A study in SME 20/2

[PHC1]

Today was a good day to crack open the box and setup my new SME 20/2 table and SME V arm. :thumbsup:

I decided to capture the setup journey for memories and to share with analog fans on AA.

Cleared off my dining room table, made a cup of coffee, and cracked open the box. The table was well packed but nothing fancy, just some cardboard and foam dividers. No presentation quality stuff with this one. :D

Lifting the SME 20/2 table out of the box, I was both surprised and pleased that for a relatively compact footprint, the table is really heavy. Specs say 40lbs and it weighs every ounce of it. Nice, I like mass when it comes to tables. :thumbsup:

While I was in absolutely no rush to assemble it and I took my time admiring and learning about this new to me table that I have heard a few times before, setup is really not difficult at all.

Part I. Table preparation.

First step is removing the motor transit screw and the pads that protect it during the overseas journey. While on that step, I looked at the design and noticed the motor is free from the upper suspension deck and is decoupled from the bottom deck through rubber grommets. Motor has 3 spiked feet that drop into dimples in those grommets built into the lower deck. I don't expect any vibrations to make their way into the plint or the chassis. There is a rubber motor retaining band that holds it in place and levels the motor once the belt is on the pulley. Nice. :yes:

http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd18/PHC1_2007/SME20/SME1.jpg

http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd18/PHC1_2007/SME20/SME6.jpg

http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd18/PHC1_2007/SME20/SME5.jpg

[PHC1]

Part II.

At this point oil has to be added to the bearing and is supplied in a syring with a metered charge. Using the already attached Oil Filler Adapter, I slowly emptied the contents of the syring into the bearing oil well without any difficulties. Once done, the Adapter is removed and stored back in the box.

http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd18/PHC1_2007/SME20/SME9.jpg




Next step is removing the two suspension screws that lock the suspension during transit. They are located and accessed through the top of the plinth.

http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd18/PHC1_2007/SME20/SME2.jpg



Next step is releasing the four screws that off-load the bearing during transit. They release in counter-clockwise rotation but are captive and stay in place. This releases the sub-platter to turn freely. They are also seen in the picture above.


Next step is placing the platter over the spindle.

http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd18/PHC1_2007/SME20/SME10.jpg

[Still-One]

Only 3 pics so far. You are such a tease.

I have been talking to my dealer about a 20/2. If the market keeps going like the first quarter, I may pull the trigger. :)

[PHC1]

Part III.

The base is now leveled using the four knurled and adjustable feet. You have a choice of either going with the rubber bushings on the bottom of the feet or hard coupling with the metal balls in the feet. I chose the rubber since for right now the table is sitting on glass.

The SME 20/2 does not have a built in bubble level like the SME30 so I simply used two bubble levels on top of the platter. It is important to rotate the platter all the way around and observe the bubbles as they do tend to shift through various degrees. A little bit of patience and tweaking the adjustable feet a little at a time results in perfectly level platter.

http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd18/PHC1_2007/SME20/SME16-1.jpg

[PHC1]

Part IV.

Tonearm mounting.

I chose the flagship SME V for the project. Never heard it to be honest, I only spent time with the SME IV.Vi arm before. I figured at this point, if I was to spend just a bit more and get the V, I would never have to second guess my choice and wish I would have gone with the flagship arm from SME... It made sense to me and the decision didn't take too long. :D

The 20/2 table already comes with the tonearm mount for the SME arm so it was simply a matter of dropping the arm in.

Unpacking the V tonearm box, it was both very elegant and well packed with all the accessories, tools, various length screws and even a drill jig if it is to be installed on a different table. :thumbsup:

Removing the four tonearm mount screws and preparing the arm according to the instructions, I dropped the arm in, secured the rear screws and decided to pause, look over and take my time to understand this new to me tonearm as it is very different from the Clearaudio Satisfy Arm I got used to over the last year.

Reading the whole instruction booklet before I proceeded, I began to understand the various features and mechanical design of the arm. Feeling confident in what I am about to do, I went ahead with the install.

http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd18/PHC1_2007/SME20/SME12.jpg

http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd18/PHC1_2007/SME20/SME14.jpg



Before any adjustments took place, the cartridge needed to be mounted. A step one should always be extra careful with and move ahead with steady hands and lots of patience. Holding the cartridge steady in one hand, I hooked up the leads and mounted the cartridge into a non-adjustable headshell.

http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd18/PHC1_2007/SME20/SME15.jpg

[PHC1]

Part V.

Geometry.

I won't bore you guys with the tedious geometry steps and make it brief.
I decided to use the supplied protractor for the tonearm geometry/cartridge setup and then use my Dr.Feickert protractor to see if there is a discrepancy. Since the headshell is not adjustable, I was a bit skeptical looking at the supplied protractor of how things will turn out. SME uses an interesting approach of where you lower the stylus onto the supplied cross-hairs of the protractor and using a horizontal tracking angle key, you slide the tonearm rails back and forth until the drawn tonearm silhouette of the protractor matches the tonearm above it. I did it but was still skeptical. Once it was done, I double checked with Dr. Feickert using Loefgren geometry side and it turned out to be spot on.... Very cool. The SME protractor is very easy to use. :thumbsup:

Using the supplied protractor/gauge, I setup the vertical tracking angle leaving the VTA to be neutral with the tonearm parallel to the record at this point.

VTF was dialed in with the vertical tracking force dial on the side of the tonearm and once again the skeptic in me was very surprised when I double checked with a high quality digital VTF gauge and it was spot on at 2.01gm at the indicated 2.0 gm on the dial.

Matching the Anti-Skate dial to the VTF dial, I left it there until further test with HI-FI test LP to dial it in further.

Have to say here, kudos to SME for providing all the very easy to use and very accurate protractor and I am impressed with the accuracy of the dials of the tonearm itself. :yes: Not that I would ever do any setup without the protractors and tools I have collected over the past year but I can see where if one did not have anyting but the SME supplied tools, it would be right in the ballpark.

[PHC1]

Part VI.

Final tweaks.

At this point, I removed the platter and brought the table over to my listening room.

Once again, the table was checked for being level with bubble levels and a few minor adjustments were needed to the feet in its new place.

