SME chose the exquisite Hyatt Regency London–The Churchill to premiere its next-generation Model 35 and Model 8 turntables as well as the remarkable new SME Series Vi tonearm. Given SME’s standing in turntable and tonearm engineering, this was one of the hottest tickets in old London town on that early April evening. I was one of a small coterie of invited guests drawn from employees, key distributors, dealers, and press. We assembled with hushed reverence to sip fine wines and nibble canapés at the unveiling. The products were shrouded in a Union Jack until they were unveiled; I half expected the first record to be a chorus of “Rule, Britannia.”
Kat Ourlian of SME opens the proceedings—note the Union Jack covering the turntables
SME Series Vi
SME designs products with exquisite care from the ground up, which eliminates the need for continual product changes. The SME Series V was launched in 1986, when I was still a teenager, as “the best pickup arm in the world.” The Series V was the stuff of dreams back then; 40 years later, it remains the touchstone by which all elite tonearms are judged. Replacing an icon like the Series V is difficult at the best of times, so SME has chosen to keep everything people loved about the original: the exquisite looks, the massive Swiss high-load stainless-steel ball-race assemblies, the low-slung streamlined tungsten counterweight, and the high-precision SME mounting system.
Retaining all these elements, SME fitted the redesigned arm with an entirely new tapered armtube, CNC-machined from a high-density polymer that was originally developed for the SME Series VA arm on the mighty SME Model 60 turntable. The new polymer follows the form and shape of the original magnesium Series V tube, but is said to enable far lower tonearm and pillar resonances.
SME’s gorgeous Series Vi tonearm takes center stage
The Series Vi replaces the Series V and will come standard with the Model 35 turntable. One can only hope that, at some point in the future, this remarkable tonearm and its Series IV sibling will become available for sale as standalone items. It seems a pity to restrict their sale only to those who have the means to purchase the whole package.
SME Model 35
In my opinion, the Model 35 is the finest-looking turntable that SME has ever built. It’s far more elegant than the Model 30 it replaces, and more compact and better proportioned than the SME Model 60, which sits above it as the flagship of the range. The best news is that the Model 35 is competitively priced at £35,999 (all prices GBP), complete with arm and power supply, which is several thousand pounds cheaper than its Model 30 predecessor.
The Model 35 is the finest-looking turntable SME has ever built
The deck incorporates a number of key innovations, including an improved suspension system that offers both horizontal and vertical control for improved stability. Gone are the four suspension turrets of the Model 30, which I thought looked somewhat agricultural. Now everything is encased in three precision-machined columns, which hide the inner workings from view.
Note the three columns enclosing the suspension
The main bearing incorporates a hydraulic silicone-fluid damping system, while the chassis, subchassis, and platter all benefit from an improved, heavier, less-resonant design. The beautifully machined power supply offers speed selection (33⅓ and 45 rpm) as well as fine-tuning of speed. It’s derived from the unit developed for the Model 60. The Model 35 will be available in a black-and-silver anodized finish as standard, or in a special anodized finish of Midnight Blue and Gunmetal for a £2000 premium. The demonstration deck was finished in Midnight Blue, and it really did remind me of the blue finish of high-quality shotgun barrels. Expect a review of this magnificent new turntable on SoundStage! Ultra soon.
Speed- and motor-control unit, featuring yet more exquisite design
SME Model 8
The Model 8 turntable replaces the Model 6, and at £9999, it represents the entry point to the SME turntable range. This turntable incorporates a number of innovations over the Model 6, including a machined-resin plinth that is 40% heavier than the one on the outgoing model and now incorporates a recessed groove around the perimeter, significantly improving the appearance. Three finishes are available, including SME Black, White, and Midnight Blue. The Model 8 comes equipped with the excellent SME Series 309 tonearm with internal Crystal Cable wiring.
White SME Model 8
The polymer platter is now machined to be thicker and heavier, resulting in improved speed stability and damping. The speed-control unit has been redeveloped and is similar to those fitted to the higher-end models. The arm-mounting board has been further refined to reduce vibration transfer between the tonearm and plinth, while on the rear panel, SME now uses gold-plated WBT RCA output jacks to improve signal conductivity.
SME 309 tonearm with Crystal Cable wiring
SME Model 8 motor-control unit
SME Music
The final launch of the night was a new record label. When one of the great turntable and tonearm makers of the past century starts direct-cutting vinyl from analog recordings of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra engineered by Tony Faulkner, you’re guaranteed to hear something special. The recordings were single takes recorded onto two-track, half-inch tape using Studer A820 and A80 recorders. Conductor Pete Harrison attended the SME event and explained that the aim was to capture the passion and emotion of the chosen Prokofiev pieces, rather than to merely focus on the sonic technicalities. We were treated to some excerpts from the recordings, and they certainly sounded impressive; I’m looking forward to hearing them on the SME Model 35 when it comes in for review.
SME had assembled a formidable demonstration system, including a Nagra HD phono stage, Siltech amplification, and Siltech Symphony loudspeakers
After the launch, some of the assembled journos and key SME staff retired to the hotel bar to shoot the breeze and discuss this remarkable debut. Regular readers will know that my Michell GyroDec / SME IV / Lyra Kleos SL vinyl front-end means a lot to me, not least because the Gyro was an engagement present from my wife. I don’t mind admitting, though, that the Model 35 is now occupying my thoughts as a dream reference turntable, thanks to its precision engineering, finely honed sonic qualities, and supermodel looks.
Walking Oxford Street the next morning, there was nowhere else in the world I would rather be
The world’s oldest record store, HMV on Oxford Street, London, founded in 1921—one of the finest record shops in the world
Jonathan Gorse
Senior Contributor, SoundStage!
SME Ltd.
Mill Road
Steyning
West Sussex
BN44 3GY
England
Website: sme.co.uk/
