Naim introduce a turntable - the Solstice Special Edition

The plodding sound of high mass turntables (I have owned an AMG and a Kuzma) really seems contrary to the Naim philosophy.

While I relate to this observation, I have had mixed experiences with high mass TTs.

The lazy sounding ones1. Verdier2. AMG Viela3. Kuzma4. Walker
Open and fast sounding ones1. Kondo Ginga
2. Micro Seiki SX-8000
3. Avid Acutus4. Hartvig
Interestingly none of the low mass TTs sound plodding 

I die laughing when I hear these terms applied to turntables. Plodding? Does that mean slow as in 33 1/8th or, does that mean increased amounts of wow?

No. If it was such a simple thing as slowing down of the platter speed, it wouldnt have made to the market. Plodding as in transients not recovering fast enough and bleeding into notes, a time domain smear. This is quite easily heard with slow music (low tempo). It is not due to wow, it is due to energy storage in a heavy platter which doesn't have an effective drainage mechanism. A design issue. I am not a technical expert in mass and energy transfer in these devices but I have just heard enough of this nuisance, endemic to "new age" turntables. 

Most of the golden era TTs do not suffer with these issues at least. They may not be quiet but they sound like music. Probably because it came from large established audio companies who hire a good team to do the job instead of the typical "1 man" companies designing TTs today.

The TD124 drives the idler with a belt between the motor and idler, and (hence?) it also sounds a lot like a belt drive btw.

Having heard the 301, Lenco and 124 in the same systems, I felt the 124 sounds the most refined with a more belt drive-ish flow and momentum. But I agree it sounds more idler type when compared to a TD 125, (heard in the same system)

Nice one @mijostyn

pani, define “belt drive-ish flow”.

A more continuous sound with not so sharp start-stop transients

@mijostyn, if everything about music reproduction was technically measurable then 

1. Almost all TTs should more or less similar
2. We would not need anything more than a Technics SL1200 for a near perfect music reproduction.

When we "audiophiles" say pace, it is not speed. A song measuring 183 secs will still end in 183 secs but we are talking about the way notes get formed and carry the flow. The agility of the notes, the leading edge sharpness, the body and decay, and the lead up into the next note, all forms the structure and flow of music. DD, BD & ID all have a certain characteristic way to joining the notes (due to the kind of distortion the drive brings to the platter). Whether technical measurements detects anomaly or not, our ears can very easily detect these differences.

Exactly! what the artist actually created, when it gets messed up during reproduction, is what we are talking about. You do not hear it, thats awesome. I also would like to be in your position.

It is not about what I "think" I hear. I know what I hear and I spot it without analyzing much. Whether I can express it well, is a different matter but I honestly try not to mince words. 

You don't like this mumbo jumbo? I get it. 

Btw, when you put on a Michael Jackson record on a $15k TT and don't feel like dancing to the rhythm, there is something wrong. Is it wow, flutter, da da da da, I don't know. But It happens very often in high end audio.

Thats why most audio demonstrations in shows happen on simple vocal based music, with couple of instruments in the background.