Turntables, Arms & Cartridges

The Model 8’s 1.85kg black acetal platter is a lot lighter than that of its bigger brothers but the compact alloy sub-platter and close-coupled belt-drive still take 5-6 seconds to bring it up to speed. The ramped torque of the AC motor protects the belt and assists in the spectacularly low through-groove rumble of –74.0dB (DIN-B wtd re. 1kHz/5cm/sec). However, while the latter figure is largely unaffected by the use of SME’s heavy record weight, the same cannot be said of the Model 8’s speed stability... Without the LP weight, peak wow/low-rate drift is a high 0.2% – possibly a result of the platter’s low-resistance surface causing the LP to slip under load – but once the weight is in position over the (unthreaded) spindle, the deck’s frequency resolution sharpens up very significantly. Peak-wtd variations in pitch fall to a mere 0.02% (wow) and 0.04% (flutter) while the speed adjustment facility allows a precise absolute speed to be achieved [see Graph 1].

The partnering 309 tonearm [along with the Synergy, HFN Mar ’19] is not just SME’s only remaining magnesium arm, but is also arguably a more elegant design than either the Series IV or V despite its detachable headshell. It’s the very lack of spring-loaded downforce and other accoutrements, coupled with the one-piece tapered tube, bearing yoke and counterweight rail, that keep the effective mass at around 10g and also simplify the arm’s overall resonant behaviour [see CSD waterfall, Graph 2]. In practice, the first bending mode occurs at around 150Hz but a higher-Q harmonic/twisting mode occurs at a (midrange) 680Hz thanks to the headshell. So the 309 will have a different ‘tonal influence’ than SME’s other wands even if the pre-loaded bearings offer the same, near-zero friction and play. PM