Schiit Sol Turntable Review - Episodic.

Discussion in 'Vinyl Nutjob World: Turntable and Related Gear' started by purr1n, Sep 10, 2019.

  1. schiit

    schiit SchiitHead

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    Of course we're taking all of this very seriously and will be making things right for early adopters, up to and including simple 100% refunds (shipping included).

    Right now, we're on QC hold for shipping until we have a handle on what's going on. We need to get further information from Conrad and Mike (who isn't back from RMAF yet, he drove and made a vacation of it.)

    So, relax. We'll make it right.
     
    Last edited: Sep 11, 2019
  2. toddrhodes

    toddrhodes Friend

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    I hope this doesn't break any rules or cause any issue, but I shared your statement on the Hoffman thread. I think a little reassurance goes a long way and though I'm not yet in the market for another table, I do have full faith you guys will stand behind your product, own any issues that may have arisen, and keep on trucking. Thanks for speaking up.
     
  3. schiit

    schiit SchiitHead

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    Of course that's fine.
     
  4. IndieGradoFan

    IndieGradoFan New

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    Received my Sol today. Spent a couple hours setting up and adjusting. I'm planning on using the Denon 103R but that's not here yet so I mounted a spare Rega Elys40. I'm having similar issues as others -- the Elys40 was a bit of a tight fit but manageable. Anti-skate doesn't work -- just falls off the anti-skate arm continuously like described by Marv. Belt travels from mid-point of platter to about 1mm from top edge. Overall I'm impressed with Sol and if we can get fixes for cart mounting, anti-skate, and a better belt, I'd be thrilled.
     
  5. badf00d

    badf00d Friend

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    Thanks Jason. I'll be watching this thread closely before I open the box this weekend. Let me know if I should hold off opening it.
     
  6. schiit

    schiit SchiitHead

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    If you have any doubts, send it back for a full refund, including shipping, either before or after opening. No worries.
     
  7. skem

    skem Friend

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    @purr1n : looks like anti-skate issue might be mitigated by raising the platter height, pushing the tone-arm gimbal up—and smashing down the hook for the weight. See setup video 19:00, where arm looks bent.

    Granted, your solution works.

    I figured a rubber band drive was a recipe for vibrational energy storage and all sorts of nasties, though I don’t have experience with them. On platter wobble ... See spoiler for unsubstantiated rant...
    Set screws and such aren't great for keeping things concentric or vertical. That’s what collets are for. I didn’t see any mechanism for leveling the platter. Three feet is a stable configuration, but are there leveling adjustments? Having one leg longer makes that task awkward since you’re leveling an off-center point.

    What prevents tipping the platter from the belt’s pull off to one side? That’s going to create a tilting oscillation. Additionally, pull will be different for 45 and 33, as diameter changes, meaning unlike other belt drive you can’t optimize this challenge.

    Is the platter balanced at the factory? Most round things, like your tire rims, aren’t that balanced. If made from cast aluminum, it’s probably out of balance because of density variation without a post-cast balancing procedure. If made from wrought, it would have residual stress and likely not be cylindrical unless machined, annealed, then machined again. I wasn’t able to see balancing or machining marks in the video to indicate how these issues were solved. I’m also not sure how significant they are for 33rpm. I used to design 60,000 rpm spinning systems, where these are life or death.

    The coefficient of thermal expansion on carbon composites (i.e., the tone arm) is typically about 3x that of steel (from which I assume the base might be made?). If so, an 11” arm will misalign the cartridge by >1/2mm over a 10*C temp change.

    Again, I have NO experience with designing TTs. These are just general engineering observations that made me suspicious.

    Additional thought: some accommodation should be made, of course. Schiit brings a well-loved ethos to their product line AND excellent electrical engineering. While that ethos comes through in Sol, we shouldn’t automatically expect their first foray into mechanical engineering to be as good as their electronics. This is a new ballgame for them.
     
    Last edited: Sep 12, 2019
  8. Hammy

    Hammy Friend

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    I wonder if anti-seize on the threads of the screws that tighten the platter down would help the platter to be less likely to develop wobble as the screws are tightened?

    I haven't seen the turntable is person. I don't know how the platter gets tightened to the spindle. But it looks like something that I'd instinctively want to grease or anti-sieze the screw threads so it would tighten and torque evenly.
     
  9. purr1n

    purr1n Desire for betterer is endless.

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    This cannot die. The performance potential is just too high despite the manual controls.

    I hope that Schiit is not discouraged, and fixes these things. In the meantime, let the haters hate and rejoice in their victory.
     
