In more news from Naim Audio, the UK company is today launching Solstice, the first turntable in the brand’s 50-year history. The turntable is being bundled with a next-gen version of the Naim Aro tonearm, an Equinox MC cartridge and a Solstice Series Phono Stage, plus power supply and accessories set. Collectively known as the ‘Solstice Special Edition’, it will set vinyl lovers back a cool $20,000 ($26,000 CAD), but there will only be 500 units of the package available, and it can be pre-ordered now with a late July release.
“Solstice Special Edition offers an exceptional all-round experience,” said Paul Neville, Naim Audio Research & Development Director. “If you love the organic, authenticity of vinyl, now you can enjoy it with the musical purity and passion only a Naim system can deliver.”
Naim says the turntable plinth itself has been fabricated from 47 separate layers of wood, and the cartridge’s aluminum housing is machined from a single billet. While the phono stage and power supply are hand-made in Salisbury, England, the turntable, Aro arm and Equinox cartridge are manufactured to Naim’s exacting spec by German turntable maestros Clearaudio.
The detailed breakdown of components of the Solstice Special Edition is listed below (quoted directly from the manufacturer’s publicity materials):
Naim Solstice Turntable NVS TT – combining core Naim design philosophies, such as multiple levels of mechanical decoupling, with a celebration of beautiful materials. Features a magnetic bearing supporting a high-mass, highly polished aluminum platter, with a unique, self-calibrating motor drive system, meticulously delivering the Naim sound.
Naim Aro Tonearm – retaining the original’s design principles and excellence but boosting performance further still by using improved materials – including tungsten and carbon-fiber – and adding an all-new, no-compromise bias, arm height and azimuth adjustments.
Naim Equinox MC Cartridge – featuring a microline stylus shape – closer to the original cutting lathe head to enable the retrieval of accurate high-frequency information – and a boron cantilever, a stiff-but-light design that faithfully transfers the stylus movements to the moving coils.
Naim Solstice Series Phono Stage NVC TT – the first Naim phono stage to use DR technology, first used on the flagship Statement amplifier. Sophisticated, ultra-low-noise Class A design with dedicated MC and MM head-amplifiers.
Naim Solstice Series Power Supply NPX TT – powers both the turntable and the phono stage. For the ultimate performance, these two different power supplies are completely isolated, with no risk of interference. Also uses Naim DR technology.
Solstice Accessories Set – including Digital Stylus Gauge; Bubble Level; Hex Drivers (x3); Vinyl Adjustment Tool; Dust Protector and Cleaning Cloth
Naim Records True Stereo album – a curated collection of superb-quality True Stereo recordings, newly remastered for vinyl by original engineer, Ken Christiansen.
Solstice Special Edition Book – including insight into heritage, technology and design
For more information on the Naim Solstice and Special Edition package, click here.
Martin, a seasoned journalist and AV expert, has written for several notable print magazines. He’s served in key roles at Lucasfilm’s THX Division, NEC’s digital cinema division, and has even consulted for DreamWorks. Despite his illustrious career, Martin remains rooted in his passion for cinema and acting, with notable appearances in several Spielberg films, Doctor Who, and Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back. He currently resides in San Francisco.
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