Schiit Sol- The Next Great Turntable?

Discussion in 'Audio Hardware' started by msinderson, Sep 5, 2019.

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  1. Phil Thien

    Phil Thien Forum Resident

    Location:
    Milwaukee, WI
    Right, eyeballing that is out of the question.

    Looking at his repositioned cartridge, and the angle relative to the visible slot, I've got my doubts about the post/thread which perhaps started the entire debate on whether the headshell is too small.

    [​IMG]
     
  2. Big Blue

    Big Blue Forum Resident

    Location:
    Wisconsin
    It’s one of the reasons I would be tempted by a Feickert or some other protractor that has a bar going from spindle to pivot. Makes good and sure it’s lined up.
     
    Optimize likes this.
  3. Ripblade

    Ripblade Forum Resident

    Location:
    The Six
    What if they supplied the wrong protractor? :doh:
     
  4. Phil Thien

    Phil Thien Forum Resident

    Location:
    Milwaukee, WI
    Or what if that individual didn't know how to use it? From the # of posts/likes he has, one would assume he knows what he is doing. But you don't see any pics with a different protractor as any sort of sanity check.

    My first plinth's pivot center was off about 1/4". Didn't take long to spot that (due to my fixed cartridge mounting holes, I was unable to align a cartridge).

    So I have a hard time believing whomever designed this turntable missed this. My guess is the arm and headshell are designed to accommodate relatively standard 7/7.5mm (stylus to mounting hole) cartridges with the cartridge full-forward, and cartridges with greater stylus to hole distances pushed further back.

    The telltale sign is the pic of his cartridge moved back in the headshell. It is cocked quite a bit. The geometry shouldn't work like that. I think he pushed it too far back, and then had to angle it quite a bit to attempt alignment.

    Of course, I could be completely wrong, too.
     
  5. Melted Townes

    Melted Townes Forum Resident

    Location:
    Ohio
    After some concerns about the Feickert protractor, I borrowed an acoustical systems smartractor alignment tool from a friend. I can verify the Lofgren A alignment isn't possible on many cartridges. If there is another alignment curve they should have used, I don't know.
     
  6. Phil Thien

    Phil Thien Forum Resident

    Location:
    Milwaukee, WI
    Can you shift the arm back further into the pivot, instead of trying to move the cartridge further back in the headshell?
     
  7. Melted Townes

    Melted Townes Forum Resident

    Location:
    Ohio
    There does not appear to be any set screws screws holding the arm tube in place at the pivot. I tried with moderate force to push it back and couldn't. Maybe they milled the hole to prevent this? I don't know.
     
    zombiemodernist and Ripblade like this.
  8. toddrhodes

    toddrhodes Forum Resident

    Location:
    South Bend, IN
    FYI:

    Schiit Sol Turntable Review - Episodic.

    From Jason @ Schiit:
    Schiit has been nothing but a standup company based on things I've ordered and returned, and wasn't subjected to the full return fees (or any, in one case) in all cases. Schiit, fortunately, is a bunch of audio nerds no different than us, and they simply seem to want to make this hobby a little more accessible and a little more fun, and I think some of their self-deprecation comes across as "ego" as stated in other posts in this thread. Guess it's all in how you read it. And yes I know there have been some issues with personal interactions within this thread with Schiit associates, but try not to judge an entire organization on a poor encounter.
     
    Twinsfan007, Merrick, Ulises and 11 others like this.
  9. Melted Townes

    Melted Townes Forum Resident

    Location:
    Ohio
    My buddy comes by tomorrow to take the Sol. He is leaning towards sending it back. Right now I am kicking back really enjoying the Music Matters 33 of Grant Green Midnight Blue on the Sol. Is it as good as my super expensive (for me) Garrard 301? No. But man, fix a few issues and I could live with this.
     
    zombiemodernist, Kyhl and Big Blue like this.
  10. Melted Townes

    Melted Townes Forum Resident

    Location:
    Ohio
    Thanks for the update. I had a feeling from the email chain I read an hour ago that the "higher ups" were working on a real response to the situation.
     
    toddrhodes likes this.
  11. Hymie the Robot

    Hymie the Robot Forum Resident

    Location:
    USA
    You're right. Sue them for fraud.
     