Once the table was situated and leveled in its final resting place, the suspension needed to be adjusted. Using the supplied hex wrench and adjusting the screws in the suspension towers, one simply measures the gap of the suspension with the provided 3mm gauge. One can go a bit higher if acoustic feedback is to be suspected from being close to speakers or go a bit lower to dial in the sound a bit. Yes, it makes a difference as I discovered later on. :yes:

Double checking the VTA, VTF and geometry and being satisfied, I hooked up the DIN tonearm cables to the base of the tonearm and my EAR324P phono stage.

At this point I unpacked the motor speed control, plugged it in the base of the table, hooked up the ground strap and it was time to check speed accuracy. SME provides a strobe disc but I chose to use the excellent KAB strobe instead. Speeds were checked across 33, 45 and 78 and found to be steady.

[Removed]

Sweet table :yes::yes: Did you decide for no finger lift?

Jeff

[jdandy]

Serge.......As usual, spectacular photographs, and play by play narration. Such a beautiful turntable, and top of the line tonearm. The Dynavector looks so sweet mounted on that arm. I have no doubt, once dialed in, this will be a premium rig that will provide you with state of the art vinyl playback.

[Alberto]

I had no idea that you had an SME coming. Great choice and great report as usual.

Alberto

[PHC1]

Part VII.

Time to spin some vinyl and see what we got.

I decided to spin the Dire Strats first as that was the last record I listened to when my Clearaudio was packed up and shipped off to a new home.


By this time the Lamm amps and preamp were nice and toasty and ready to play. I switched on the EAR phonostage, placed the record on the platter, used the excellent SME reflex clamp to press the record down on the platter and dropped the stylus on to the lead in groove.. :thumbsup:

Surprisingly, the volume was much lower than where I would usually listen to the Clearaudio table... :scratch2: Hmmm, I gave my Lamm LL2D another 4 clicks on the dual volume pots and sat down to listen.

As many of you know that I have a different pair of speakers now, it is not as easy to compare and contrast because ultimately the differences in tables is mixed in with the differences in speakers now. The Cremona Ms and Wilson Sasha's are a bit of a different flavor. The difference in gain also had me puzzled so I couldn't concentrate on the sound as I was trying to figure out where the handful of dBs of gain dissapeared. :scratch2:

I decided to let the table play a few record sides and see what happens. Low and behold, the volume started getting back into the range and I had to compensate by turning the volume down a click at a time.

After about 45 min or so, I was within a click of where I used to be. I don't have an explanation for this one. It could have been the cold phono stage that needed to charge up its caps after being off for a few weeks at least, although I have not noticed it doing that before or it could have been the brand new Van den Hull tonearm cable that needed to charge up the dialectric. Who knows with these things...

In any case, once I stopped pondering over the loss of gain, I started listening to music. I noticed the dynamics were a bit softer than what I was used to with the Clearaudio table..

Tried adjusting the loading but ultimately returned to my previous setting for the XX2MKII that worked well on the Satisfy Arm.

Ok, as much as I wanted to listen to music, I needed to get this table back into action and get my rich, dynamic sound back that I had with the Clearaudio table so I pulled the Hi Fi test LP off the shelf and started running the tests.

Having tested the azimuth, the resonance of the cart/tonearm which was incredibly impressive as compared to the Satisfy/XX2MKII combo, much less vibration and lower at 11 Hz, tracking ability (very good), dialing in the anti-skate, I remembered Jeff telling me about the damping adjustment.

SME V has a damping reservoir that is filled with silicone and there is an adjustment screw to adjust the amount of dampening. I tweaked the damping just a bit and went back to listening to music.

Listening to a few more tracks, I decided it was time to play with VTF and VTA. I dialed in .1 gm more VTF and raised the VTA just 1 mm as the SRA (Stylus Rake Angle) looked a bit lower than it was before just by eyeballing it.

Bingo!!!!

[1KW]

Serge,

Now your talking :banana: Congratulations on the new SME 20 TT and tone arm. The pictures look nice :yes: Enjoy :thumbsup:

[PHC1]

Part VIII.

Now I am happy. :music:

Having done all the above tweaking and testing, I was finally rewarded with a very rich, dynamic (to the extent of difference between speakers), emotional and totally mesmorizing and satisfying sound, much like I heard at a Sumiko presentation once and fell in love with. :thumbsup:

After spinning a few more of my favorite records I was able to slowly dissect the sound and compare and contrast betweent the two tables making mental adjustments for the difference in speakers with the Cremona Ms being rather new to my system and Sashas clearly engraved into my memory.

So what does the extra $$$ get you between the tables with the same Dynavector XX2MKII cart? An even more focused, solid image presentation, a smoother, slightly darker sound which is more engaging, emotional response evoking and satisfying to the bone. Bass is stupendous with this table but the Clearaudio was no lightweight either. The transients, attack and decay are more organic and natural sounding, less sharp overall but more real. There is a blacker, deeper and voluminous background that breathes with ambiance and spatial cues, acoustic space reproduction is more defined and easier to "feel". The highs are smooth and perhaps a bit less pronounced/softer but I don't mind this at all.

I'd say this table is a bit less extraverted a bit more ying than yang than Clearaudio but is ultimately more musical while giving up nothing in resolution, transparency, drive, PRAT but it is the kind of table that will not impress as much during a quick audition but instead at a slower and steadier pace make you sit down, shut up, listen and fall in love.... :music:

Love it. :yes:

Having said all of the above, now that I have had a chance to compare a rather entry level but quality table like Clearaudio Performance with Satisfy carbon tonearm and a much more expensive SME20/2 with the best tonearm they make in my own system, I have to say that the law of diminishing returns is pretty steep with tables as well. I've mentioned before that Clearaudio tweaked out with Gingko Cloud platform, center weight, periphery clamp, carbon fiber platter is a really, really impressive table for the money. I would not hesitate to recommend it as the first table and one that can be in one's system for a very long time before the urge to upgrade takes over. :thumbsup:

The SME 20/2/V arm is not a budget table by any means, it has much, much competition out there and there are plenty of choices. I've heard a few in relatively the same price range and some tables appealed to me more than others and I could have easily picked and lived with a few others. I am happy with the SME so far. But... if you are going to spend this kind of money, take your time, audition, take system synergy into consideration and choose wisely. You can't go wrong with SME, it looks very well engineered and quality built but there are others out there that are also pretty spectacular. :yes: Somehow I doubt this is the end of the road for me and not because I find something lacking but because of my nature and curiosity when it comes to these things. :D

The End for now. :thumbsup:

http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd18/PHC1_2007/SME20/SME16.jpg

[1KW]

Part VIII.