  10. winders

    winders boomer

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    I sure hope that Schiit doesn't kill this product. From what I have read on various forums, generally people really like Sol except for the problems you have outlined here. Heck, I really like Sol even though I have never seen one in person and have no plans on getting back into vinyl. Let's hope the fixes are easy. It shouldn't be too hard to find out what the longest and shortest cartridges and test with those. Maybe the headshell is fine and they just need to shorten the arm a bit. Then again, they may have to shorten the arm and increase the headshell length too. The rest of the problems seem minor.

    I am a tinkerer so Sol would be a turntable I would look at seriously if I were in the market. I have confidence that Jason and Mike will get this figured out and will have a big winner on their hands!
     
  11. schiit

    schiit SchiitHead

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    Okay, so here's the deal: we dun phucked up. We should have done a beta.

    Soooooo...let's do a beta.

    Soon, all Sol owners will be getting an email that goes something like this:

    Okay, so it looks like the Sol launch has uncovered a lot more problems than we expected. Please accept our apologies for any trouble you may have had. We want this to be a really exceptional turntable, so we're putting a pause on sales.

    We're also making you the following offer: please keep your Sol and help us improve it.

    If you choose to do so, we'll refund $300 of the Sol's original price, making your cost $499. Then, we will send you a selected set of updates and changes to improve your Sol. Also, if you have any functional problems right now (like wobbling platters), we will swap those parts as well. And, at the end of the beta period, if you still aren't happy, we'll refund the rest of your purchase price.

    Alternately, if you're just done with Sol right now, that's fine too. Contact us for an RA and we will refund 100% of your purchase price, taxes and shipping when we receive it back.

    We sincerely hope you'll help us make Sol what it should be. If not, we completely understand.
    So, yeah, I hope you stick with it. We're going to be doing everything we need to make this right, up to and including flying out Conrad to help us in real time. When we know a bit more, we can start sending updates to the beta testers. With luck, we'll be able to address the problems you've had and start shipping again within a month or two. If not, it might take a little longer. And when we relaunch, we'll make sure every turntable is pre-set-up for a "typical" cartridge, and there will be a standard cartridge option.

    Again, apologies for the stupidity.
     
  12. badf00d

    badf00d Friend

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    @schiit - you guys are awesome. I'm totally in for the beta, and am looking forward to helping you guys nail this thing. Thanks!!
     
  13. Thad E Ginathom

    Thad E Ginathom Friend

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    Me too. While I was totally wrong about not expecting teething troubles in a mechanical device that has been playing discs at their place for some time now, I have confidence too. Don't worry. It'll work out.

    <Cross posted>

    That looks like a really nice offer from Schiit. Tinkerer's heaven, and a good Sol at the end of it. Cheap. Excellent!
     
  14. Magnetostatic_Tubephile

    Magnetostatic_Tubephile Friend

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    In a weird way, I find the Sol's launch refreshing.

    I mean - Do you really enjoy repeatedly reading through the flood of "I am listening to XYZ that Schiit just released. It works perfectly, looks great, costs very little and puts all the competitive gear to shame IMHO" posts that appear every time some new Schiit gets available? It almost became a routine over the years! Good to see some challenges to tackle for a change. :drunk:

    Anyway, looking forward to see Sol orderable with standard cartridge or anything else that might be needed to make it a truly complete and functional product.
     
  15. Metro

    Metro Friend

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    You know this had to happen :)... speaking as a greyhound owner, I don't find them temperamental at all. I'm on my second greyhound (both retired racers).

    Dizzy couch.jpg
    Blaze bed.jpg
     
  16. dmckean44

    dmckean44 In a Sherwood S6040CP relationship

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    Has any manufacturer ever developed a P-mount unipivot arm?
     
  17. Mithrandir41

    Mithrandir41 Friend

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    Customer service par excellence, phuck up or not.
    Good job, @schiit; this keeps customers coming back.
     
  18. toddrhodes

    toddrhodes Friend

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    Now I kinda wish I had gotten in on this to begin with. I'd happily work with the Sol and actively work to improve it alongside the company. Otherwise, I think this effort is simply outstanding and is why I will continue to spend as many dollars with Schiit as I am able to.

    Good show, guys, and count me in if "late entries" are available to the beta pool :)
     
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  19. winders

    winders boomer

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    Yes! I said as much over on the Hoffman forum. Except I am trying to avoid vinyl!!
     
  20. Jalsar

    Jalsar Facebook Friend

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    Wish I would have ordered the Sol too. This sounds like fun to help beta test it. I would join the beta in instant.
     

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