Turntable Reviews

SME 60 record player Measurements

Sidebar 3: Measurements


Fig.1 Wow and flutter re.3150Hz tone at 5cm/s (plotted ±150Hz, 5Hz per minor division).

Speed stability has been a given with previous SME turntables, but the switch from DC to AC motor drive has taken its Model 60 to another level. Its approximately 0.005% absolute speed accuracy and mere 0.01% peak-weighted wow (fig.1) are comparable with the best of today's direct-drive offerings, including Technics's fabulous Grand Class SL-1200GAE. Few other belt-drive decks get this close.


Fig.2 Unweighted rumble from DC–200Hz (with clamp, blue; without clamp, black), all ref. 1kHz at 5cm/s.

Minor flutter modes at ±12Hz, ±33Hz, and ±65Hz (also visible on the unweighted rumble spectra, fig.2) amount to no more than a peak-weighted 0.02%. Furthermore, the sintered bronze bearing, with its oil-damped ball, is so precisely machined and polished that both through-groove and through-bearing rumble are truly state of the art, at –75.5dB and –76.5dB (DIN-B–weighted, ref. 5cm/s), respectively. The impact of the screw-down record weight/clamp is limited to a mere ±0.1dB variance on the through-groove measurement; replay from less flat vinyl discs may benefit more meaningfully.

The Series VA tonearm's spring-loaded downforce dial is calibrated to within approximately 2% over a 0–3gm range (1gm = 1.02gm; 2gm = 2.05gm of actual downforce). Although the Series VA tonearm's design is based on the Series V, the new polymer armtube brings the effective mass down closer to 10gm. While this might render the Series VA slightly less compatible with heavier, low-compliance MCs, the current trend for slightly more relaxed MC suspensions—in pursuit of improved tracking—actually makes the VA more relevant. The side-mounted oil bath is retained in case additional damping of especially excitable pickups is required.


Fig.3 Cumulative spectral decay spectrum illustrating the tonearm's various bearing, pillar, and "tube" vibration modes 100Hz–10kHz over 40ms.

As with the Series V, the VA's bearings are free of any perceptible play and for our purposes are essentially frictionless (<5mg in both planes). Resonances within the arm itself are resolved into just two components: a bending mode at 105Hz with a harmonic at 270Hz (structural harmonics are not necessarily integer multiples) and another, higher-Q, resonance at 450Hz. The freedom from more complex resonances, and general clutter, is quite remarkable (CSD waterfall, fig.3).—Paul Miller

COMPANY INFO
SME Limited
Mill Rd., Steyning
West Sussex BN44 3GY
England
(416) 638-8207
sme.co.uk
ARTICLE CONTENTS

COMMENTS
AnalogueFan's picture
Submitted by AnalogueFan on July 20, 2023 - 11:33am

The one reviewed on analogplanet.com yesterday is much more innovative.

https://www.analogplanet.com/content/origin-live-sovereign-s-mkv-turntable-enterprise-mkiv-tonearm

Anton's picture
Submitted by Anton on July 20, 2023 - 12:13pm

Well, that's a relief. Those people with more money than brains who spring for 80,000 dollar + turntables really can't be bothered with that tweaky audiophile stuff.

If only SME could make a fully auto table! Or, make a changer!

jimtavegia's picture
Submitted by jimtavegia on July 20, 2023 - 1:18pm

I still think that beyond the Model 6 is serious diminishing returns, but YMMV. Then you have to buy a cartridge worthy and then a phono stage, then the rest of your system might need an upgrade. Moves and counter-moves will be in order.

And then there is only a 2-year warranty. A repair on that would not be cheap.

Glotz's picture
Submitted by Glotz on July 20, 2023 - 1:24pm

Get on your knees and HAIL the greatness of SME!

If it had laser beams, I would only wish it would zap the naysayers.

Ortofan's picture
Submitted by Ortofan on July 20, 2023 - 7:40pm

... "Best Pick-Up Arm in the World" retailed for about $150.
Mount it on a Thorens TD125, a Linn LP12, a Technics SP10 or a Sony PS2251 - none of which cost more than $400 - and that was the state-of-the-art record player of the day. $550 all in, equivalent to $3500 now. They were great performers back then and are still great today.

MhtLion's picture
Submitted by MhtLion on July 21, 2023 - 7:11am

Great review! I like it. Wish I can afford it.

volvic's picture
Submitted by volvic on July 24, 2023 - 3:13pm

Then again, I don’t as an owner of the 10, which I already think is a great table. I’ve heard the 12, and the 20, and each one offers more. I can only imagine how great the 60 is. I want one, but then again I can’t afford one.

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