Somehow I doubt this is the end of the road for me

http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd18/PHC1_2007/SME20/SME16.jpg

I'll take it :D

[KMC45]

Looks good.:thumbsup:

[PHC1]

Only 3 pics so far. You are such a tease.

I have been talking to my dealer about a 20/2. If the market keeps going like the first quarter, I may pull the trigger. :)

Let's hope so. Put a little more $$$ in just in case and go straight for the SME30. :thumbsup:

[PHC1]

Sweet table :yes::yes: Did you decide for no finger lift?

Jeff

Common Jeff, finger lifts are for sissies. :D

[PHC1]

Serge.......As usual, spectacular photographs, and play by play narration. Such a beautiful turntable, and top of the line tonearm. The Dynavector looks so sweet mounted on that arm. I have no doubt, once dialed in, this will be a premium rig that will provide you with state of the art vinyl playback.

Glad you enjoyed the pics and narration Dan. :thumbsup: It does look and sound like a premium rig and I haven't even started the tweaks yet. :D Let the tweaking begin! :banana:

[PHC1]

Serge,

Now your talking :banana: Congratulations on the new SME 20 TT and tone arm. The pictures look nice :yes: Enjoy :thumbsup:

Thanks David. You'll get to hear it when you pick up the Power Plant. :music:

[PHC1]

I'll take it :D

You missed the Clearaudio. You snooze, you lose... :D

[PHC1]

Looks good.:thumbsup:

Looks very familiar to you, doesn't it? :D

[1KW]

You missed the Clearaudio. You snooze, you lose... :D

I am not sure if I want to increase my vinyl collection that much. I really love using a music server.

[cmalak]

Serge...great walk through as usual. I am tagging this and the Clearaudio table setup posts so that when I finally get my tt (!), I can use them as setup references. Congrats and I am sure you will tweak this rig into optimal performance. Thanks for the excellent post as usual. :thumbsup:

[cmalak]

Only 3 pics so far. You are such a tease.

I have been talking to my dealer about a 20/2. If the market keeps going like the first quarter, I may pull the trigger. :)

Jim...you lie! :D I thought you were not into the whole vinyl thing :no:. If you do pull the trigger, it would be really cool to follow your adventures with high-end vinyl :thumbsup:

[jdandy]

I've got to tell you guys, since installing the new Ortofon 2M Black on my Micro Seiki, I have a whole new attitude towards vinyl. I haven't listened to a CD on the tube system since the turntable got moved to the C1000T, and the Teles went in the phono stage. I was in the studio this morning and listened to Larry Carlton on vinyl, and Stevie Ray Vaughn - Couldn't Stand The Weather album. Man, that was good to hear. Stevie Ray's "Tin Pan Alley" is one of my favorite blues tracks, and on my vinyl rig it was thoroughly engaging. For the first time in years I am now shopping for new vinyl. Good stuff.

[Removed]

Common Jeff, finger lifts are for sissies. :D

Fingure lift before cocktails and cueing lever during cocktails :D:D

[PHC1]

I've got to tell you guys, since installing the new Ortofon 2M Black on my Micro Seiki, I have a whole new attitude towards vinyl. I haven't listened to a CD on the tube system since the turntable got moved to the C1000T, and the Teles went in the phono stage. I was in the studio this morning and listened to Larry Carlton on vinyl, and Stevie Ray Vaughn - Couldn't Stand The Weather album. Man, that was good to hear. Stevie Ray's "Tin Pan Alley" is one of my favorite blues tracks, and on my vinyl rig it was thoroughly engaging. For the first time in years I am now shopping for new vinyl. Good stuff.

That's great news Dan! :thumbsup: There is so much new and used vinyl to discover and some of the newer recordings are really awesome. :yes: More importantly, it just sounds so damn right! :music:

[PHC1]

Fingure lift before cocktails and cueing lever during cocktails :D:D

I'm used to handling the tonearm under the influence. :D

[Removed]

Me too :smoking:.......If you like Ray Charles check out the Ray Sings Basie Swings LP, its a limited edition and done very well.

[f1 fan]

Serge...that's a beauty;) and bet sounds great in your system. Paired with the EAR, LAMM, and your new speakers it's like the live performance;). Congrats to your new purchase.

Dave

[PHC1]

Me too :smoking:.......If you like Ray Charles check out the Ray Sings Basie Swings LP, its a limited edition and done very well.

Thanks Jeff, I'll grab a copy. :thumbsup:

[PHC1]

Serge...that's a beauty;) and bet sounds great in your system. Paired with the EAR, LAMM, and your new speakers it's like the live performance;). Congrats to your new purchase.

Dave

Thanks Dave. I've been listening all day. It is sounding damn sweet right now. :music:

[PHC1]

I am not sure if I want to increase my vinyl collection that much. I really love using a music server.

Isn't a bit late for April Fool's Joke? :smoking:

[f1 fan]

Thanks Dave. I've been listening all day. It is sounding damn sweet right now. :music:

I bet it does sound damn sweet:yes:

Dave

[PHC1]

I had no idea that you had an SME coming. Great choice and great report as usual.

Alberto

Thanks Alberto. I've enjoyed listening to this table in the past and there was a deal that came up that was just way to good to pass on. :thumbsup:

[KMC45]

I even put a little vinyl on tonight, some Gene Ammons and Ike Quebec that I bought today.

Not bad.

[streetspirit]

Serge...great walk through as usual. I am tagging this and the Clearaudio table setup posts so that when I finally get my tt (!), I can use them as setup references. Congrats and I am sure you will tweak this rig into optimal performance. Thanks for the excellent post as usual. :thumbsup:

+1. thanks for the walk through and excellent photos to match.

[PHC1]

Glad you guys enjoyed the post.

