Naim Audio has introduced its first-ever turntable in almost 50 years of history, the Naim Solstice Special Edition, which is available in Canada for a cool $26,000. Limited to just 500 units, it comes with a next-generation version of the iconic Naim Aro tonearm, an Equinox MC cartridge, Solstice Series Phono Stage, Power Supply and bespoke accessories set.
Dubbed a collector’s item, the Solstice Special Edition is designed to be used with amplification and speakers to provide an audiophile method of listening to vinyl.
“Solstice Special Edition offers an exceptional all-round experience,” says 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 Solstice Turntable NVS TT features multiple levels of mechanical decoupling, a magnetic bearing supporting a high-mass, polished aluminum platter, and self-calibrating motor drive system.
The Naim Aro Tonearm retains the original’s design principles but boosts performance further through improved materials, including tungsten and carbon-fiber. It also adds a new, no-compromise bias, arm height and azimuth adjustments.
Featuring a microline stylus shape closer to the original cutting lathe head to enable the retrieval of accurate high-frequency information, the Naim Equinox MC Cartridge also has a boron cantilever. It employs a stiff-but-light design that Naim says “faithfully transfers the stylus movements to the moving coils.”
The Naim Solstice Series Phono Stage NVC TT is the first Naim phono stage to use DR technology, first used on the flagship Statement amplifier. This includes ultra-low-noise Class A design with dedicated MC and MM head-amplifiers. The turntable plinth is crafted from 47 separate layers of wood, and the cartridge sits in a solid aluminum housing machined from a single billet.
The power supply powers both the turntable and the phono stage. They are also completely isolated, with no risk of interference, and use Naim DR technology.
Included in the Solstice Accessories Set is a digital stylus gauge, bubble level, three hex drivers, a vinyl adjustment tool, dust protector, and cleaning cloth.
Also included to get you started is the Naim Records True Stereo album, which includes a curated collection of True Stereo recordings, newly remastered for vinyl by original engineer, Ken Christiansen. There’s also the Solstice Special Edition Book that includes insight into heritage, technology, and design.
The package will be available starting in late July but is available for pre-orders from select retailers now.