Traditionally, there only two solstices in a calendar year. As 2021 draws to a close, the 21st December 2021 will see the convergence of, or even union of another solstice. Welcome the Naim Solstice turntable!

As the winter solstice approaches, this turntable shines as brightly as its summer namesake . . .

So the wait is finally over and boy . . . . . . .was it worth the wait!

As rare as a Hawkwind fan at Stonehenge, or to put it another way, rarer than a real druid on the island of Anglesey on a Summer Solstice, Naim have finally produced the turntable to follow on from their highly regarded unipivot arm, the Aro.

Unlike your average hippy druid, this turntable is a thing of beauty indeed, donning a gown worthy of a king. As you can already see from the picture above, the design and construction have been implemented to a high standard that fits in with the Naim aesthetic.

During this blog you will have the opportunity to see the Naim Solstice both inside and out, not an opportunity you will get in many places, unless you happen to be on the assembly team…

Beauty is more than skin deep

The construction and bracing of the Naim Solstice are first class with a very heavy and solid feel to it when held and inspected. Once lubricated the inverted ceramic bearing was ready to receive the precisely machined spindle. After the belt is fitted, the monstrously weighty platter is carefully lowered into position.

belt and spindle attached ready for the monster of a platter

Attach the counterweight and check the tracking weight is the exact 2.34g. “Why so precise?”, I hear you say…

Jason Gould, from Naim, went to great lengths to explain how long it took via auditioning before the decision was made on this particular tracking force and it was evident in listening that they got it spot on.

tracking weight of 2.34 grams ready to be applied

The other members of the Naim Solstice triage

NAIM SOLSTICE PHONO STAGE(LEFT) AND MATCHING POWER SUPPLY(RIGHT)

On the left we have the Naim Solstice phono stage and its separate power supply on the right. In the image below, one can see the flexibility the Naim phono stage offers with different cartridge manufacturers to fine-tune the resistance and capacitance of their particular model for maximum performance.

Naim Solstice phono stage - resistance and capacitance adjustments aplenty

All ready to Rock’n’Roll!

They say that, “The proof of the pudding is in the eating”, or in the case, the listening. This certainly proved to be the case in the couple of hours we had with the Naim Solstice and we certainly felt well-nourished afterwards.

Playing Miles Davis, “Kind of Blue” and the track So What?, we certainly didn’t come away with that kind of feeling. On the contrary, the sound was very well balanced through the ATC SCM50’s and had the characteristic Naim house sound, with a good uniform tonal balance from top to bottom and a groove, dare I say, P.R.A.T.

John Coltrane’s sax on this classic track was exemplary, with an in the room, live sound, perfectly replicating the fidelity this recording purveys, in an era where recordings were un-edited and which makes them a sheer joy to listen to.

The Naim Solstice proved incredibly transparent and faithful to the recording, allowing a deep, musical insight into the minutiae contained in the grooves. It is evident with vinyl reproduction at this high a quality level of playback, why playing records keep the analogue enthusiasts away from digital playback altogether.

Other albums we tried included; Stevie Ray Vaughan’s “The Sky is Crying”, Bob Dylan’s “Highway 61 revisited” and Roy Buchanan’s “That’s what I am here for”.

In each case, the Naim Solstice proved consistently faithful to the recordings, with soaring dynamics and an emotional attachment that pulls you in and keeps you on the sofa listening, except for the necessary changeover after each side of the record. Don’t worry, doctors say getting up off the sofa every twenty minutes or so is good for you and I would agree with them, but not necessarily for the same reasons as they might suggest, the desire to play just one more record is enough of a reason in itself.

Wrapping up . . .

Even though there are only two solstices in a calendar year, I can safely predict that we’ll be seeing more from the Naim Solstice over the coming year, especially as one can see and hear one of these whenever you like, assuming the £16,000 is within your means, of course. Chances are, if you own a Naim Solstice, you’ll be playing it on the equinoxes as well.