"Sammy" had a long, music filled day and is now tucked away for the night to get a good night rest and recharge for another long day tomorrow. :D

http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd18/PHC1_2007/SME20/001.jpg

[Jerome W]

Congrats Serge !!
As always, a great post !
You'll be surprised but I considered the same TT and the same SME V arm before buying the Clearaudio.
I thinked about it again yesterday because the SME importer in France, who's also one of the best Mc technician came to my house to take one of my 2301 for a check up.
The reasons why I chose the Clearaudio vs the SME at that time were:
- I listened to the Clearaudio at JM's home and loved it
- I wanted a change over my previous LP12 so I thought I would have more change with a high mass non suspended design
- The SME was at about 8000 euros without a cart vs 4700 euros for the Clearaudio with the Talisman MC and my lp collection is not huge so price had to remain at wife reasonable levels...
- I had to go a bit far in a owner's home to listen to the SME because the importer did not have one on display.
- I read some reviews stating like you that without missing of anything the SME was not an extraverted table. Like most suspended designs actually so once again I wanted a clear change from the Clearaudio.
- If I had to go for a rather pricey TT, I wanted it to be my last step with TT's and would have gone for the Lp12 Se at 13000 euros fully loaded. My best friend has one I know pretty well.

Saying all this and reading your post I think that I probably would have been happier with the SME because my tastes in audio are more towards charm and bloom than the extraverted and impressive sound. I'm still very happy with the Clearaudio but I 'm sure that won't be my last TT. When my lp collection will be big enough, I will offer myself a LP12 se and I will be done with TTs.

Once again, thank you very much for sharing with us your new and impressive set up. I will look forward the next conclusions especially with the Maxx 3 !
Cheers
Jerome

[Jerome W]

I've got to tell you guys, since installing the new Ortofon 2M Black on my Micro Seiki, I have a whole new attitude towards vinyl. I haven't listened to a CD on the tube system since the turntable got moved to the C1000T, and the Teles went in the phono stage. I was in the studio this morning and listened to Larry Carlton on vinyl, and Stevie Ray Vaughn - Couldn't Stand The Weather album. Man, that was good to hear. Stevie Ray's "Tin Pan Alley" is one of my favorite blues tracks, and on my vinyl rig it was thoroughly engaging. For the first time in years I am now shopping for new vinyl. Good stuff.

Dan,
I bet that you will spend more and more time in the studio and I would not be surprised to see you moving the Micro Seiki in the living room to hear what happens on the PMC...

[1KW]

Isn't a bit late for April Fool's Joke? :smoking:

Good one :thumbsup: You know that I like hunting for vinyl at record stores :D Your pictures of the SME TT and tone arm look great.
I like to enjoy one new toy at a time (ie my speakers are not broken in yet) this way I have something to look forward to later. Your comment about diminishing returns compared to the clearaudio really caught my attention but does not surprise me that much as your last rig sounded superb.

[Still-One]

Jim...you lie! :D I thought you were not into the whole vinyl thing :no:. If you do pull the trigger, it would be really cool to follow your adventures with high-end vinyl :thumbsup:
You are correct I am not really into vinyl but I get bored looking at the same gear all the time. :D Other than amps and speakers, I have done thru more TT's over the years than anything else. The next one I get has to look pretty.

[PHC1]

Congrats Serge !!
As always, a great post !
You'll be surprised but I considered the same TT and the same SME V arm before buying the Clearaudio.
I thinked about it again yesterday because the SME importer in France, who's also one of the best Mc technician came to my house to take one of my 2301 for a check up.
The reasons why I chose the Clearaudio vs the SME at that time were:
- I listened to the Clearaudio at JM's home and loved it
- I wanted a change over my previous LP12 so I thought I would have more change with a high mass non suspended design
- The SME was at about 8000 euros without a cart vs 4700 euros for the Clearaudio with the Talisman MC and my lp collection is not huge so price had to remain at wife reasonable levels...
- I had to go a bit far in a owner's home to listen to the SME because the importer did not have one on display.
- I read some reviews stating like you that without missing of anything the SME was not an extraverted table. Like most suspended designs actually so once again I wanted a clear change from the Clearaudio.
- If I had to go for a rather pricey TT, I wanted it to be my last step with TT's and would have gone for the Lp12 Se at 13000 euros fully loaded. My best friend has one I know pretty well.

Saying all this and reading your post I think that I probably would have been happier with the SME because my tastes in audio are more towards charm and bloom than the extraverted and impressive sound. I'm still very happy with the Clearaudio but I 'm sure that won't be my last TT. When my lp collection will be big enough, I will offer myself a LP12 se and I will be done with TTs.

Once again, thank you very much for sharing with us your new and impressive set up. I will look forward the next conclusions especially with the Maxx 3 !
Cheers
Jerome

Jerome, like yourself, I wanted to try something I have not before which is a suspended table to see if there are any benefits. I'll follow up on that once I get a few weeks of listening in. Putting the sound aside for now, it is very good but I have not tweaked this table yet so I don't know how much more potential it has, I do like the ergonomics and the looks of this table.

Both the SME table and the SME arm are a no nonsense kind of approach. They both seem well designed and well built. Attractive, at least to me, it doesn't fall into the vintage or the ultra-modern camp but sort of utilitarian.

I like the motor control box a lot, push a button of desired speed, the platter comes up to speed in a few revolutions and stops within a 1.5 revolutions when pushed again to stop. Quite more efficient than my Clearaudio which took forever to stop with the high mass platter and motor that used to freewheel when turned off. Obviously two different schools of thought here, Clearaudio relying on heavy mass of the platter to overcome stylus drag and SME being a more torqier, computer speed control design compensating for speed fluctuations with the motor and electronic feedback control.

The controller is a microprocessor based design with a 10MHz quartz crystal with clock speed of 40MHz through the multiplier. The motor controller has a CMOS buffered MOSFET drivers with 1.2 amp peak drive capability. The motor itself is a 3 phase, 6 pulse inductance motor with Neodymium magnets and 3 integrated Hall position sensors. Phew, yeah, it works good too. :D

I like the reflex clamp, using the spindle washer under the record, it elevates the record just a few mm over the platter and once the reflex clamp is screwed down, it pushes the record over the platter eliminating much of warps. I have noticed the tonearm is much more steady over some of the records that had some slight warps in them. I had to resort to periphery ring on the Clearaudio for that.

