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Schitt Sol Turntable

AudioSceptic

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Another option at a fairly reasonable price is the Mobile Fidelity StudioDeck. It's relatively new to the market, so you aren't likely to find one used at a discount, but if you are willing to buy new, it has audiophile appeal. Unlike Regas, it has an easy to adjust VTA (for the tweakers out there), but if you don't want to tweak, you can also get it with an installed cartridge, in which case it is essentially a turnkey solution.
That seems to be around $1200 with cart extra, which is getting a bit much for a vinyl dabbler, I think.
 
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garbulky

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Very sensible IMO. In your situation I'd look out for a good used Rega P2 or P3 (these were originally called Planar 2 and 3, then P2 and P3 for a while, and have now reverted to the original names). Simple but surprisingly effective design (no subchassis) and minimal setup. If you want something more tweaky, there are many options going back to the early days of stereo LP!
Another option at a fairly reasonable price is the Mobile Fidelity StudioDeck. It's relatively new to the market, so you aren't likely to find one used at a discount, but if you are willing to buy new, it has audiophile appeal. Unlike Regas, it has an easy to adjust VTA (for the tweakers out there), but if you don't want to tweak, you can also get it with an installed cartridge, in which case it is essentially a turnkey solution.
All three of those look quite nice.
I prefer the look of the Sol. I might be mistaken here but it looks like the Sol motor is freestanding and not attached/anchored to the turntable at all. That's maybe a problem for me as the Schiit is liable to get knocked and moved around a bit by my family. Since it is attached to the belt and I assume a certain tension is needed, that may be an issue.
 

AudioSceptic

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All three of those look quite nice.
I prefer the look of the Sol. I might be mistaken here but it looks like the Sol motor is freestanding and not attached/anchored to the turntable at all. That's maybe a problem for me as the Schiit is liable to get knocked and moved around a bit by my family. Since it is attached to the belt and I assume a certain tension is needed, that may be an issue.
If you want skeletal, look at the Michell Tecnodec <https://theaudiophileman.com/tecnodec/>. This is the Gyrodec's little sibling and you get some nice visible engineering for your money. This will p*ss (or should that be s**t?) all over the Schiit.
 
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Thomas_A

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BDWoody

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Yeah, I wouldn't recommend spending >$1k on a hobby that is still being felt out...

Yeah, agreed.....A used Rega P2/P3 would be much more affordable for a dabbler.

I'd also suggest a used table. A little research and you can find a quite decent TT, often with cartridge, for +/- $500... $1000 can buy a very nice setup...but you have to be careful...it's a jungle out there.

I found my older Kenwood 880DII with a very serviceable and quite decent original cartridge for less than that, and it's been great to get back into Vinyl with.
 

anmpr1

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Yeah, I wouldn't recommend spending >$1k on a hobby that is still being felt out...
I'm all for hobbies, but be aware that there is really no 'sonic' value to be had with records. Even though records today are generally better quality than hitherto. Records are expensive, and once you get going with the hardware it tends to be a huge money funnel.

I am involved only because I'm an old guy and that's what I have. I've built up the hobby since I was a kid, and I have plenty to show for it. That said, if f I was younger and just thinking about it, I'd start collecting stamps, or anything but records. There is really nothing you can't get on digits that requires plastic. But again, it's a hobby, so I understand about that.
 

watchnerd

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If you want skeletal, look at the Michell Tecnodec <https://theaudiophileman.com/tecnodec/>. This is the Gyrodec's little sibling and you get some nice visible engineering for your money. This will p*ss (or should that be s**t?) all over the Schiit.

The Tecnodec can also be fit with a huge variety of arms, as the arm boards are not only available from Michell for Rega, SME (special order), but you can also have custom boards made.
 

watchnerd

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I'm all for hobbies, but be aware that there is really no 'sonic' value to be had with records.

The sonic value is irrelevant, IMHO.

