The end… is nigh! Well, the end of 2014 at the very least. And what a year it has been, for both us and the world of hi-fi. As we turn our focus onto the New Year and all of the new challenges (and technologies!) it will bring, we’ve also been having a think about the products that have really made an impact.
2014 was a strange year, full of ups and downs. Although we’re pleased to report that it was mostly ups for us! It has been Audio Affair’s best year. We’ve always held our customer’s interests and opinions in very high regard, and by listening to your feedback in 2013 we were able to improve upon our order management systems towards the end of 2013. This lead to the relaunch of our website in June 2014 and introduced many of the features you asked for over successive months. With the new website came the new blog (hi!) which has helped us engage with our customers, or suppliers and – most importantly – our products in a whole new way. We noticed that 0% finance has been hugely popular and we reduced our minimum spend from £1000 to £500 upon your suggestion, allowing you to apply for 0% finance on qualifying orders over £50 – which has made hi-fi a game that everyone can afford. Many of you have came back to us to part exchange your old hi-fi equipment for new, making 2014 our biggest year yet for part exchanges which has allowed for many of you to upgrade for a fraction of the cost. That’s something we can all drink to!
A turntable is a complex and wonderful thing. To a lover of analogue, the turntable is the centrepiece, the pivot, the crown of their entire system. It is the most iconic of all the ‘sources’, and turntables are better now than they have ever been. It’s no real wonder that vinyl sales have soared in recent years – the format just gets better with age. And the more you invest, the more you get. And when you invest in SME, you can reach phenomenal heights.
SME are, arguably, among the finest – if not the finest – producer of turntables and tonearms in the world. Their secret? The highest standards, maintained by bringing every process ‘in house’, in their home in Sussex. Everything from design and toolmaking through to all aspects of manufacturing including CNC machining, pressure die-casting, injection moulding, metal finishing, electro-plating, anodising and every other process you can think of. And yes, we want to go there too.
This completely ‘in house’ method is almost completely unheard of these days. Not only in the hi-fi industry, but pretty much any industry you can think of. The result of this careful micro-management of the finest detail results in something very special indeed – a turntable that is delicate, refined and elegant… and built like an aircraft carrier. No, these turntables are not cheap. But neither are they cheaply made. An investment in any of the five products below is an investment in care, expertise and build quality that you can depend on for many years to come. If you’re a music lover, and have a keenness for analogue, an SME turntable is the pinnacle for your record collection. Yes – they’re pricey but if sonic excellence is of utmost importance, the five beneath (starting at a mere four figure ‘entry level’ and working its way up), paired with a high end amplifier and loudspeakers, will provide a level of enjoyment that could potentially last for the rest of your life.
Remember, all prices were correct at the time of publishing and may be subject to change.
1. SME Model 10 Turntable – £3600 (without tonearm)
Let’s start at the bottom, with the ‘entry level’ SME, but the price is the only thing that’s remotely entry level about this player. And yes, £3600 is pretty cheap when it comes to the SME range – as you will see! Not only is the Model 10 unique in terms of price, it is also the only SME model that doesn’t have a rectangular design – so it really stands out from its brothers as a contemporary and stylish counter-choice. Coupled with the Model 10 Tonearm (an optional extra) – especially designed for use with this very turntable – the Model 10 maintains all of the build quality found in the 30/2, but without the frills and features that make the latter as expensive as it is!
Why do we like it?
We like anything that can bring high end high fidelity to the masses – and this turntable is a fine example of some of the most sought after and exclusive brands echoing our desires. And remember, we offer 0% finance on any item over £500 – so we can help make this dream a reality. Match the Model 10 tonearm with the Ortofon Cadenza Black, and you will have an analogue source to die for.
Why do they like it?
‘Exquisitely engineered deck and SME tonearm combo that’s an extremely accomplished performer’ (Hi-Fi World Magazine -World Standards)
2. SME Model 20/3 Turntable – £6450 (without tonearm)
Next up, we’re cranking up the price – and what you get for it – with the 20/3. This is the revamped and obsessively engineered replacement for the acclaimed 20/2, which saw each of the elements that worked well refined, and everything that didn’t reworked. The major improvement is the size and the weight (bringing the whole thing up to a whopping 28.6kg (for reference, the 20/2 totted up to a relatively mere 18.2kg – that’s a 10.4kg increase!) and you don’t need us to tell you, the bigger and heavier the turntable, the more rigid. And greater rigidity means better playback of records!
Why do we like it?
It’s a real statement piece that plays records beautifully. Built like a tank – a big, heavy tank – and carrying many of the trickle down refinements of SME’s flagship: the 30/2, this is a turntable that screams good quality, all the while remaining in the slightly shallower end of the high end turntable pool. To bring the quality up a notch, we can recommend the Series V tonearm. Just pick the turntable without the optional tonearm, and add the Series V to your basket separately. And remember that we offer o% finance options too!