The silicone damping of the SME V seems to really work as the HI-FI test LP revealed much less system resonance, I could see the Satisfy tonearm go into wild resonance mode with the same XX2 cart on the test tracks while the SME with the same cart is much less excited in vertical and has virtually none in the horizontal tests. Very impressive. This has to be good for sonics. :yes:

The anti-skate is also very good and accurate, I had to play with the Satisfy arm magnetic thumbscrew quite a bit to get a smooth response from the test track but with SME set at recommended setting for the VTF being used, it passed the test without tweaking. :thumbsup:

While all the above is very reassuring, the ultimate test is still the listening and if it appeals to you. I think what is happening right now is an adjustment period for me, I was used to the sonic signature of the Clearaudio and now have to readjust to the smoother, more laid back presentation of the SME.

As a friend of mine once put it to me when comparing different gear, he said "one appeals to the brain and the other to the heart"... so it goes with different gear sometimes, system synergy plays a big role and what works for one system may not necessarily work in another as well as our preference is often quite different. The SME is certainly very musical and engaging if not ultimately the type of sound that is very exciting on first listen. Like I said before, it slowly makes you fall in love and I can see a table like this being used in one's system for great many years. :yes:

[PHC1]

Your comment about diminishing returns compared to the clearaudio really caught my attention but does not surprise me that much as your last rig sounded superb.

Yes, it did, it surprised me just how far I got with it with all the tweaking. Dynamite table for the money. :thumbsup: We'll see what I can squeeze out of the SME.

[vintage_tube]

Today was a good day to crack open the box and setup my new SME 20/2 table and SME V arm. :thumbsup: I decided to capture the setup journey for memories and to share with analog fans on AA.

A beauty Serge & a good move to go with the SME Series V TA. Enjoyed reading your setup journey.:thumbsup:

I've got to tell you guys, since installing the new Ortofon 2M Black on my Micro Seiki, I have a whole new attitude towards vinyl. For the first time in years I am now shopping for new vinyl. Good stuff.

Better late than never Dan. :yes:

.............it just sounds so damn right! :music:

Hear, Hear.:thumbsup:

BTW, what happened to the Ortofon A90??

Bob

[PHC1]

A beauty Serge & a good move to go with the SME Series V TA. Enjoyed reading your setup journey.:thumbsup:



Better late than never Dan. :yes:



Hear, Hear.:thumbsup:

BTW, what happened to the Ortofon A90??

Bob

Ortofon A90 should be here soon but I will wait until I move to install it. I think...:scratch2:

[Jean-Marc jmajma]

WOOWW, Serge, congrats on your new baby, it looks wonderful.
Great thread, very intersting, as usual.
And it's just the beginning, you'll have great listening sessions in the next days, it will help you waiting for the Maxx3.

At this moment, I'm listening to Eric Clapton's Unplugged on LP: though I know it by heart on CD, I just can tell you that the LP plays in another league, REAL MUSIC!

Again, congrats on your fabulous system you're very kind to share with us.

Last detail, don't SME turntables come with better looking dust covers, acrilyc for example? I know you love the aesthetics too,I'm sure it won't stay like this in your home, that's why I ask.

[PHC1]

Glad you enjoyed the post Jean-Marc. :thumbsup:
The cover you see is standard but there are acrylic covers that can be custom made. I'll get one later when I move. :yes:

[PHC1]

I made a cheesy little iPhone video. Keeping in mind that the video and audio are compressed on youtube, you can still appreciate the harmonic richness that this table seems to nail down pretty good. :thumbsup: Yep, it's a dreamy/romantic type of sound. :music:

YouTube - SME 20/2 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XnYSRwcrIsk)

[jdandy]

Serge.......Very cool. The SME table and arm are gorgeous.

[PHC1]

Here is another one showing the cueing mechanism in action which I really like. Nice and smooth and gives me time to get back to my listening spot before the music begins. Also nothing like freshly cleaned, shiny vinyl... Although the video looks really compressed on youtube and lost some contrast and saturation.

YouTube - SME 20/2 Turntable (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ABcy1ff163c)

[JDCheek]

very, very cool.

They only did 1000 copies of that Johnny Hartman from impulse on 45. We own 2 of them. Isn't it great?

[PHC1]

very, very cool.

They only did 1000 copies of that Johnny Hartman from impulse on 45. We own 2 of them. Isn't it great?

It's a great album. :thumbsup:

[MC352]

Congratulations on the new TT, it's a real beauty.

[howiebrou]

Glad you guys enjoyed the post.

"Sammy" had a long, music filled day and is now tucked away for the night to get a good night rest and recharge for another long day tomorrow. :D

http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd18/PHC1_2007/SME20/001.jpg

Serge,

fantastic write up! I went through something similar a few years ago when my Avid Acutus / SME V arrived home :yes: It's a great tonearm. You might wish to try it without the damping reservoir just to see what you like. Conrad Mas of Avid recommends against using the reservoir but that comment is specific to his tables. I don't use it personally and am very pleased with the sound.:yes:

Get a new cover! That one looks like it belongs on a boat. :sigh: I need one as well for my Avid but the manufacturer's one is like US$500 :yikes:

Luckily I found a local guy who will do it for one fifth that price :yes:

http://i165.photobucket.com/albums/u43/howiebrou/avid_cover02a.jpg

[PHC1]

Serge,

fantastic write up! I went through something similar a few years ago when my Avid Acutus / SME V arrived home :yes: It's a great tonearm. You might wish to try it without the damping reservoir just to see what you like. Conrad Mas of Avid recommends against using the reservoir but that comment is specific to his tables. I don't use it personally and am very pleased with the sound.:yes:

Get a new cover! That one looks like it belongs on a boat. :sigh: I need one as well for my Avid but the manufacturer's one is like US$500 :yikes:

Luckily I found a local guy who will do it for one fifth that price :yes:

http://i165.photobucket.com/albums/u43/howiebrou/avid_cover02a.jpg

Thanks Howie. :thumbsup:

[Art K]

Beautiful table and great write up. Felt your joy when you set it up and gave it the first listen.

[PHC1]

BOY DO I FEEL STUPID....

Well, we can scratch everything I said about the table so far. DOH!!!!

The little fact that I lost some gain kept bugging me so I started to investigate as to what could have happened thinking maybe the Van den Hull tonearm cable is to blame, maybe the tonearm/cart match but when I took a flashlight and looked on the back of the EAR324 I noticed the little button for input 1 was set to MM instead of MC... I must have bumped the damn thing when I placed the EAR one shelf lower.... This would have bypassed one of the step up trannies in circuit and makes the cartridge loading wrong as well.