I'm just saying, if one is new to record collecting (and, hey, why not.....people collect Star Wars figurines, Disney crap, watches (me), etc), for *whatever reason*, you might not want to invest $1k on a turntable until the collection gets bigger and you know you like the hobby enough to stick with it.
 

anmpr1

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The sonic value is irrelevant, IMHO.
I think the reason that a lot of folks want to get into records is because they've been told by the press, and other hobbyists, that records 'sound' better. They certainly sound different. That's for sure. Again, I get hobbies, and if someone wants to collect records, then I understand that. Probably cheaper than collecting electric guitars. But maybe not... depending.

And I can't deny that there are some things records have going for them over digits stored either on CDs or a PC:

a) the physical form factor is better, in that you can hold the jacket while you sit on your sofa and read liner notes without straining your eyes.
b) if you are a bit autistic you can watch and enjoy the machine go round and round. Probably beats (and sounds better than ) watching the spin dryer in the laundry room.
c) there's a lot of adjustments you can make, and add-ons you can try.
d) you may get a poster with your record. Or at least you used to, with certain albums.
e) the cat will want to attack it, ruining the entire mess, so you can start all over.
 

watchnerd

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I think the reason that a lot of folks want to get into records is because they've been told by the press, and other hobbyists, that records 'sound' better. They certainly sound different. That's for sure. Again, I get hobbies, and if someone wants to collect records, then I understand that. Probably cheaper than collecting electric guitars. But maybe not... depending.

And I can't deny that there are some things records have going for them over digits stored either on CDs or a PC:

a) the physical form factor is better, in that you can hold the jacket while you sit on your sofa and read liner notes without straining your eyes.
b) if you are a bit autistic you can watch and enjoy the machine go round and round. Probably beats (and sounds better than ) watching the spin dryer in the laundry room.
c) there's a lot of adjustments you can make, and add-ons you can try.
d) you may get a poster with your record. Or at least you used to, with certain albums.
e) the cat will want to attack it, ruining the entire mess, so you can start all over.

Just out of curiosity, why does it matter to you why they want to get into vinyl?

It reads to me like you're saying, "if you want to get into LPs because you like the physical form, or you like to adjust things, that's okay, but if you do it because you like the 'sound' [whatever that means], that's not okay."
 
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AudioSceptic

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Yeah, agreed.....A used Rega P2/P3 would be much more affordable for a dabbler.
I'd also suggest a used table. A little research and you can find a quite decent TT, often with cartridge, for +/- $500... $1000 can buy a very nice setup...but you have to be careful...it's a jungle out there.

I found my older Kenwood 880DII with a very serviceable and quite decent original cartridge for less than that, and it's been great to get back into Vinyl with.
This is why I plug used Regas. A simple (subtle?) design that just works, and there's not much that a previous owner can screw up.
 

