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69.19.14.20
In Reply to: Re: Do Acrylic Platters, as a meterial, have any type of sonic signature? posted by Fretless on April 20, 2007 at 15:38:09:
what do you think of the SME turntables, particularly the SME 30?
Follow Ups:
Sorry, I've never heard the 20 in anything resembling a familiar setting, and I've never crossed paths with a 30.I did have a chance to spend some quality time with the 10 with the stock M10 arm and a Lyra Helicon in a buddy's familiar system (I heard one with a Benz Ruby too, but the rest of the system wasn't familiar) and I guess I'm ambivalent about it. On the one hand, it was silky smooth, very detailed (perhaps bordering on analytical), "neutral," as far as I could tell, and seemed to keep the notes under very tight control, particularly the bass, which was taut, well-timed, and colorful, though it erred a little on the lean side.
On the other hand, it was a bit cool and, I dunno...business-like. I thought that the notes had their tails clipped, and it wasn't particularly ambient or atmospheric. Pacing was good, but rhythms seemed a little fussy, buttoned-down, or tight-assed. There wasn't much of what I call natural musical "flow" either; it wasn't mechanical, but neither was it particularly "organic."
Build quality was impressive, compact, and purely functional; no audiophool jewelry in sight, and overall - sans direct comparisons - I think I enjoyed it more than the equivalently-priced domestic 'tables I've heard from VPI, Basis, Sota, or Teres, but I doubt that I'd ever be tempted to buy one if a fortuitous windfall came my way; not when I could pick up something like an Avid Volvere or maybe even a Sequel for the same price.
but I wished you could have heard more from the 20 to describe it. the 20 is really different from the 10, and I wanted to find out just where your perceptions of all these turntables are coming from.I can agree with you on the 10's description. But the 20 is in a different league, and therefore so is the 30. It has a real engineered suspension/damping system that sucks vibration away and doesn't let much return (that returning part is the not-so-good part). If you felt the 20 is too sterile sounding, then I would gage that your needs for a source is more than simply hearing what's in the grooves. Maybe listening stright from the master tape with no turntable would be less enjoyable for you than having the turntable do some "processing" for you.
This is no insult, either. I like to process my sound with single ended triode amps. I think they make it sound more organic than anything push-pull, tubes or anything else.
One British reviewer (and I forgot the name of the British magazine that published it) has heard all the TT's you mentioned and thinks they've all got it wrong after he heard the SME 20. He said anyone who disliked it must not like the truth of the recording and seeks more than is there. Then he bought it.
So I was just wondering. The only TT I've heard on your list of the ones you like was the Linn. It was pretty good, but I did not know the surroundings well either to comment much more than that. I have a hard time auditioning these things in unfamiliar environments. They can all sound good to me or all bad, it's just unknown environment. The SME 10 and 20 I heard in a familiar setup at a local dealer. I've seen him so many times I know what his house sound is like and when it changes. But he only does VPI and SME.
My dad used to own an old Garrard idler TT. That was pretty good, too. It definitely had that rock thing going with it, and I don't have a clue as to why.
My experience at my home has been only with American made TT's. VPI and Teres. That's all. Teres is better than VPI for everything, IMO. I do like the inner detail and soundstaging and I just don't feel it lacking in anything else with horn speakers. With low efficiency speakers I had before, they definitely sounded *somewhat* lethargic in some ways. But until I actually get a chance for someone to put a British TT in my own system and listen, I probably will not change a thing. At this point, I'm afraid to. It sounds just right as far as I know.
Maybe, perhaps, I would buy an SME 20 if I could afford it. I think it makes it sound more like putting on a reel-to-reel master tape than anything else I've heard. There's no thinking of rhythm and pace to me when you listen to a reel-to-reel. It's just the recording and nothing more. Then send it through a SET amp and it sounds the best to me.
Again, just my opinion.
Another very interesting post, and I thank you for taking the time."Maybe listening stright from the master tape with no turntable would be less enjoyable for you than having the turntable do some "processing" for you."
I really don't know, but it's possible. I do have a lot of studio time under my belt, and there is often something dry and analytical about the sound of the master tape in a studio environment, but that's mainly because of the ruthless near-field monitoring systems involved. I've never heard a master tape in my system - just CD-R copies, which usually sound okay, but never great, due to the nature of my CDP...and the fact that they're digital copies : ) - and I've never compared the tape to an LP.
"This is no insult, either. I like to process my sound with single ended triode amps. I think they make it sound more organic than anything push-pull, tubes or anything else.
No insult taken. I like SETs too.
"Maybe, perhaps, I would buy an SME 20 if I could afford it. I think it makes it sound more like putting on a reel-to-reel master tape than anything else I've heard." and "Then send it through a SET amp and it sounds the best to me."
I'm a big fan of well-suspended TTs, and from the way that you describe the 20, that 'table in an SET/horn system would probably be quite spectacular, though maybe a bit ruthless?
"There's no thinking of rhythm and pace to me when you listen to a reel-to-reel. It's just the recording and nothing more."
I think this is an extremely important point. The whole PRaT issue is subtractive once the music is set to tape. No audio gizmo "has" PRaT, but they all screw with it to a greater or lesser extent.
OTOH, I have heard master recordings involving my own playing where the recorder tripped over some of the band's timing subtleties - and I'm in a position to know! Coincidence or not, whenever a master had demonstrably corrupted timing, it was always some kind of hard drive; never analog tape in my experience.
Got a gig tonight, so I won't be replying anymore 'till tomorrow.
Thanks again for the interesting insights.
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