As soon as I set it to the MC setting, I heard the extra gain come back and had to back down on the volume. I am on my first record with the "proper" setting but I can already hear that this is WHOLE DIFFERENT TABLE. :thumbsup:

Hours of tweaking the table to perfection only to be screwed by a little button. :grumpy: A whole weekend of listening as pleasant as it was, I can only now hear my table for the first time....

Back to listening. :music:

[cmalak]

Ah well...at least now you can evaluate with all the proper settings and setup. :thumbsup: Looking forward to your impressions. :banana:

[jdandy]

Serge......I wish I could brag that I have never done anything like that. We are, after all else only human, and subject to all that entails. You are most fortunate that your curiosity kept you intrigued enough to continue to search for the cause of the problem, and not just chalk it up as a fluke. Your persistence was rewarded this time. :thumbsup:

[jdandy]

Serge.......If you recall, it wasn't that long ago when I installed the LED kit in my MC352. Upon reinstalling the amp in the rack, and reconnecting the cables I discovered I had lost my left channel. I traced cables, changed cables, pulled the amp out of the rack and removed the bottom cover looking for a problem. It was while the amp was laying upside down on the carpet with its bottom cover removed that I notice I had inadvertently bumped the mono stereo switch to the mono position. I had been trying to make a mountain out of a mole hill. Human nature seems to have us looking for the most complicated things first. Man, did I feel stupid, not to mention an hour of wrestling that very heavy MC352 amplifier. :dazed-7:

[PHC1]

Serge......I wish I could brag that I have never done anything like that. We are, after all else, human, and subject to all that entails. You are most fortunate that your curiosity kept you intrigued enough to continue to search for the cause of the problem, and not just chalk it up as a fluke. Your persistence was rewarded this time. :thumbsup:

Dan what threw me off is that I got to hear the table for the first time with the wrong setting. I know when it happened too. As I set the table, I was futzing around in the back of the EAR with the cables and then decided to move it down and place the motor control box in its place. Not having much room to work with back there, I pushed it back towards the wall and somehow must have engaged the little pushbutton. Of course not knowing anything about the table in my own system I was surprised that gain was lost but assumed it was something with the table and/or DIN tonearm cabling...

All I can say is that after three records under the proper MC setting and my usual MC loading, the sound is infused with air, transparency as if 3 veils were lifted, dynamics that are truly kicking now, wide open soundstage, pretty much an improvement all across the board. :thumbsup:

I fail to see how a simple loss of gain would cause this dramatic difference so I assume there is more than just a step up tranny that is disengaged, it must also somehow affect the cartridge loading as it sounds totally different now. I was a bit surprised I could not hear a clear difference playing around with the MC loading half of EAR. I chalked it off to a less reactive combo of a new table/cartridge interaction but this is not the case.

Whatever the case may be, I am trying to pick my jaw up off the floor listening to Alan Parson's Project "A turn of a friendly card" album, the drums are simply incredible, the projected voice has immediacy and clarity that is startling, a much more extended and delicate top end and dynamic drive and slam that I know this cartridge is capable of. Yep, I am back in action! :thumbsup:

This table simply rocks. :thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup:

[PHC1]

Serge.......If you recall, it wasn't that long ago when I installed the LED kit in my MC352. Upon reinstalling the amp in the rack, and reconnecting the cables I discovered I had lost my left channel. I traced cables, changed cables, pulled the amp out of the rack and removed the bottom cover looking for a problem. It was while the amp was laying upside down on the carpet with its bottom cover removed that I notice I had inadvertently bumped the mono stereo switch to the mono position. I had been trying to make a mountain out of a mole hill. Human nature seems to have us looking for the most complicated things first. Man, did I feel stupid, not to mention an hour of wrestling that very heavy MC352 amplifier. :dazed-7:

I remember that story Dan. :D You are absolutely right. I was trying to figure out how the difference in capacitance could have caused this change in sound between the different phono cables, pondering over why SME V would make the XX2 cart sound much less exciting than I remember it being, going over the calculations and my results from the test LP, researching other tonearm cables, etc... all the while enjoying the sound but deep down inside knowing there must be something off in this whole setup.... Talk about making a mountain out of a mole hill. :D

Once the little stupid button was in the right position, the table simply got up and drop kicked me in the chest! :yes: WOW. :banana:

Just goes to show how tweaky these things are though. Wrong gain and loading and it totally changes everything.

[jdandy]

Serge.......What's really amusing to me is when I read your remark about the loss of gain my first thought was you might not have the Ear set for moving coil. I started to mention it, but then discounted that thought by telling myself, no this is Serge, and he has surely covered that base.

How does that bumper sticker read? $#!t Happens. :lmao:

[PHC1]

Wish you did say it... :D I never even thought of checking since I left the EAR off exactly how it was when the XX2 was mounted on the Clearaudio. Of course not being able to appreciate the different MC loadings that were clearly audible before should have tipped me off more than it did.

Right now this is ME :iwstupidl:

[Jerome W]

Serge,
your story is funny. It reminds me the KISS rule I learned during my studies in Montreal. A teacher always told us : do not try to find complicated solutions to simple problems ( as Dan said, this is what our nature tends to lead us) : Keep it Simple Sir ( Sugar when he was feeling friendship with one of us...)
One day he told me : later on, you will have 28 teeth to move, align and coordinate x 500 to 1000 active patients. If you don't think simple, you'll be dead !
Cheers
Jerome

[PHC1]

Serge,
your story is funny. It reminds me the KISS rule I learned during my studies in Montreal. A teacher always told us : do not try to find complicated solutions to simple problems ( as Dan said, this is what our nature tends to lead us) : Keep it Simple Sir ( Sugar when he was feeling friendship with one of us...)
One day he told me : later on, you will have 28 teeth to move, align and coordinate x 500 to 1000 active patients. If you don't think simple, you'll be dead !
Cheers
Jerome

Your teacher is a wise man. :yes:

[PHC1]

You might wish to try it without the damping reservoir just to see what you like. Conrad Mas of Avid recommends against using the reservoir but that comment is specific to his tables. I don't use it personally and am very pleased with the sound.:yes:




Howie, I may try it without the damping fluid when it comes time to change the fluid. I have however noticed the benefits, at least on the HiFi test record as there is virtually no resonance in the horizontal vibration test. Now, it is adjustable of course as to just how much dampening one applies as when you think about it, the way it works is the screw body rides inside the silicone fluid tank in tandem with the horizontal pivoting of the tonearm as it moves across the record. Not enough and it is free to interact and vibrate in the horizontal plane with the resulting resonance due to groove modulation/interaction sometimes hitting a resonance point. Too much damping and it loses the natural "boogie factor" as Jeff has suggested to me.

