Turntables, Arms & Cartridges

It’s likely that there are more turntables on sale now than there were when vinyl was the UK’s best-selling music format, way back in 1975. When Mike Oldfield’s Tubular Bells topped the LP charts most people bought ‘record decks’ that cost the equivalent of a couple of hundred pounds in today’s money, or less. Now, though, analogue addicts seem to be chasing a wider range of kit…

The Acoustic Solid Vintage Full Exclusive – which has a name almost as grand as the deck itself – is a premium turntable designed for people graduating from lower and mid-price designs. It ticks many esoteric analogue boxes, including that of being physically imposing. It’s massive compared with its similarly priced Rega Planar 10 (HFC 477) rival, for example. With the latter, you get a petite, stripped-down design with a vestigial honeycomb chassis that weighs less than an empty packet of crisps. This, however, is a seriously big lump that weighs 20kg before you even fit a tonearm.

To complete the ‘shock and awe’ effect, the Vintage Full Exclusive sports a chrome finish, which is as subtle as the radiator grille on the former Queen Mother’s old Rolls-Royce. The chrome plating is of good quality and really stands out in the room, especially given the deck’s chunky dimensions. It draws attention to the eye and makes the deck look even more expensive than it is. Some audiophiles with more delicate sensibilities might regard it as having a bit too much ‘bling’, however. For an additional cost, both the tonearm’s colour and the overall colour scheme of the deck can be specified by the customer. Unique materials can be used, such as snakeskin, leather and Alcantara.

Overall build and finish are very good. Handmade in Germany, this deck exudes high-end vibes, which has to be a key design criterion. The chassis is a sandwich of aluminium and stainless steel layers, and the plinth (or base) is lined with Plastodem sound insulation. Underneath are three damping feet which have a very pliable, rubbery texture. The motor is built into the base, which makes setting up a lot less fiddly, although purists will say that a standalone design should be better as there’s less vibration transmission. It drives the huge platter peripherally by two very fine ‘cord’ belts – we’re not talking the sort of short, thick, stubby types you’ll see on a Linn Sondek LP12 or Roksan Xerxes – here, they’re much more like a Michell.

The bearing assembly is a very substantial design with a ground stainless steel axle, a cast liner and a ruby bearing base resting on special Teflon discs. A ceramic ball sits between the spindle and platter bearing shaft. It’s just as well that this is so sturdy, because the platter is a massive 8kg machined aluminium affair, “hand polished to perfection”. Acoustic Solid thoughtfully supplies a pair of white gloves for setup. This is topped off by a 4mm acrylic damping disc and there’s a leather platter mat (available in a range of colours) that can also be fitted if you prefer.

The motor is said to generate 400Nm of torque, which is regulated electronically and offers near-instant 33/45rpm switching. There’s also fine electronic speed control via the top control panel, to the front right of the deck’s top plate; this also gives the on/off function. Acoustic Solid supplies a small stroboscopic disc to check this, and once the desired speed is reached, a green or red LED illuminates for either 33 or 45rpm respectively. Our only real gripe concerns the cheap-looking power supply and power cable arrangement, however an upgrade power supply option is available for £340.

Sound quality
The old phrase “what you see is what you get” aptly describes the sound of the Acoustic Solid. While the aforementioned compact and super-light Rega Planar 10 sounds peppy, fast and lithe but a little lacking in low-end thump, this deck veers towards a rock-solid, chunky, gutsy, unshakable sound that’s not quite as excitable as the Rega.

Many will like its character, which is more than a little reminiscent of an open-reel master tape. It gives a detailed, architectural and unshakable rendition of the music. Steely Dan’s Home At Last is spacious, airy and stable. Each strand of the mix is able to play clearly without in any way treading on each other’s toes. This deck makes a seriously good fist of this laid-back, jazzy slice of classic mid-Seventies rock.

Feed it some bass-laden techno of the early nineties – in the shape of Shades Of Rhythm’s You’re Walking – and the same positive attributes shine through. This track has a dreamy, ambient quality that’s matched by plaintive, slightly melancholic vocals. Only serious, grown-up turntables really manage to capture the atmosphere of the recording, and the Acoustic Solid doesn’t disappoint. It’s happy to divide up all the elements of the mix, so you can focus on any one of them – and then knit everything back together with great precision. Given more upbeat rock music, like the new wave thrash of The Undertones’ I’ve Got Your Number, and it sounds clear, open and unflustered. Yet there’s a slight sense that some of the impact of the recording’s crescendos is missing. The deck just doesn’t go loud as convincingly as it could, which adds to its slightly laid back, easy-going but thorough character. Knowing the suppled Ortofon Quintet moving-coil cartridge as we do, we strongly suspect that this is sitting on dynamics slightly. It’s a talented performer with jazz, too, displaying a subtle character of its own which it imprints on to everything it plays. The floaty modern jazz of Herbie Hancock’s I Have A Dream sounds a touch more analytical and less vibrant than the Rega for example, yet it has stronger weight in the bass and an enjoyably open top end. It presents as more grounded and less frenetic; it’s not as sinewy or eager to please, but is ultimately more sophisticated sounding. The excellent soundstaging once again helps out here; this deck approaches the exceptionally wide left-to-right scale of the Michell GyroDec in this respect. Overall, then, even though it positively excels when solidity, soundstaging and information retrieval is paramount, it’s always satisfying to listen to.

Conclusion
The key to Acoustic Solid’s latest Vintage Full Exclusive turntable is value for money. It is – at least in contemporary hi-fi terms – a mid-priced ‘affordable high-end’ design that looks and feels like something twice its price, or more. It also sounds very much up there with its associated price rivals from the likes of Rega, Michell and Pro-Ject. It’s a little more grown-up sounding than many turntables at this price point – thanks in no small part to the major materials cost – but isn’t quite as nimble as some. Warmly recommended then, but it’s always wise to try before you buy when considering turntables – as personal taste is so important. NT    

DETAILS
Product: Acoustic Solid Vintage Full Exclusive
Type: Turntable

FEATURES
● Acoustic Solid WTB 230 tonearm
● Ortofon Quintet MC cartridge
● Apple 33 & 45rpm electronic speed control