SME's fixed headshell-mounting holes made it possible to align my test cartridges identically in both arms then move the cartridges back and forth between them easily without having to go through a complete realignment each time.
#Media player classic homecinema series#
Using my Model 30/2 turntable and Series V tonearm as a benchmark, I was able to directly compare the Model 60 with the Series VA arm with my Model 30/2 with the Series V arm.
Basic things like the tracking-force adjustment and the cueing mechanism work consistently and smoothly, and the arm's freedom of movement is cleverly limited to minimize the chances of a handling accident. Those caveats aside, the Series VA arm is a joy to work with and displays a level of fit and finish that most arms can only wish for. Thirty-five years ago, alignment factors such as azimuth were harder to measure and so harder to optimize, so I understand why they weren't included on an arm designed in 1986. Aftermarket solutions are available to help deal with these issues, but I was hoping that with a complete redesign, SME would have produced an arm where zenith and azimuth could be adjusted. This system also leaves very little scope for tweaking the zenith and no way of altering azimuth should your cartridge have less-than-perfect internal alignment. This system is quite elegant when you use the alignment tools that come with the arm, but it is tricky, though not impossible, to use alternate alignments and tools. Instead, the cartridge is fixed in the headshell using its simple round holes, and overhang is effectively altered by sliding the whole arm along a track at the base of the arm. The usual elongated slots in the headshell, which allow you to position the cartridge to achieve the required overhang, are missing. Since the beginning, every SME tonearm has used its own unique cartridge alignment system. There, you can connect an RCA-to-RCA cable for the phono signal, with balanced XLR connectors available as an option. Instead of a swiveling DIN socket attached to the base of the arm itself, the VA's wiring is hard-wired to a separate output box mounted on the Model 60's lower plinth. Want to remove the arm and use it on something else? This is made more complicated by how the arm's output wiring is handled. The Series VA arm is currently only available when purchased with a Model 60 turntable. A few years ago, SME stopped selling most of their tonearms as separate items, choosing instead to supply them only in SME turntable-tonearm packages. To further simplify the setup, the new Series VA tonearm comes preinstalled on the Model 60. To be fair, I doubt many people have used their SME turntables to play 78s, as SME 'tables do not allow for the fitment of a second tonearm, which can be supplied with a 78-friendly cartridge, although I did once work on a Model 15 where the owner used an external arm pod and arm for playing his collection of early blues 78s.
An adjustment mode lets you fine-tune each speed using the included strobe disc.Ī 78rpm speed option is not included, despite being a feature on almost all previous SME turntables. The power supply lets you turn the motor on and select between 33 1/3 and 45rpm speeds. Separating these parts allows the power supply to be positioned where it falls easily to hand the potentially noisy transformer can be kept a good distance away. The last setup step with the main chassis is to adjust the height of the suspended chassis at each corner, raising then lowering the suspension until the thick end of the feeler gauge fits perfectly into a gap between the plinth and the suspension tower.įinally, I connected the power supply using the provided Siltech power cables to go from the transformer box to the main power supply box then on to the turntable itself. The resulting textured surface provides an ideal interface for a record, especially when the SME's excellent clamp and center-lift washer are used.
To ensure perfect mat centering, the raw, unfinished Isodamp sheet is bonded to the platter, then the platter/mat sandwich is returned to the lathe, and the mat is trimmed and a scroll pattern engraved into its surface. The top surface of the platter has a built-in record mat made from a material called Isodamp, which is permanently bonded to the platter. SME felt that these components had already reached a level of performance that would be tough to improve on, so no further changes were made.
The Model 60's platter and bearing are identical to those used on the Model 30, although on the 60, the bottom part of the bearing housing sits in a bath of silicone damping fluid to further suppress vibrations.
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