Note that this is a discontinued product. You may want to visit the brand's page here to browse their newer products.
What reviewers think
Bloggers and YouTubers have tried this product—so we've summarized their strongest opinions below. Links to full reviews follow.
Product Strengths
- Exceptional detail resolution and sonic neutrality, playing what is there without artifice
- Outstanding sonic composure and control, providing stability to the musical image
- Immaculate build quality and finish, made with precision-machined aluminum and high-tech polymer resin
- Effective isolation from external vibrations, thanks to a sophisticated suspension system with rubber O-rings
- New Series VA tonearm is stiffer and offers better damping than previous models
Product Considerations
- High price point
- Lacks a dustcover, making it prone to attracting dust
- New arm rest is a U-shaped cup holder which retains the arm and protects against being accidentally knocked out of the rest
- Non-removable arm
Comparisons (according to reviewers)
- Vs SME Model 30: The Model 60 is a highly refined and upgraded version
Takeaway: The SME Model 60 is a top-tier turntable that offers exceptional performance, stability, and detail retrieval. It is built to last for decades and is a worthy upgrade for those seeking the best in vinyl playback.
All
Model 60
reviews
Manufacturer details
Turntable Speed Error at 33.33rpm: 33.33rpm (-0.005%)
Time to Audible Stabilisation: 5 – 6 seconds
Peak Wow/Flutter (Peak wtd): 0.01% / 0.02%
Rumble (silent groove, DIN B wtd): -75dB (-75.4 dB with Clamp)
Rumble (through bearing, DIN B wtd): -76.5dB
Hum & Noise (unwtd, rel to 5cm/sec): -62.5dB
Power Consumption: 18w (1w standby)
Effective Mass: 10g – 11g
Cartridge Balance Range: 5g – 18g
Vertical Tracking Force: 0.0g – 3.0g (30mN)
Maximum Tracking Error: 0.0120/mm
Internal Wiring: Crystal Cable 0.1mm Mono X-Tal
WEIGHTS:
Turntable 48kg
Speed Control Unit 2kg
Power Unit 4.2kg
Boxed Shipping Weight 86kg
DIMENSIONS:
Turntable
Height 212mm (top of clamp)
Width 557mm
Depth 417mm
Speed Control Unit
Height 87mm
Width 170mm
Depth 295mm
Power Unit
Height 83mm
Width 190mm
Depth 243mm
Platter 330mm
Spindle to Arm 215.35mm
Brand highlights
Taking a step back to look at reviewers' thoughts of the brand's entire lineup—not just this product—what stands out most is the following:
- SME turntables and tonearms are known for their exceptional build quality and precision engineering, often utilizing materials and manufacturing techniques borrowed from the aerospace and Formula 1 industries.
- The company maintains tight control over quality by manufacturing most of the components in-house, even down to small parts, ensuring consistent standards across its product line.
- They aim for sonic neutrality in their products, focusing on extracting the most detail from the record groove without adding coloration or imposing a particular sonic character.
Select products
MK2 Synergy:
- Positioning: An integrated turntable positioned as a high-end, all-in-one solution in the SME lineup.
- Description: Offers a seamless vinyl experience with its built-in phono stage and factory-matched moving coil cartridge. Its advanced drive system enhances speed control and stability, setting it apart from the Model 12 and Model 15, which require separate components.
Model 12-2:
- Positioning: The entry-level high-performance turntable in the SME lineup, offering precision engineering at a more accessible price point.
- Description: Praised for its compact design and high mass, providing a dynamic sound that is perfect for smaller rooms or setups. Unlike the more advanced Model 15, it features a simpler suspension system, making it a great choice for those who want quality sound without the complexity of higher-end models.
Model 15-2:
- Positioning: A mid-range turntable that bridges the gap between the entry-level and high-end models in the SME lineup.
- Description: Delivers a dynamic audio performance with its high-density construction and advanced drive system, making it a step up from the Model 12-2. It offers a more sophisticated suspension system compared to the Model 12-2, providing better resonance control and sound clarity.
Model 30:
- Positioning: A former flagship turntable, offering top-tier performance and engineering excellence in the SME lineup.
- Description: Celebrated for its outstanding dynamics and heavy mass construction, providing reference-standard performance that surpasses the Model 20. Its sophisticated drive system and fluid damping offer exceptional speed control and vibration management.
Our take on the brand
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Used
SME
What if you spend more?
