Naim introduce a turntable - the Solstice Special Edition

Naim was always a strange company IMHO. We got some of their electronics in to sample way back when and I thought they were tinker toys, expensive tinker toys.

@rossb, no big surprise. I keep telling everyone that bass with unipivot arms is always challenged to on degree or another.

@chakster , I wouldn't call it awful. In typical Naim fashion I would call it an over priced tinker toy with a funny looking fat latter :-)

Plater 

fsonic, Your little experiment with a single idler-drive turntable and platters of different mass does not "prove" that high mass per se is the cause of a "plodding" sound, whatever that means to the author.  It only means that you prefer the lighter platter on your Garrard.  It is only information useful to you with your turntable in your system.  Furthermore you fail to mention which platter, if any of the 3, was OEM to the 301.  The 301 drive system was probably designed with a particular platter mass in mind; it would not be surprising if heavier platters would overload the drive and cause a sense of dullness or plodding or that a lighter than original platter might enliven the sound.  But I couldn't say that unless you were to reveal which was the OEM platter.  However, I hope you see my point.

fsonic, Your little experiment with a single idler-drive turntable and platters of different mass does not "prove" that high mass per se is the cause of a "plodding" sound, whatever that means to the author. It only means that you prefer the lighter platter on your Garrard. It is only information useful to you with your turntable in your system. Furthermore you fail to mention which platter, if any of the 3, was OEM to the 301. The 301 drive system was probably designed with a particular platter mass in mind; it would not be surprising if heavier platters would overload the drive and cause a sense of dullness or plodding or that a lighter than original platter might enliven the sound. But I couldn't say that unless you were to reveal which was the OEM platter. However, I hope you see my point.

And to think I used to respect your knowledge. If you knew Garrards at all, a scintilla of a speck of a flea's patoot, you would know the answer. The OEM is the lightest by far. But not my favorite. My preferred platter is the mid-weight or mid-mass if you will. Or won't.