Schiit Sol or Rega Planar 3?

Hi Evryone!

I recently sold my turntable looking for an upgrade, I am debating between Schiit Sol and Rega Planar 3.
I seen several videos about P3 and no doubt it is a good turntable, on the other hand Schiit Sol seems like a good turntable as well ( judging for theirs products), I read that at the beginning of the Sol released they had QC issues which they fixed. Unfortunately I have not be able to find videos about the Sol to see how good it is. Does anyone has a Sol that can tell me if is worth it? Any thoughts will be appreciated!!!
NOTE Schiit Sol comes with a AT VM95EN or you can switch it for a Grado Opus 3 ($156 additional).

Rega planar 3 $1,000 (no cartridge)
Schiit Sol $882 (AT-VM95EN)

My current setup;
Schiit Mani (phono preamp)
Sansui G 6000 (receiver)
Klipsch Forte II (speakers)

Thank you for your help!

 

There's the setup video

 

Schitt is not just a funny name. It's a fairly accurate description of their customer service and reliability.

Get the Rega.

 

Technics 1500C.

 

I have had multiple Schiit components over the last few years and have been very satisfied with their products. Would be very interested in hearing from people who has used the Sol, definitely interested.

 

Not true, in my experience. I've bought both new and used Schiit Audio gear (7 pieces), and all of it has been 100% reliable. Questions to Schiit have all been answered in a timely manner, and any minor issues resolved quickly. As such, I wouldn't hesitate to purchase additional Schiit designs, in the future. It offers great value and performance.

Not a direct answer for the OP. But, no reason not to consider the Schiit Sol. Plus, I always wanted to hear a Rega table. Nice designs, with solid engineering. Something that could be said for both companies.

 

I don't know if it's the angle of the picture or what but the platter on the Schiit video looks rather wobbly to me and I see that the belt rides up and down at about 5:25 or so. Can't help but wonder how this might impact speed stability.

 

thank you!

 

I just was watching a review talking about VTA issues, you need to buy spacers to get the proper VTA for a different cartridge and if you want to use the dust cover you need a different counterweight... don't get me wrong still a good turntable.!

 

I had a 1200 mk2 before and its and amazing turntable, I am reading about 1500C right now.

 

I recently bought Schitt phono preamp and it sounds amazing! that it is one of reason why I am interesting on their turntable.

 

You are right I can see it too...

 

That setup video was taken using the first production version of the Sol. They discovered that version had some problems being reported by customers. So they stopped shipping to figure out what was going on. They addressed those problems and started shipping again. It's described here in a Schiit Happened post by Jason. The Sol turntables being shipped now are a little different. A little improved. The Sol is still going to be a fiddly turntable to set up. The combination of a separate motor pod and unipivot arm is going to make for a fiddly turntable. The belt walking up and down on the platter is affected by belt tension. Too much tension and the belt tends to walk. Lower the tension by moving the pod closer and it should be better.

The Rega and Sol are at opposites for setup and fiddlyness. The Rega will be easy setup and easy use. The Sol will be fiddly setup and fiddly use with the unipivot. Anyone considering the Sol needs to be someone who will like fiddling with the turntable to get best sound and use from it. I've been considering a turntable. I'm not sure if I'm someone who will want to fiddle and tweak the setup to be a good customer for the Sol.

 

I wouldn't buy the Schiit and the reason being is that I have heard some pretty bad things from some of the owners of Schiit products. Not only that, but the sol looks immensely difficult to use and it would be very easy to mess something up. I'm not sure if a dust cover is a requirement for you, but if it is the sol definitely doesn't have one. Don't get me wrong, I bet after a lot of very precise set up the sol would sound great but you sacrifice having a turntable that is easy and fun to set up and use. I wouldn't even recommend the Rega either. Rega turntables tend to run fast and a faster than normal speed paired with borderline (and note how I said borderline) unacceptable wow and flutter doesn't end well. I say borderline because as Michael Fremer has discovered, Rega will allow anything that runs at 0.3% W&F and lower out of the factory for their P3s. I've got a turntable with a 0.3% rating and I can't hear anything wrong with the pitch however my turntable doesn't run fast so that's why. I think if you had your heart set on Rega, the Planar 6 would be a great option. But judging by what I assume is a roughly $1000 USD budget, the P6 isn't an option.

In another thread I've heard lots of very positive things about the Music Hall MMF 7.3, and that can include an Ortofon 2M Bronze if you'd like which is a great cartridge. The MoFi StudioDeck is great too and I think a little cheaper than the Music Hall. The music hall has a decoupled motor though which is where it has the MoFi beat. If you have a dealer nearby who sets them up properly, I'd recommend the Gold Note Valore 425 Lite. However, if you don't have someone in your area who can properly set this turntable up I would immediately not consider it an option. The Technics SL-1500C is pretty solid and right around $1000 too, but the cue lever system feels really cheap on that turntable.

Anyways that's just my recommendations. To sum them up:
-Gold Note Valore 425 Lite (IF it can be set up locally and demoed)
-MoFi StudioDeck
-Music Hall MMF 7.3
-Technics SL-1500C

Let us know what you decide to do and how your experience is with the turntable you choose.