  12. Big Blue

    Big Blue Forum Resident

    Location:
    Wisconsin
    Nah, their statement that they will make things right for early adopters (I have no doubt they will) and the fact they have a QC hold on shipping is sufficient. It’s still very sloppy not to have caught the issue prior to launch. The onus is not on somebody who just bought a turntable to start soldering things in order to get a cartridge mounted (and Schiit does not appear to be suggesting it is).
     
  13. Hymie the Robot

    Hymie the Robot Forum Resident

    Location:
    USA
    If it was perfect everyone would be pissed they couldn't get one because they would be unavailable for months. Early adopters know what they are getting into. The ones sitting on the sidelines complaining will always amuse me.
    I can only take the comments of actual owners 100% seriously. The others are typical peanut gallery fodder.
     
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  14. Big Blue

    Big Blue Forum Resident

    Location:
    Wisconsin
    I think anybody can say in the abstract that a brand new turntable shouldn’t require soldering, without actually owning one. I don’t see anybody here complaining (only owners would have standing for complaint), just observing that this appears to have been a weird oversight at launch.
     
    izgoblin, Hogues, Aftermath and 4 others like this.
  15. winders

    winders Music Lover

    Location:
    San Martin, CA
    Actually, we have some haters hating but that is to be expected. Schiit is a good company and will take of the problems and anyone having them.
     
  16. Optimize

    Optimize Forum Resident

    Location:
    EU
    Yes, it is just to meassure the spindle to pivot distance. And use that distance to feed into the arc protractor generator and print it out.

    Then you have a arc protractor for the specific SOL TT! (No need for buying a Feickert if I understand it.)
     
  17. antnee

    antnee Well-Known Member

    Location:
    Union KY
  18. Classicrock

    Classicrock Senior Member

    Location:
    South West, UK.
    If the stylus hits one alignment grid / point and then aligns fine with the second that will be more than good enough. It won't be correct at all points on the disc. I would aim for minimum error towards centre of disc to eliminate IGD. Not as critical on outer grooves. I have an old Townshend Elite gauge that does that better but sticking to the one provided should be good enough. Looking at the instruction video, when the cartridge is angled correctly to achieve proper alignment there is just space to bend the wire and push cartridge back. I don't see how shorter than standard pins could be used if a stable soldered joint is to be achieved.
     
    Dominator likes this.
  19. Derleth

    Derleth Active Member

    Location:
    Raleigh, NC
    Yes, the belt is a non issue to me as it is a cheap and quick fix. There is so much right with the Sol that it is a fantastic start. Mine arives tomorrow... hopefully optimistic i will still feel the same when i get hands on.
     
  20. action pact

    action pact Music Omnivore

    It will also cost the company a lot of money and possibly some goodwill, unfortunately. I hope they get this where it needs to be quickly, because the Sol is a very intriguing product.
     
    Big Blue likes this.
  21. Big Blue

    Big Blue Forum Resident

    Location:
    Wisconsin
    As I understand it, yes, the bar that goes to the pivot is for the purpose of measuring spindle to pivot distance (which you don’t need to do on a turntable that comes with an arm and the distance set already). However, it seems to me this would help hold the protractor in place for aligning to the null points, as well. It seems it would be hard to get an arc protractor in exactly the right place on any turntable by following a printed line. I think for setting up a relatively difficult turntable like the Sol, something like a Feickert would be helpful.
     
    Optimize likes this.
  22. Kyhl

    Kyhl On break

    Location:
    Savage
    The antiskate is still bothering me. Looking at the arm again, I wonder if one could rig a weight and string attached to the bar holding the counterweight.
    I'd like to see them add the connection for the antiskate to the back of the O instead of the side, preferably in line with the tonearm. My wheels are turning figuring out how difficult that might be to modify.
     
  23. Phil Thien

    Phil Thien Forum Resident

    Location:
    Milwaukee, WI
    I think the current method is fine, except I'd probably used a threaded bar or a bar with grooves, so the string cannot freely slide up/down.
     
  24. stereoguy

    stereoguy Its Gotta Be True Stereo!

    Location:
    NYC


    ???????That headshell is WAY too small! the leads should NOT be bent/squashed like that.
     
  25. Classicrock

    Classicrock Senior Member

    Location:
    South West, UK.
    @curiousgeorge on the PLX 1000 v Denon thread had no probs setting one up!

     
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