adlerburg

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Hi, I've had the SOL for a couple days, and here's my honest review with no strings one way or the other, no dog in the fight etc etc....
Currently having a high quality TT setup (VPI Scout, Benz Micro MC cart, RCM Phono Stage), I didn't need the SOL, but I figured I couldn't really lose anything, as either I could easily sell the VPI if I liked the SOL better AND have an extra 2 grand in my pocket, or send the SOL back if I didn't. No harm no foul... and it would give me the chance to have fun and audition Schiit's new SOL! This comparison of TTs was exciting to me, as I could truly A/B the SOL against a tried and trued VPI heavyweight, and all things will be equal.
So I'll quickly say that after the setup (a bit of a pain in the arse, but not too bad at all), sonically there was NO difference. Sonically the Sol absolutely equalled my VPI with the same setup. And I'd expect that using the same cart, preamp, etc. So I'll 100% agree with Schiit's statement that the Sol will not hold back a good cart.
Ok, with that out of the way, from a quality standpoint (build, design, etc) the Sol clearly and decisively pales in comparision to the VPI Scout 1.1 .. I guess the mantra "for the money, you can't beat it" probably holds true. But with these two side by side, the contrast was stark. The VPI being the sum of all it's parts is a fine piece equipment, with no corners cut. The Sol was not even close in quality. It actually felt like a DIY piece of kit.. with QA issues to boot. Mine arrived sealed box fresh with a out of spec hole in the platter so there was slop where it mated with the bearing. This is supposed to be VERY snug. Ok, a few back and forth emails to Schiit tech support, and a replacement platter and bearing was fedex'ed so I'll roll with that without too much complaining.
Pros:
  • Sonically equalled a high end table... it won't hold back a good cart and stage
  • Easily configurable
  • Aesthically pleaseing IMHO
Cons:
  • Tonearm head just too tight. I had to bend the connectors to fit in. YMMV, but there was no such issue on the VPI. Pulling my hair out!
  • No Tonearm lock.. it just floats in this 'goal post' looking lift, but no way to secure.
  • Cart wire pressure is not isolated after it comes through the tonearm out at the back, and it does affect the tone arm balance when it sits on the unipivot setup. Unlike the VPI, where the wire comes out directly from the center of the top cap, not affecting the balance in anyway, this wire comes out right at the unipivot mechanism, and you are tasked to "bend" it out for the way and route it the best way you can... PULLING MY HAIR OUT!
  • Anti skate mechanism just sucks. You are give a weight and some fishing wire and told to "have at it" It's rinkydink Bull$h!+ there's nothing good about it. The VPI comparison is a well engineered antiskate mech.
  • The motor and wiring is a BAD piece of engineering. WTF???? Instead of having a wall wart with an inline on/off switch (which I'd be fine with), or the wall wart wire directly into the motor with an on/off switch on the motor housing (I'd be fine with that too!), some genius decides to be fancy and run the wallwart into the frame of the table, then pigtail over to the motor, with an on/off switch on the Table frame!! WTF!!! Every time you turn off the switch (y'know, pesky lil' things liker to change a record! ), there is an audible "pop" through the system... yes, I'm grounded correctly.. c'mon! So not wanting to risk speaker damage, I ommited that path, and went directly from the wallwart into the motor with no switch. So for now, to change a record or shut it off, I pull out the wire from the motor. Pulling my hair out wanting the smack this designer.
Conclusion... Yes it sounds fine with a correct setup. And had I not a comparison TT, I'd likely keep this and be fine with it after I squared this away and drilled a hole and rerouted the cart wire, wired in a pushbutton on/off switch for the motor.. But having the VPI and being used to such a fine exacting piece of equipment, it's hard not to just keep what I have and either return it, or ??? Oh, so the VPI was over $3k (without Cart), and the Sol is $799 (not $800 mind you)... And the Sol "sounds" as good, so the Sol and $2200 in my pocket.. Or the better quality (in every way... except sound!) VPI for over 2 grand more... Y'know, the things that make me scratch my head, is that 'most' of my complaints shouldn't have been an issue as they are design flaws... IMHO.
If you get the Sol, and set it up correctly with good audio path etc, you will be pleased (with the sound anyway)
HTH'ed ?

NOTE for the OP... Correct the spelling of the manufacturer from "Schitt to Schiit" and you'll get much more traction as if you search for "Schiit Sol", there are no hits
 