At this point I am simply following Jeff's advice on where it should be set. It sounds great now and once I get used to the sound, I will experiment some with it as well as trying the damping tank empty.

[KMC45]

Reading your early review of the table I was thinking to myself that it didn't seem representative of the table and the EAR. I was going to blame everything on the Sonus Faber speakers.:roflmao:

[PHC1]

Reading your early review of the table I was thinking to myself that it didn't seem representative of the table and the EAR. I was going to blame everything on the Sonus Faber speakers.:roflmao:

Nope can't blame the Sonus Faber. :D I was actually surprised just how much the speakers opened up once I played around with loading and gain some more today. :yes: There are many combinations to try between the EAR and preamp and between the different levels of gain and loading which also ties in to the linearity of whatever preamp you are using (Lamm in my case) since one affects the other, it is a lot of going back and forth.

I have to say, I've been playing and listening all day today and this is one seriously impressive table. :thumbsup: I am still laughing at myself though for making that rookie mistake and actually believing in it. :D

As much as I hate to retract my statement that this table is good but the law of diminishing applies, this is simply no longer true. :tears:

I am rewarded with jet black background, wide open soundstage, more palpable images, even better dynamics, deep and articulate bass that I didn't even know the Cremona Ms were capable of (nothing on CD comes close), midrange that is tear jerkingly gorgeous and highs that are truly making me happy with their sparkle and non etched quality. Midrange specifically is so right, engaging and oh, soooo emotional. This all makes sense as the table is designed to extract the maximum information from the grooves. Where I had to resort to Gingko platform, carbon fiber mat, center weight, periphery clamp on the Clearaudio to really flush out the dynamics and keep the table from becoming too resonant and ear scorching, the SME sitting stock on a glass table does all the above and still manages to beat the pants off what I had before.

Using the reflex clamp and varying the tightness takes the small warps right out of any record, the SME arm tracks linearly with virtually no bobbing up and down. The suspension seems to be doing its job really well and keeping the acoustic feedback out of the table. I tapped on the upper and lower plinths and could not induce any acoustic feedback into the arm/cart, something I was able to do with the Clearaudio.

Yep, the EAR/SMEV/Dynavector are jiving together much to my satisfaction now. This table is a keeper for sure. :thumbsup:

[1KW]

I have a feeling when I stop by to pick up the PPP for a test drive that it will actually be your TT demo my wallet will be afraid of :D

[gtubes]

I have a feeling when I stop by to pick up the PPP for a test drive that it will actually be your TT demo my wallet will be afraid of :D

No kidding. I have been reading this thread...danger danger! :music:

[PHC1]

I have a feeling when I stop by to pick up the PPP for a test drive that it will actually be your TT demo my wallet will be afraid of :D

Grrrrrrr....

http://ny-image1.etsy.com/il_430xN.75764561.jpg

[PHC1]

I was glad to spend some time talking to Bill Peugh from Sumiko today. :thumbsup:

Bill knows the SME tables really well inside and out and I went over my setup with him thoroughly. I think we covered just about every parameter of the table and arm and Bill shared many of his setup tips and what he has discovered over the years of playing with them. I had my work cut out for me when I got home and started applying and testing the various settings.

I had to tweak just about everything across the board. It was fun to do small incremental adjustments and hear the sound changing. I started by bumping up the suspension a few mm above the factory recommended level and re-leveling the table. Followed by the damping of the tonearm, I went up on the damping screw until it barely touched the surface of the silicone fluid in the resevoir. After these two adustments, the soundstage opened up tremendously.

It was fun listening to my new Jimi Hendrix vinyl and all of a sudden hearing the sound effects coming from the adjacent room on the left. :thumbsup:

Next up I adjusted the VTA and VTF some more to achieve a balance of bass and detailed top end, added .5 gm of dynamic balance to the tonearm from balanced keeping the overall VTF in the range, followed by anti-skate by ear. After I also adjusted the speed of the motor by ear as Bill recommended a few small steps at a time and suddenly everything just locked in just like Bill said it would. :thumbsup:

Table is sounding pretty incredible now. :smoking: I was amazed just how much more can be had from an optimized setting. I doubt I would have achieved nearly as good results in a few months of experimenting as I did in a few hours after the advice from Bill. :thumbsup:

[jdandy]

Serge.......Both the SME 20/2 turntable and the SME Series V tonearm are engineering marvels. It is enjoyable to read your posts, and know that someone as focused as you owns this equipment, and can appreciate the improvements that each tweak produces. It is a fine vinyl spinning and tracking system indeed.

[PHC1]

Serge.......Both the SME 20/2 turntable and the SME Series V tonearm are engineering marvels. It is enjoyable to read your posts, and know that someone as focused as you owns this equipment, and can appreciate the improvements that each tweak produces. It is a fine vinyl spinning and tracking system indeed.

Dan, of course pushing the "play" button on any digital source is so much easier and foolproof. Spending time with your table optimizing the setup on the opposite side of the scale is very enjoyable and rewarding, at least to me. Once the stylus is in the groove and you have wall to wall, three dimensional, analog smooth sound that simply breathes with life, I simply grin ear to ear with satisfaction and consider all the time invested into it simple joy. Vinyl playback has fascinated me from day one. :yes:

I am hoping I will have a chance in the future to try other table and tonearm combinations as I derrive much satisfaction from getting a chance to experience and spend time listening to some of these very impressive analog playback engineering marvels. :thumbsup:

[1KW]

I have heard Serges analog SME TT and it not only is eye candy but sounds fantastic and is fabulous as well.

[turntable]

Finally upgraded Serge. Well done!!

[Jerome W]

Serge.......Both the SME 20/2 turntable and the SME Series V tonearm are engineering marvels. It is enjoyable to read your posts, and know that someone as focused as you owns this equipment, and can appreciate the improvements that each tweak produces. It is a fine vinyl spinning and tracking system indeed.

+ 1 : that is the RIGHT TT at the RIGHT place !