 

I tend to agree with this. In years past, the Rega Planar 3 and it's iterations have been the go to turntable for fiddlers. I mostly think these days are gone. The only issue might need to address the VTA shimming which potentially causes issues with the dust cover. Otherwise, I think outside of the UK, you should just buy the Planar 6 if you're the upgrading type. To solve the problem with the dust cover, I like the Michell Technoweight because you replace the end stub with a more robust one that includes fine adjustment. I think if you're a fiddler who want to mod their deck over time, it makes more sense to buy a used RP3 over the lastest Planar 3. If you just want a good turntable that will last decades, the Planar 3 is great. You shouldn't need the different counterweight for most cartridges. The most I've ever shimmed is 2mm which doesn't cause interference between the stock counterweight and the dust cover. You could possibly upgrade the subplatter later, but I think you're better off stepping up to the Planar 6. In the UK, with lower pricing , the Planar 3 can be upgraded. But as an export, I would recommend skipping the Planar 3.

The Sol looks to me to be the deck that Rega never wanted the Planar 3 to be. It's a unipivot rather like VPI decks that include all the on the fly adjustments including azimuth and VTA. And for those who want to swap cartridges, the arms like VPI models cartridges can be pre-mounted then swapped easily.

There was a comment about Schiit devices. I own two of them. I've never had a problem with either. Schiit has very simple designs where the board is the only issue, you might have. The chassis are commonly shared. I think they design their IC boards very well. I haven't dabbled with their higher end stuff or amplifiers. But on the two lower tier devices, things seem well constructed. I think Schiit excels at the lower tier. Good stuff at a very good price. And the Sol is one of these lower tier devices. It's half the price of a VPI and to me it looks really good. If I hadn't spent 20 years with Rega, At this point I'm not moving away from Rega. I know too much about them, and I'm at the point in my life where I'd rather not learn new things. If this wasn't the case I'd probably look into the Sol as I don't mind tinkering with things.

 

How about telling us which turntable you actually own and have used.
All your comments about different turntables and brands was all about "I read this about that brand" "It seems this"

I've owned Schiit gear for 10 years. Starting with the original Asgard headphone amp. I haven't had any problems with any of the Schiit gear I've bought. If I did have any problems they'd fix it. Schiit does make gear targeting different segments of the market. From the $99 budget end to the high-end. Many of the people with complaints are buying the budget gear and expecting it to compare with higher priced gear from other companies. The budget gear is good for the price, but generally isn't in giant killer territory. Some of their budget gear can slay small giants. But not all.

The Sol turntable is obviously designed for a certain segment of the market. A segment of the market that has owned a turntable before and is willing to get fiddly with setup and use. A segment of the market that is looking for a more budget priced turntable that offers adjustability and tweaking. A segment of the market that will know if that turntable is right for them. If someone has to wonder if they're ready for a turntable like that then they are probably not. Unless they are willing to take a deep dive as their first dive.

There are going to be some expected additional costs with the Sol. It's going to need to be set on a solid and isolated base. So figure additional cost for a big butcher block and isolation feet devices at a minimum. Plus the cost of a dust cover of some sort. Plus other tweaks.

I'm not a turntable expert. I also realize that I'm not likely someone who would want to futz and tweak too much with a turntable. Which probably makes me not the right customer for a Sol. But I do know that I could learn and could deal with it if I bought one. But would something like a new SL-1500C be a more suitable turntable for me? Probably.

 

Never had a problem with Schiit gears, and their support promptly replies

 

Think about the goals of a good turntable.

Spot on speed?
Easy adjustments to really get the best of any cartridge?
Reliability?
Good used sale value?

I have a Technics for 38 years with only 2 drops of oil every 4 years ... without changing belts or anything, working flawless. And you'll probably hear the same for many, many users globally, the same for the new versions. See a p3 from the bottom, yes, see the motor and the general quality.

Speed is perfect, you can use records with long decay and test that with a rega without the Neo Psu. Embarrassing, and worst after talk pretty bad about the Technics quartz lock since 70s and 30 years later Rega creates the Neo Psu.

Vta adjustment? Check.
Perfect vtf on 0.1 grams? Checked with digital one.
Precise antiskating? (Not 3 points options) Check.

Future upgrades? What do you think about a tonearm oil dumper for 150 bucks? (TD-1200 SL1200 TONEARM DAMPER AT KABUSA.COM ). This easy to install and reversible gadget takes the Technics tonearm up to the very good ones.

Rega "upgrades" seems more to corrections or added features that must be from the factory in that price tag. (Better belt, platter, spindle, vta ... wtf?)

The Sol have anything to prove today, maybe is the bargain ... with hard work, but can be the best. Today, I don't know, I think we need to wait some years.

Well, my arguments for the Technics in 1k usd.

 

Thank you for your reply.
My first turntable was a SL1200 MK2, I fully restored and sounded beautiful, later I sold it(I regretted really bad!) to buy a Marantz 6300, I upgraded too but didn't sound as good as the 1200.
That is the only reason why I want to upgrade. Marantz 6300 its a gorgeous turntable but the sound quality is not the best...

 

That is why I am considering a SL 1500C now.

 

Why not the new 1200 Mk7 as well? Right at your price point $1k or less. The 1500c comes with an Ortofon 2m Red and a built in preamp. Otherwise, they are made at the same factory.

 

I found a black 1500c new in box for 900, probably I'm gonna pull the trigger and save money for a better cartridge, like ortofon bronze.

 

That sounds like a solid plan.

 

Thank you so much for your thoughts and help! I still want to know more about the Schiit Sol, so if you guys find more info/news about it please feel free to share!

Cheers!

 

I'm surprised at some of the posts regarding schiit. I thought it was like tekton threads on audiogon, where they were giant slayers where the designers are certifiable geniuses.

Anyways I've had a few schiit items, certainly not bad but I guess I don't buy into the giant slayer concept for any brand. One had a rattling button that apparently was normal. The sol does look interesting but I'd be concerned about being in setup hell, which is why I like my well tempered.