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garbulky

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Hi, I've had the SOL for a couple days, and here's my honest review with no strings one way or the other, no dog in the fight etc etc....
Currently having a high quality TT setup (VPI Scout, Benz Micro MC cart, RCM Phono Stage), I didn't need the SOL, but I figured I couldn't really lose anything, as either I could easily sell the VPI if I liked the SOL better AND have an extra 2 grand in my pocket, or send the SOL back if I didn't. No harm no foul... and it would give me the chance to have fun and audition Schiit's new SOL! This comparison of TTs was exciting to me, as I could truly A/B the SOL against a tried and trued VPI heavyweight, and all things will be equal.
So I'll quickly say that after the setup (a bit of a pain in the arse, but not too bad at all), sonically there was NO difference. Sonically the Sol absolutely equalled my VPI with the same setup. And I'd expect that using the same cart, preamp, etc. So I'll 100% agree with Schiit's statement that the Sol will not hold back a good cart.
Ok, with that out of the way, from a quality standpoint (build, design, etc) the Sol clearly and decisively pales in comparision to the VPI Scout 1.1 .. I guess the mantra "for the money, you can't beat it" probably holds true. But with these two side by side, the contrast was stark. The VPI being the sum of all it's parts is a fine piece equipment, with no corners cut. The Sol was not even close in quality. It actually felt like a DIY piece of kit.. with QA issues to boot. Mine arrived sealed box fresh with a out of spec hole in the platter so there was slop where it mated with the bearing. This is supposed to be VERY snug. Ok, a few back and forth emails to Schiit tech support, and a replacement platter and bearing was fedex'ed so I'll roll with that without too much complaining.
Pros:
  • Sonically equalled a high end table... it won't hold back a good cart and stage
  • Easily configurable
  • Aesthically pleaseing IMHO
Cons:
  • Tonearm head just too tight. I had to bend the connectors to fit in. YMMV, but there was no such issue on the VPI. Pulling my hair out!
  • No Tonearm lock.. it just floats in this 'goal post' looking lift, but no way to secure.
  • Cart wire pressure is not isolated after it comes through the tonearm out at the back, and it does affect the tone arm balance when it sits on the unipivot setup. Unlike the VPI, where the wire comes out directly from the center of the top cap, not affecting the balance in anyway, this wire comes out right at the unipivot mechanism, and you are tasked to "bend" it out for the way and route it the best way you can... PULLING MY HAIR OUT!
  • Anti skate mechanism just sucks. You are give a weight and some fishing wire and told to "have at it" It's rinkydink Bull$h!+ there's nothing good about it. The VPI comparison is a well engineered antiskate mech.
  • The motor and wiring is a BAD piece of engineering. WTF???? Instead of having a wall wart with an inline on/off switch (which I'd be fine with), or the wall wart wire directly into the motor with an on/off switch on the motor housing (I'd be fine with that too!), some genius decides to be fancy and run the wallwart into the frame of the table, then pigtail over to the motor, with an on/off switch on the Table frame!! WTF!!! Every time you turn off the switch (y'know, pesky lil' things liker to change a record! ), there is an audible "pop" through the system... yes, I'm grounded correctly.. c'mon! So not wanting to risk speaker damage, I ommited that path, and went directly from the wallwart into the motor with no switch. So for now, to change a record or shut it off, I pull out the wire from the motor. Pulling my hair out wanting the smack this designer.
Conclusion... Yes it sounds fine with a correct setup. And had I not a comparison TT, I'd likely keep this and be fine with it after I squared this away and drilled a hole and rerouted the cart wire, wired in a pushbutton on/off switch for the motor.. But having the VPI and being used to such a fine exacting piece of equipment, it's hard not to just keep what I have and either return it, or ??? Oh, so the VPI was over $3k (without Cart), and the Sol is $799 (not $800 mind you)... And the Sol "sounds" as good, so the Sol and $2200 in my pocket.. Or the better quality (in every way... except sound!) VPI for over 2 grand more... Y'know, the things that make me scratch my head, is that 'most' of my complaints shouldn't have been an issue as they are design flaws... IMHO.
If you get the Sol, and set it up correctly with good audio path etc, you will be pleased (with the sound anyway)
HTH'ed ?

NOTE for the OP... Correct the spelling of the manufacturer from "Schitt to Schiit" and you'll get much more traction as if you search for "Schiit Sol", there are no hits
Wow! Nice review! Can't ask for more honesty! Interesting that it copmeted with the Scout in sound! That speaks really nicely for the Sol. It is their first outing after all.

But also very sad about the design issues especially the switch. Things like that should have been figured out essentially the very first time the designer played a record. What gives?! As for the fishing wire, I don't know what it was about but the moment I saw them playing with a fishing wire, I knew I wouldn't be anywhere close to competent to mess with this! :D
 

watchnerd

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So I'll quickly say that after the setup (a bit of a pain in the arse, but not too bad at all), sonically there was NO difference. Sonically the Sol absolutely equalled my VPI with the same setup. And I'd expect that using the same cart, preamp, etc.

Yeah, I'd expect that, too.

For who knows what reason, reviewers seem to over pivot on the "turntable sound", as opposed to the cart, which dominates the sonic signature.


