Schiit Sol- The Next Great Turntable?

Maybe you can't, but I can. I took an RB250 from stock form through several upgrades to make it decent. The arms are great not because Rega makes them so, but because others modify them extensively. As a current owner of the Sol I can say without prejudice that the Sol arm is leaps and bounds ahead of a stock Rega, even a modifed one. Maybe not Audiomods or Funk Firm level modifications, but that's a different price range altogether.

Of course, this is just my opinion having owned and heard both. Opinions are often purely subjective, but if the subject is musicality - that ability to draw you into the music - the Sol wins every time.

IMO and YMMV.

 

How does the RB250 compare to the RB330 on the current Planar 3 and Planar 6? The RB330 I heard was stock, no modifications, and I still thought it sounded lovely. The Sol beats it, but I think when not in a comparison the RB330 would satisfy most people. The Sol is no doubt superior simply by being an 11" tonearm versus (what I believe to be) a 9" tonearm.

 

Never heard the 330. The 3 point mount is a downgrade IMO, especially with wood screws. It was implemented to spread the load on the P6 foam plinth as the earlier through-hole mount would compress the foam too much. Other than a few other tweaks, they're the same, no? I doubt the thicker casting makes any significant difference given the casting dominates the sound.

The Sol is the better arm also because it's a unipivot with a single point mechanical grounding, quite apart from the Rega with its wide bearing stance and time related distortions. You don't notice it until you hear the two side by side.

 

I'm fascinated by this table, maybe because it seems the polar opposite of my SL-1200 MkII.

I do wonder how I'd take to cueing an undamped unipivot, though. With my current arm I position the stylus over the lead-in then move a safe distance away. I've always thought this was a big reason I've never trashed a stylus.

 

I highly doubt you'd trash a stylus with the Sol. The travel distance for the lever is quite long, and I think that helps a lot with it being undamped. It'd sure be different than a MK2, but you wouldn't wreck your stylus unless you're manhandling the cue lever.

 

I've been slowly saving up for a Planar 6, but I've got to admit I'm pretty intrigued by the Sol. It sure seems like an excellent value, and it would leave money in my budget for an excellent cartridge. But...I think the lack of a flip-down dustcover is a deal-killer for me right now. I've got a 4 year old at home, and even though she's good about not messing with Dad's stuff, there's no guarantee that she or her friends wouldn't touch it. My stereo is out in the open, in the living room.

 

Can you put the turntable up higher maybe? Or buy a custom dustcover which would enclose the turntable? The price difference would allow for you to buy a much better cartridge, that's for sure.

 

You have to remember that it's undamped. Might be a little tricky if you have a lifetime of letting the cue device drop the needle. But, I actually prefer that it's undamped as it gives me precise control over the touchdown, reducing the incidence of skating over the first grooves. With time you get used to it. With my Rega it was necessary to use the finger lift to prevent such occurrences.

 

I predict we will see aftermarket parts for the Sol in the not-too-distant future.

Maybe an upgrade to the cueing mechanism.

Alternative arm wands, for sure.

Damping options, etc.

You get the idea.

I'm not saying it isn't a great turntable, but it is ideal for customizing.

 

Very interested in the SOL, but got a little lost in some of the discussion. Can someone help me with a few questions?

1. Is the Music Hall Cruise Control the best option for power? Someone suggested a Rega NEO but is seems to have the wrong output voltage, and the Pro-ject speed box S is no longer available and overpriced used. If the Music Hall is best, and since I don't own a 45 and will likely never buy one, I suspect that running the belt on the 33 pulley, while setting the Cruise to 45 would be the best way to go to keep it at 60hz.

2. Has anyone tried a cloth dustcover such as the one for ~$24.00 at DigitalDeckCovers? Seems like it will do the job until I feel the need to splurge for an acrylic cover; and

3. I have an AT440mlb and want to know if the Opus 3 is worth it or if I should just wait until I can afford something like a Hana SL or AT-OC9XSH?

 

You could be just fine without the speed control box, but I believe Michael Fremer said the Music Hall was great with the Sol? I'd have to read his review again. A cloth dustcover sounds like a bad idea... a cloth meeting a stylus is tragic. The Opus 3 is certainly warmer than the AT440MLB, but I really don't know if it's worth it or not. You might prefer it, you might not.

 

The Sol arm locks on it's rest correct? (I don't know)

 

Hoffman designed the turntable I've read. Or at least the tonearm??

 

No. At least, not that I'm aware of, owning the first gen release. This has not been an issue for me.

 

I use a plastic garbage bag folded in half as a dust cover. The cloth cover doesn't seem like a bad idea to me, but the actual size needed would depend on the placement of the motor pod, which will vary on an individual basis.

 

Thanks for the comments. Yes, Fremer was complimentary, but the question about the Music Hall is really a follow-up to the comments from "Davey" a few pages back where he indicated that there was distortion from the music hall due in part to the 45hz operation when set to 33.33. I think this is alleviated as described by running the cruise control at 45 rpms (60hz) and having the belt on the smaller pulley. Hoping someone knows more detail on the issue.

As to the cloth dustcover, it is a cloth box that sits over the table so it shouldn't contact the stylus. Dust can be a problem in the dry climate of central Texas, so I was hoping for a reasonably priced short term solution.

As to cartridges, I find I am sensitive to tracking error and therefore tend to like a micro-line or shibata stylus. My luck with elliptical has not been good so I am cautious about the Grado elliptical. I also find speed stability is noticeable, and have previously favored DD turntables for that reason. I think a speed controller can really help maintain constant speed and help eliminate the distinction.

 

If your base line reference is DD, you might find an isolation platform a better investment (if you don't already have one) than the speed controller. My Oracle Delphi has better pitch control, yet despite its DC regulated motor, I believe this is due to its superb suspension, which the Sol lacks. My Sol uses the stock wall wart power supply because I can't justify spending hundreds on a controller only to send the power to the same motor and belt. The controller may reduce motor vibration noise but I've found other means of reducing it through improved isolation.

 

I am looking to do both. I like the speed controller, and was considering the eight pack of isoacoustics mini-pucks under an Ikea bamboo cutting board. Possible cutting the board so the table and motor are on separate platforms.

 

Not a bad idea so long as motor and plinth are set up in such a way as to promote constant belt tension as much as possible. The stock motor can is top heavy, so separate platforms would be good provided the can is secured to its platform to lower CG and increase footprint.

 

It appears they Sol went from a rolling backorder to OUT OF STOCK this week? Any insights as to why?

 

Sol’s future is uncertain at this point. Schiit is currently filling back orders and dealing with part shortages.

Look at post #75611

Schiit Happened: The Story of the World's Most Improbable Start-Up

 

Thanks for providing that, much appreciated, and saddened to read it... I may have delayed too long it seems.

 

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I’m hoping that Sol will return. Sol had gotten some good press right before all the Covid supply issues impacted just about everything, everywhere.

 

Yes, and when (or if) it comes back, it will cost more...