Why do they like it?
‘…the Model 20/3 is the best-value deck in the range. Indeed, a masterpiece’ (Hi Fi News)
3. SME Model 20/12 Turntable – £9400 (without tonearm)
Swimming deeper still, we have the substantial Model 20/12. A relatively compact unit – it boasts an incredible denseness at the impressive weight of 33kg, and boasts no ‘sonic footprint’ (great in terms of resonance-free listening), owed to a unique sub-chasis suspended on eighty strands of rubber in the form of forty purpose moulded ‘O’-rings. As with all SMEs, the highest grade components and materials are used throughout (all designed and manufactured on site!), so quality is assured.
Why do we like it?
It’s massive – without being overtly large. And in turntable terms it’s the mass that counts. Beautifully designed, and still remaining in four-figure territory, the 20/12 will be a weighty presence in your world. We can recommend the 12″ Series V tonearm to compliment this wonderfully well suspended turntable- keeping everything light and breezy.
Why do they like it?
‘It’s difficult to pin down how much of the 20/12’s sound is due to its engineering and how much to its twelve-inch arm, but the combination brings a calmness and precision to vinyl replay that we have rarely encountered‘ (TechRadar)
4. SME Model 30/2 Turntable – £13995 (without tonearm)
And we’re into five figure territory. The 30/2 is SME’s flagship, boasting a huge level of rigidity at 42kg, and the laws of physics decree that the higher the mass and stiffness of a body the less it will flex and vibrate. And this is a body that boasts incredibly high mass. The 30/2 also boasts no ‘sonic footprint’ owed to SME’s moulded rubber ‘O’ rings, and its excellent dynamics and pitch stability are largely the result of the immense care taken in the design and execution of its components, which include sintered bronze bearings, solid aluminium chassis and sub chassis, stainless steel pulley, a tungsten shaft and a ground rubber belt.
Why do we like it?
This particular turntable has been heralded as one of the best money can buy, and for a very good reason. The incredible build quality is evident to the very core, and the sound it exerts is nothing short of magnificent.
Why do they like it?
The SME Model 30/2 precision-machined parts (including an ultra-smooth-running main bearing), its superb damping and isolation, its high mass, low-flex plinth, its accurate, stable drive system and most of all, its sound or lack thereof might just make it the finest turntable in the world. It’s certainly one of the two best I’ve ever heard – and the other one costs twice as much!’ (Stereophile)
5. SME Model 30/12 Turntable – £20966 (without tonearm)
The replacement to the former flagship (the 30/2) takes the price up to being the most expensive model we stock. Derived from the awe-inspiring 30/2, and refined to be a suitable companion to the Series V 12 tonearm – widely regarded as one of the best on the market. the Model 30/12 precision turntable enjoys all of the features associated the Model 30/2 precision turntable… The differences are simply ones of scale. The suspension now provides 60 purpose moulded ‘O’ rings supporting the sub-chassis, which has been increased in thickness of 16%, on one hundred and twenty strands of rubber. The main chassis has had its thickness increased by 19%. These may seem like small differences, but these changes in mass bring the grand total weight up t0 53kg. That’s nearly as much as the person writing this review! And what have we learnt? Greater mass = greater density, greater density = greater rigidity, greater rigidity = clear, neutral vinyl playback.
Why do we like it?
This is a turntable to be reckoned with. No, it’s not for the faint of heart (or the shallow of wallet), but the quality of playback (and the quality in general) means every penny is accounted for. This is the next step up from what many regard as one of the finest (if not the finest) turntables in the world – and it weighs as much as a slender(ish) human so you know it’s going to be good. Just make sure you have a substantial table/shelf for it to sit on.
Why do they like it?
‘£80k turntables no longer raise eyebrows, so a £23k deck that rates as a high-end default is somehow life-affirming. Bereft of absurd, self-aggrandising over-complexity, exhibiting nothing but sane engineering and producing sound that’s impossible to fault, the SME Model 30/12 is, in today’s context, a bargain. As my 30/2 has not even hiccup’d in 19 years, the 30/12 can be seen as an investment too.’ (Hi-Fi News)
And that’s it. For now. These may not be the most expensive turntables that money can buy, but many of the more flashy models are statement/concept pieces which won’t necessarily hold their value. An SME turntable will. Its build quality is tried and tested, with customers reporting decades of reliable use, something which the brand continue to pride themeselves on. The fact that they are a company entirely autonomous and arguably the best turntable manufacturer in the UK speaks volumes – they’re entirely British, in design and in approach, and their passion and determination is consistent across their range.
So… do you want one? If the answer is yes, but the pricetag is a problem, give us a shout. We have 0% finance packages available to suit. The pursuit of sonic perfection is a poignant one, and one which we wish to help you with. These turntables are the ideal for those who value their vinyl collection – and analogue playback – above all else, and they will not let you down. You have both our word, and the word of SME, on that.