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Our summary
Product Strengths
- The Chronos Discovery Turntable's performance completely resets the bar for what can be achieved sonically with the playback of LPs and is the new milestone in reference-level LP playback
- It presents an entirely fresh and previously unattainable level of musical experience, a new pinnacle of expressiveness and communication that is more than merely revelatory and bordered on transformative
- Discovery presents with an amazingly black, stark background, yielding a noise floor so decidedly defeated that it is all but imperceptible
- It exhibits this incredible ability to more finely differentiate and reveal the ever-so-specific size and locality, and with some recordings, even the shape, of each and every instrumental voice it regenerates
- The new model comes equipped with a massive custom hand-wound power transformer and uses a bank of super-capacitors on its output—optimising damping (towards back EMF), improving the microdynamic motor control, and increasing drive stability
Product Considerations
- The speed controllers on the front panel are not marked
- It is an intricate and complex piece of equipment to install, best left to experts
- Its size and Captain Nemo physicality may be a drawback
Comparisons (according to reviewers)
- Compared to the Kronos Pro, the Discovery shares no components—it isn't the Pro writ large, but runs along common evolutionary design channels
- The Discovery goes a lot further and is significantly better
Takeaway: The Chronos Discovery Turntable offers a new and improved music listening experience. It is considered a top-of-the-line product that uncovers sounds you may have never noticed before.
Video review
Our take on the brand
Following in the footsteps of Nagra’s flagship Reference Anniversary turntable/tonearm system, Nagra’s research and development team devoted an additional two years applying all that was learned in the preceding four years of Anniversary system development to expand our commitment to LP reproduction to a wider audience of vinyl lovers.The Reference turntable/tonearm maintains the same level of obsessive attention to detail embodied in the limited edition Reference Anniversary turntable/tonearm, including our insistence on technical achievement validated by extensive listening. Its concept, design and execution are befitting of its inclusion in Nagra’s flagship Reference line of products.
Our summary
Product Strengths
- Designed specifically for Nagra's 70th anniversary, with only 70 units produced, making it an exceptional and exclusive piece
- Provides a silent listening experience, with surface noise remaining at an almost inaudible level
- Offers precise sound reproduction, where all instruments are perfectly distinct with great definition
- Excellent instrument separation, allowing listeners to discern individual instruments within orchestral formations, creating a sense of depth and space
- Clean and well-defined low-frequency response without any muddiness
Product Considerations
- A complex piece of equipment, requiring 4 years of development and production
Comparisons (according to reviewers)
- The sound is closer to an analog master tape listening than to vinyl as we know it—rounder and softer
Takeaway: The Nagra REFERENCE ANNIVERSARY turntable is a technologically advanced and meticulously crafted product designed for exceptional vinyl playback. It is a premium option for audiophiles seeking the highest level of precision and clarity in their listening experience.
Video review
Our take on the brand
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Our summary
Product Strengths
- Huge, open, and relaxed sound, with a touch of sweetness in the upper registers
- Focuses on the deeper meanings of the music
- Might be a turntable for the ages
Product Considerations
- MSRP of $150K
- Demos were sometimes interrupted by the room next door
Takeaway: The Gryphon Apollo turntable offers a stunning sound that is huge, open, and relaxed. It is worth checking out if someone wants something that can really dig into the music.
Video review
Our take on the brand
What competes at this price?
Our Summary
Product Strengths
- Exceptional detail resolution
- Outstanding sonic composure and control
- Built and finished to an immaculate standard
- Highly effective suspension system
- Provides excellent isolation from external vibrations
Product Considerations
- Lacks a dustcover to protect from dust, children, and cats
- The arm lock found on earlier prototypes is not included in the final version
- The stark and rather brutish appearance won't appeal to all
- There is no arm lock to prevent damage
Comparisons (according to reviewers)
- Vs SME Model 30: The Model 60 is described as a highly refined and upgraded version of the Model 30
- Vs SME Model 15: Model 15 has a lighter, freer, more graceful—and less damped—sonic personality
Takeaway: The SME Model 60 with Series VA arm is a very talented performer that belongs high up in the ranks of the finest record players available. It's built to last for decades and provides the best possible vinyl replay.
Video review
Our take on the brand
Our Summary
Product Strengths
- Exquisite machining and ingenious implementation worthy of deep respect; the machining and "fit 'n' finish" is grand.
- The design combines technical know-how, superior machining, and listening 'tunesmanship', resulting in well-balanced sonic performance that is resonance-free.
- Delivers a subtle musical personality that combines midband generosity with transient precision, which compliments every musical genre.
- Speed consistency is comparable to direct drive turntables.
- Produces an inviting overall subtle musical personality that combines midband generosity with transient precision.
Product Considerations
- The bottom end was kind of soft with the supplied TA-9D IKEDA-based arm.
- Less-than-flat records need attention, because the product lacks a washer/reflex clamp option.
- Constrained-layer armboards might produce a sonic upgrade.
Takeaway: The Grandioso T1 turntable provides well-balanced sound that is resonance-free. Its design allows for both grand and minuscule musical gestures.
Video review
Our take on the brand
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