Schiit Sol- The Next Great Turntable?

It is true that a lot of tables don’t have leveling feet, but it’s still disappointing when they don’t, simply because it’s such an easy thing to include in the design.

I do agree you’d probably want a shelf or platform to isolate this turntable, anyway, so leveling can be addressed there. Still, it’s a bummer whenever a turntable doesn’t have its own leveling capability.

 

Longtime reader, new poster. I just ordered the Sol, plus extra tone arm. Being a tinkerer, this seems the table for me. One thing I already want to update is the set screw for the tone arm leveling, to add a hand screw. I will ether replace it with one, or solder something onto it. Preferably replacement. This will remove the need for a tool to change it on the fly. I am happy to be able to change based on the records thickness, but feel it seems a little clunky to have to use a tool. I had some other thoughts on how to do this, but replacing the set screw seems like the best one. Anyone else thought about this?

 

Welcome and let us know how you get on with the Sol.

 

I was thinking the same thing about the counterweight not being threaded. That was the one possible PITA I saw in the setup video. Guess I will find out. I should have mine this coming Wednesday. I know I should have waited for at least "one" review, but I really want to see what this baby can do for myself. If it sucks, I'll just send it back, but if this product is as good as the other gear they produce, I don't envision a return.

 

Based on the manual, once the arm height is set, there is a knob to adjust VTA on the fly. It has a set screw to lock it-- I don't know how loose the thing is if you leave that set screw untightened, but I thought the premise of the design was to allow 'on the fly' VTA, i.e., while a record is playing. (The info in the manual is where the 'Figure J' photo and description appears). Perhaps I misunderstand what you are concerned about?
Or, you are referring to the set screw that locks the VTA adjustment?

 

You can't accomplish VTA "on the fly" with a set screw. It's not a controlled decending or elevating mechanism. Plus, it's a unipivot, so it'll dance all over the place and still require two hands. If you can find a knurled screw, it will eliminate an allen wrench though. Easier to just add a drop of glue into the allen head and insert the wrench to act as a lever.
-Bill

 

It looked really iffy in the video. There will be a whole cottage industry of DIY parts modders around this thing, which is basically a box of parts that you build a turntable from. I can see machinists and 3D printer geeks having a field day with it.
-Bill

 

Ya. I hadn't looked at the video (i have very little patience for those). I did find the spot where the guy was adjusting arm height via the VTA knob and he cautioned that it won't lock without the set screw. Kinda tricky to set VTA while a record is spinning, having to use both hands, but I guess somebody will figure this out, or as you suggest, improve it.
I'm not from the school of record to record adjustment, even though I can easily do that on my main arm. On occasion, for a very thick record (of which I have a small fraction) or extremely thin one, I'll crank the VTA knob. Otherwise, I'm usually of the 'get a good setting for average' and leave it alone. I have found that some cartridges are more sensitive to small VTA adjustments than others.

 

No, it's not ideal, but a huckuva lot easier than working the Riggle VTAF on a Delphi lol.

BTW, I have one with 2 arms on the way as well. Expect you'll get yours first, tho...

 

[rant about forum members removed]

as for the the sol tonearm - a well well traveled DIYer design - been around as long as I can member - I have several magazines featuring different versions of the build using off the shelf pieces - can sound really good -

I'll take a gimbal - it's like SET and push pull - an argument never to be won - losing game

you do seem to get a lot - relatively speaking with this table - if the obvious issues are corrected - me personally - I'm tired of my music being an on going project - going to stick with the extant - proven - enduring

the sol might turn out to be a good deal - for someone who wants or needs a turntable - I guess we'll know soon enough
Michael

 

It does seem that the VTA is so close, but not quite perfect, and that it should be a pretty easy minor upgrade it in several different ways. The ones I am thinking of [from eazy to crazy] are... 1) the wingnut replacing the set screw. 2) love the idea of soldering the hex wrench to it (properly cut it shorter) 3) a leaver going up the hole underneath that can be adjusted from the front of the TT. 4) a simple machined cap to go on the top of the pin that the tone arm rests on that is the thickness of the difference between a standard record and a 200g record. Does anyone have any other ideas? And, of course this could all be moot, if the VTA is super easy to use.

 

Anyone actually get their Schiit sol yet? I ordered mine last week and should get here early next week.

 

Review that Schiit please!

