SME Model 12 Turntable – Black / SME Series V Tonearm

Here we have a high quality turntable and tonearm combination from British company SME. Our example of the Model 12 comes fitted with SME’s top of the range V Series tonearm. Both items are in very good condition and come in original packaging along with power supply unit, mains cable, tonearm cable, set-up guide, plus of course our standard three month warranty.
SME Say….
The SME Model 12 Precision Turntable is built to exacting engineering standards providing reliability and freedom from critical adjustments. Build integrity, sophisticated electronics and vibration free moving parts allow the full capabilities of any sound system to be fully explored.
The turntable is driven by a 3-phase, 6 pulse, inductance motor, with 8 pole Neodymium magnets and 3 integrated Hall position sensors.
The electronic controller uses a high performance microcomputer, optimised for motor control. The Hall position sensors on the motor provide accurate feedback to the micro controller allowing very accurate and stable speed control, including 33.3, 45 and 78 rpm. The reference oscillator is a 10 MHz quartz crystal, which is multiplied by 4 to produce an internal microprocessor clock speed of 40 MHz. The driver stage has CMOS buffers/MOSFET drivers with 1.2 Amp peak drive capability.
The power output stage is six high power complimentary Mosfets in a 3 Phase Bridge Driver configuration.
Closed loop speed control is implemented using a pseudo sine wave commutation sequence and a proportional-plus-integral (PI) algorithm.
The design incorporates a 4 layer surface mount technology PCB with on-board user adjustable speed variation control.
Specifications:
Dimensions: 370 (W) x 350 (D) x 178 (H) mm
Weight: 25.9 kg
Power Supply Unit:
Dimensions: 170 (W) x 305 (D) x 68 (H) mm
SME V Tonearm
SME engineers, recognising the potential of the latest complementary equipment, accepted the challenge to design and build a pick-up arm which unlike others in existence would make no detectable sound contribution of its own.
The work took almost four years, and the measure of its success is the acceptance of the Series V precision pick-up arm by technical experts and users as one of the world’s truly great audio products. Series V sound has an almost startling dynamic range and neutrality enabling high levels to be enjoyed. It escapes the ‘LP’ sound and demonstrates that structural resonances in pick-up arms are responsible for much that makes vinyl records readily discernible from master tapes.
In developing the Series V precision pick-up arm with unique one-piece magnesium tonearm, we aimed to establish a new reference standard by applying, without price constraint, experience in mechanical and electrical engineering gained over more than a quarter of a century.
In theoretical terms an ideal pick-up arm is supposed to be perfectly unyielding in four out of six possible degrees of freedom. That is, all except the two linear dimensions in which the music signal is generated by groove modulation. In those two linear dimensions an ideal arm is supposed to act as a pure mass.
The Series V now brings this concept closer to reality. It has been described as a significant contribution to the art of replaying vinyl discs. We believe its user will find it not only a source of lasting pleasure but that we have succeeded in our task to create anew – The best pick-up arm in the world.
Features – Build:
Unique one-piece pressure die-cast tonearm utilising the advantages of magnesium, replace conventional fabricated construction.
Internal constrained layer damps minute residual vibration leaving the tonearm acoustically inert. Fine machined cartridge platform, enamel free to avoid interface resonance.
A Stainless steel cross shaft, ground and thread ground. Carried in massive yoke on 10mm ball races. Axis at record mean level to minimise warp-wow.
Dynamic balance graduated vertical tracking force (VTF) control applies 0-3g x 0.125g through resonance controlled spring.
Unique assembly gives high rigidity and allows bearings to be critically adjusted before tonearm is fitted.
Stainless steel vertical shaft, ground and thread ground, with integral 16mm diameter flange to couple shaft and yoke.
23mm diameter steel pillar, heat treated, ground and honed, carries two 17mm ball races, widely spaced to resist tilt.
Features – Damping:
Anti-skate control operates through tension spring and filament. Dial corresponds with VTF and has positive OFF position.
Lowering/raising control gives smooth positive action. Height of lift can be adjusted.
Subsonic lateral mode fluid damper can be instantly adjusted or cancelled.
Dual-lock base provides movement control with high rigidity.
Swivelling damped output socket minimises vibration transmission in sub-chassis use.
Features – Adjustments:
Tungsten-alloy balance weight carried on damped two-point suspension. Extra-low inertia design assists warp riding.
Underslung weight housing corrects centre of gravity and provides non-reflective tone-arm termination. Adjustment leadscrew journalled in twin ball races with lever clamping.
Fine adjustment of arm height (VTA).
Reference lines on tonearm facilitate VTA setting.
Fine adjustment of horizontal tracking angle (HTA).
Specifications:
Effective Mass: 10.0/11.0 g
Cartridge Balance Range: 4.2 – 18.0 g
Vertical Tracking Force: 0 – 3.0 g (30 mN)
Maximum Tracking Error: 0.012 (degrees per mm)
Null Points: Inner 66.04 mm; Outer 120.90 mm
Audio Lead Length: 1.2 m
Capacitance: 140.0 pF per channel
Resistance: 0.145 ohms per conductor
Internal Wiring Capacitance: 15.0 pF per channel
Resistance: 0.5353 ohms per conductor
Output Plug and Socket: DIN 5-pole 240°
Weight: 720.0 g

For a review of the turntable from US magazine “The Absolute Sound!” please click here

For a review of the tonearm from Hi-Fi News magazine please click here