solstice marks a brave new dawn or an incidental footnote to a
colorful history. |