 

I think you'll have to see how jiggly it is when you lay hands on it. I have a lever to lock my VTA adjustment, but it is offset on a tower that is not part of the arm upright pillar (a Kuzma). Thus, when you lock the lever, you aren't really moving the arm at all while it is in play.
I don't know how easy it would be to modify that set screw so that you have adjustable gradations- it seems tight or loose is the only alternative based on the video. But, you'll tell us, once you get it, right? Do you plan on constantly adjusting VTA? If not, once you get it dialed in by ear for a given cartridge, you are pretty much done unless you swap out cartridges; at that point, you may give some thought to how to mark the upright tube in a way that doesn't impede its movement. I'm sure you'll think of something ingenious. After all, the Wright Bros, right?

 

A bit tongue in cheek..but this turntable on release seems to fit in with a trend...."Let's buy it, but change nearly everything that comes with it". Limey's will probably recognise the "Trigger's broom" analogy.

 

It isn't unique in this. The Michel decks are in effect a box of parts but you can have dealers do it. I don't trust dealers to do it right from experience in any case. However this type of product should not be purchased by a novice or anyone thinking of getting into quality vinyl playback on the cheap. I don't think instruction videos make up for hands on experience where record decks are concerned. I can see a whole help / set up thread starting on this forum. Unipivotes can be particularly fiddly and quirky to set up but still regret selling my Mayware many years ago which looks a piece of cake compared with the Schitt.

 

I plan on adjusting the VTA based on the thickness of the vinyl. My guess right now is to set to standard vinyl and then using the tone arm VTA set uo the second tone arm .then they both would use the same height on the main VTA. Then fine tune the main VTA depending on the thickness of the vinyl. However, i will do listening and recording tests to see if I can tell a difference, because if i can't tell then i will set it and leave it. I will post what I find.

 

Watching the setup video again, i see that #3 is probably not possible.

 

Well... I pulled the trigger on the Sol last Thu around 6:30 AM. Looks like it’s set to be delivered tomorrow in Austin, TX, maybe one of the first units that went out the door? I’d love to be able to give some initial feedback on sound quality (which is really what ALL of us want to find out) Mon evening, but I now need to scramble on a cartridge(!).

Any thoughts from the group on the Nagaoka MP-500 for use with the Sol? I can get a good price on one, but not sure how compatible it might be. I saw where Schiit said they liked the Nagaoka carts with the Sol, so I thought maybe the high end one would sound fantastic.

I’ve also got a Shure M75-ED Type 2 with a Jico HE stylus I could possibly swap on, but would rather buy a cart specifically for the Sol.

I’d welcome any input on cart recommendations...

 

Why don't you try setting up and listening with the cartridge you have-- that will tell you a few things, including getting a handle on set up. I think the jury is still out on info about this arm, no? Mass/resonance/what might work best with it? (Maybe that info got updated in this thread since i last checked).
Where are you in Austin, generally? I'm in Travis Heights...

 

If you can swing it, I'm sure the MP-500 is a good choice. The other variable to consider is the phono stage and how well it pairs up with your choice. Schiit's claim that the arm won't compromise any cartridge up to $1k seems a reasonable one to me.

 

Conrad Hoffman, the designer of the prototype, has stated on another forum that the arm effective mass was somewhere between 12-13g. If that number ends up holding true for the final version of Sol, it should work well with most cartridges much like the Rega arms.

 

I'm going with the Audio Technica VM540ML on the SOL. I've been running the Parks Audio Puffin preamp for a few months now, that thing is amazing. And it can literally handle any cartridge you throw at it. I'm also coming from a modded Lp120 that has a AT95e, so this should be a decent step up.

 

Thanks for the replies to my post yesterday.

I’m currently running a Dual 1219 with Cardas tonearm wires and the Shure I detailed above. Sounds pretty darn good, but I’ve been ready for the next level for a while now.

That feeds a Lounge LCR Mk III phono preamp, into a latest gen Rega Brio, into LSA 1 Statement speakers.

The Brio will be replaced by a PrimaLune or Sugden or Raven Audio or other integrated in a few months. I’m sure the Sol/Nagaoka will be a nice jump from the Dual, just not sure how significant yet.

 

I still see the posts about platter wobble and lack of leveling, both in this thread and the $1000-class turntables thread. I don’t think SHF mods have some vested interest in clearing out criticism of a product...

Agreed, though, it’s hard to really discuss cartridge matching without more info. Bless the early adopters, indeed!