  • The motor and wiring is a BAD piece of engineering. WTF???? Instead of having a wall wart with an inline on/off switch (which I'd be fine with), or the wall wart wire directly into the motor with an on/off switch on the motor housing (I'd be fine with that too!), some genius decides to be fancy and run the wallwart into the frame of the table, then pigtail over to the motor, with an on/off switch on the Table frame!! WTF!!! Every time you turn off the switch (y'know, pesky lil' things liker to change a record! ), there is an audible "pop" through the system... yes, I'm grounded correctly.. c'mon! So not wanting to risk speaker damage, I ommited that path, and went directly from the wallwart into the motor with no switch. So for now, to change a record or shut it off, I pull out the wire from the motor. Pulling my hair out wanting the smack this designer.

I've never seen a Sol in person, but even looking at the picture, one immediately thinks "why would you design it like that?"

My Gyro SE has a button on top of the motor housing. The motor housing connects to a PSU/wall wart. None of that is connected to the chassis.

Total WTF engineering on the motor / wiring of the Sol....for no logical reason I can think of.
 

Chazzbo

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OK first post I just sit on sidelines and watch but the review above has me wanting to say :Watchnerd on first page of thread brought up some good points.And Adlerberg gave a test ride.But yes it has a major WTF factor with the motor plug issue.The "bend and route" wire issue is another.I would also like more extensive input on azimuth given the fixed headshell.That said one has to admire a VTA on the fly scheme at $800.My guess is in another few posts somebody will come up with effective mass numbers and thought this looks like a high compliance affair it's probably in the low /mid 11 to 25 gm range of arms if it has been tested by Schiit with a Denon 103.My question is why not put these numbers up if your touting it's flexibility "it's for the tweaker" etc hash.I need a new deck and (had a few from LP12 to VPI Aries 12.5) want quick swap for different carts.I loved my old VPI and unipivot wobble didn't bother me the cost of a second arm wand did.But here it's $200.Yes $200 for an extra arm tube is cheap just a bit more than good head shells.If you want one stereo and one mono (or a burnt one for beaters) and get it from same company in same series you don't even need to screw with VTA and nothing could be faster.That said I am trying to judge a few design flaws and lack of robust build quality (which again it's $800),the headshell vs wand thing etc.I think I might go for a Gem Merrill Poly Table (I am stunned nobody mentioned it)for another $1K and get something which will be better built and have better anti-skate and be easier to set up.Plus I could choose an upgrade path for arms etc.But an extra grand plus $150+ if I want a VTA collar.Lot of Schiit hating here and that's fine.They don't measure well,don't weight a ton,etc etc but it's not all Fan Boy hype that's getting fave reviews so it shouldn't be the other way around.This industry is full of a lot intelligence insulting pricing and Schiit is aiming at people who resent that.On other hand a few companies are delivering relative value.One should leave the prejudice at the door pro or con when looking at anything.This product has some flaws and needs to be evaluated but so love or dismiss it quickly is hard to do given it's objectives and price.
 

Thomas_A

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Is that arm a Unipivot without damping? I would say don't go there.
 

JJB70

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This turntable seems to sum up some of the issues I find with much modern audio and illustrate one of the more bonkers paradoxes of the hobby.

There seems to be a failure of basic good design, as indicated by adlerburg's review. This is not the first time Schiit have failed to get the basics right, and it is a less serious than their failure to earth products with the result that they present a safety hazard. And it is not just Schiit, looking at many amplifiers I see poor board layouts, badly designed heat rejection arrangements, shoddy wiring and pretty poor assembly practices.

The good thing is most of these failings don't prevent products providing excellent audible performance, and if it is a cheap product then you get what you pay for at a certain point. However, I see a lot of the same in more expensive products and from manufacturers that are trying to sell themselves as a premium supplier. And much of this stuff wouldn't cost any more to do well than to do badly.

The paradox is that so many audiophiles and reviewers swallow any passing snake oil gibberish and buy into all the voodoo mysticism at the same time as being oblivious to just plain shoddy engineering in a lot of equipment.

Odd.
 
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