SME Model 35 – a High-End Turntable

The SME Model 35 turntable replaces the Model 30 in the company’s lineup; the expensive unit (priced at £35,999 in black or silver, or £37,999 in Midnight and Gunmetal anodised finishes) features a radically redesigned suspension – now using a three- columns design with upgraded vibration-decoupling feet.

These columns, according to the manufacturer, incorporate an inverted version of SME’s signature suspension, which is said to provide better efficiency in both the vertical and horizontal planes. The new sub-chassis and platter of the SME Model 35 are also acoustically improved. In addition, the SME Model 35 has a hydraulic damping system that surrounds the spindle and bearing in the centre of the platter, which significantly improves rotational stability.

The use of a power supply with an electronic speed controller (similar to the one used in the reference Model 60), controlling an AC motor with a separate transformer, takes rotational stability to a new level of precision.

The SME Model 35 turntable comes pre-installed at the factory with the new and improved SME Series Vi tonearm. The tonearm is CNC-machined from a high-density non-metallic polymer and guarantees maximum acoustic inertia. SME believes that 3D printing is not yet precise enough, so subtractive processes are used to manufacture the tonearm. The SME Series Vi tonearm also uses new insulating bearings. Full specs coming soon.