[howiebrou]

Followed by the damping of the tonearm, I went up on the damping screw until it barely touched the surface of the silicone fluid in the resevoir. After these two adustments, the soundstage opened up tremendously.


Glad to hear that. That was the effect I had hoped it would have. With the damping fluid or the screw too far into it, it can appear a bit sluggish in comparison although the effect depends on the tt in question :yes:

howie

[PHC1]

So I've been racking up some playing time on my SME 20. Let me tell you guys, this table has changed and evolved quite a bit over since I first set it up. Can't say for sure if it is the suspension settling in, the tonearm itself or the tonearm cable burning in or a combination of many things together but the sound keeps evolving from what was dynamically impressive and very tightly focused but what I ultimately discovered was just a bit mechanical and sterile sound on many LPs for my taste over time. Not harsh by any means but just a bit etched and bleached type of sound which I don't care for long term. A bit too much emphasis on the transients, like a tightly coiled spring ready to unwind at a blink of an eye. Sibilance and intentional guitar distortion was more noticeable and even a bit irritating depending on the LP. I often found myself playing with the cartridge loading, tweaking the VTA and VTF from day to day trying to nail down that elusive proper balance of weight, dynamics, tonal richness and resolution and upper end sparkle. I was close, erring on both sides of the equation but couldn't quite hit the bulls eye.

It was a bit puzzling since the SME is a suspended table, does not have a metal or acrylic platter and is really not known for aggressive, hyper detailed sonic signature... :scratch2: I have not heard my XX2 Dynavector cartridge to behave badly either with my previous table. In any case, I felt I was getting closer with some of the settings of suspension, playing around with the tightness of the record clamp, etc.. but intuitively felt I wasn't quite there just yet...

Over the past week and especially after a marathon listening session on Saturday and better part of the day today, I am finally hearing exactly was I was after. Jet black background, richness and smoothness that makes you go aaaaah and relax as the music sweeps you away and draws you in deeper and deeper until you close your eyes and you get goose bumps and a sense of euphoria. Dreamy, creamy, romantic sound that is not forced but instead flows out of the speakers at proper pace and rhythm, liquid in its presentation, silky smooth on the ears, yet has the dynamic punch when called upon and enough resolution where you hear every little detail and feel the ambiance of the recording as the billowing soundstage envelops you all around but it all sounds natural and unforced. A truly analog experience. :music: I can finally say that I have extracted the performance and reached an equilibrium that I was hoping for when I spent the $$$ on this table. :thumbsup: Awesome table. :yes:


For me the ultimate test is to whip out the worst sounding LPs, the ones you previously would want to turn the volume down on and if by some miracle you want to turn the volume up, you've hit the nail on the head. As I played some of my rock albums like Metallica, Pearl Jam, Led Zeppelin and a few others and actually really enjoyed the experience instead of being indifferent about it, I think I am finally there. :yes: Next up will be trying out a few different tonearm cables and ultimately mounting the Ortofon A90 cartridge to see what it can do on this table.

[jdandy]

Serge.......This is good news. As I was reading, I began to get a sense that this turntable might go on the used market. Glad to know the resolution issues have been resolved, at least for now. My guess is the table will continue to settle in, and you may need to continue to tweak it back into submission, but that is part of the pleasure of high-end audio. Have fun.

[1KW]

"Dreamy, creamy, romantic sound that is not forced but instead flows out of the speakers at proper pace and rhythm, liquid in its presentation, silky smooth on the ears, yet has the dynamic punch when called upon and enough resolution where you hear every little detail and feel the ambiance of the recording as the billowing soundstage envelops you all around but it all sounds natural and unforced. A truly analog experience."

Man can you write :D

[PHC1]

"Dreamy, creamy, romantic sound that is not forced but instead flows out of the speakers at proper pace and rhythm, liquid in its presentation, silky smooth on the ears, yet has the dynamic punch when called upon and enough resolution where you hear every little detail and feel the ambiance of the recording as the billowing soundstage envelops you all around but it all sounds natural and unforced. A truly analog experience."

Man can you write :D

Believe me, it is the holy grail of sound that everyone is after, whether they realize it or not. It is the sound of natural and live music. I've never heard an instrument played in real life that sounds abrasive unless played that way intentional or by someone who has no clue how to play it. Believe me, I went through quite a few different instruments with my kids experimenting with music over the years. :D One thing that stands out, even if played off key, wrong notes, it never sounds unnaturally harsh/abrasive yet they tend to sound just that when played back over many different systems. I've been looking to achieve what I have today for the past 25 years. :yes: Is there even more room for improvement? Probably, although I would be happy with what I have today for a very long time as well. :yes:

Analog playback has gotten me much closer than digital ever did. I'd say the Ayre CDP with the MP filters was the only CDP I've heard to date that would be something I could put up with long term when it comes to digital. The good news is that I am sure more and more will be implementing that type of filter in the near future and digital playback combined with high resolution files will finally be much closer to good analog sound. :thumbsup:

[PHC1]

Serge.......This is good news. As I was reading, I began to get a sense that this turntable might go on the used market. Glad to know the resolution issues have been resolved, at least for now. My guess is the table will continue to settle in, and you may need to continue to tweak it back into submission, but that is part of the pleasure of high-end audio. Have fun.

I've never had the urge to put it up for sale Dan. :D Nope, it was sounding pretty damn good out of the box but I was hoping for a slightly more relaxed presentation. I have a very specific taste when it comes to system synergy and my expectations are pretty high. I am very happy it has evolved/settled down a bit as now it is really bringing me a lot of listening pleasure. :music:

[two dot]

Serge,

This is great news and a BEAUTIFUL description of what you are hearing.

What gear/speakers are you getting this perfect sound with??? The loaners???

[PHC1]

Serge,

This is great news and a BEAUTIFUL description of what you are hearing.

What gear/speakers are you getting this perfect sound with??? The loaners???

Yes, I am tweaking everything around the SF Cremona M's which I am currently using. I can't say I was very impressed with them from the get go but I also think they didn't really have that much playing time on them. I suspect part of what I heard may have been the sonic change in the speakers as well. I just don't know at this point since I have 2 variables right now. What ever the case may be, it all sounds really good now. :thumbsup:

[Jerome W]

Serge,

Your description is so beautifully written it is hard to believe english is not your native language... I'm impressed :thumbsup: