A New Generation of the Model 20
SME built the Model 20 to the engineering standards of the Model 30, carrying over many features first developed for that design. The SME Model 20 MK2 adds a new drive system, credited by SME with clear gains in speed accuracy and stability over the original model. The turntable presented here, a single ex-demonstration example, carries the SME Series V tonearm and can be reserved online for collection from Audio Lounge in London.
Mass Held in Balance
Aluminium billet, machined by CNC and acoustically treated, forms both the main chassis and the sub-chassis, and the turntable alone weighs 26 kilograms, a considerable mass for a design of this footprint. Purpose-made suspension rings carry the sub-chassis, home to the main bearing, platter and arm, while a large central fluid damper steadies every movement and gives acoustic signals a resistive path to ground. Isolators separate the main chassis from four adjustable feet, which bring the turntable level on a solid table or a sturdy equipment stand.
A Drive Built for Stability
A belt carries motion to the platter from SME’s custom-made bi-phase AC synchronous motor, directed by a speed control unit in a separate enclosure, which supplies the motor with a matched pair of sine waves. A third enclosure, the power unit, houses the mains transformer well away from the control electronics and from the audio signal. Machined from aluminium alloy and extensionally damped, the platter carries a diamond-turned isodamp surface, and a reflex clamp presses each record into the widest possible contact, even where the vinyl is warped.
The Series V Arm
SME built the Series V around a one-piece magnesium arm tube with an adjustable fluid damper, and on the Model 20 MK2 the arm sits on the suspended sub-chassis, sharing the isolation of the platter. No cartridge comes with the turntable, so the character of the finished system rests on the owner’s choice: the Audio Lounge team is glad to propose moving coil cartridges suited to the arm, together with a phono stage to complete the chain, and welcomes enquiries about an audition.
Collecting the Model 20 MK2 in London
SME now lists the Model 20 MK2 among the legacy models on the SME website, and the turntable on this page is the only example at Audio Lounge. A reservation online secures the turntable until collection at the Wigmore Street showroom, where the team can describe the demonstration life of this particular unit. In SME’s current range, the SME Model 12 MK2 also combines a bi-phase motor with a stand-alone power unit, and the Audio Lounge selection of high-end turntables sets out every alternative in the shop.
About SME
SME takes the initials of the Scale Model Equipment Company, which Alastair Robertson-Aikman founded in 1946 to make precision models for exhibitions and the model engineering trade. In 1959 he needed a pick-up arm for the hi-fi system at home and built a prototype; the reaction among friends in the audio industry was so strong that commercial production followed, a new factory went up and SME Limited replaced the original company name. Pick-up arms and precision turntables are still made entirely in-house at Steyning in West Sussex, beside precision components that SME supplies to industries such as aerospace, medical equipment and Formula 1. Discover the SME turntables and tonearms in the Audio Lounge collection.
Questions About the SME Model 20 MK2
What kind of turntable is the SME Model 20 MK2?
The SME Model 20 MK2 is a precision turntable by SME, the MK2 version of the Model 20 that SME first introduced in 1992, shown here with the SME Series V tonearm. Chassis and sub-chassis are machined from aluminium billet, a central fluid damper steadies the suspended sub-chassis, and a bi-phase AC synchronous motor spins the platter at 33⅓ or 45 rpm. Audio Lounge holds this single ex-demonstration unit for collection in London.
In what ways does the SME Model 20 MK2 differ from the Model 20/3?
Above all in the drive. The Model 20/3 used a three-phase motor with Hall position sensors and could play 78 rpm besides 33⅓ and 45. On the SME Model 20 MK2, a bi-phase AC synchronous motor runs on two pure sine waves supplied by the speed control unit, a power unit holds the mains transformer, and the speeds are 33⅓ and 45 rpm. Each generation has a separate manual from SME.
Which arm comes with this example of the SME Model 20 MK2?
The SME Series V, the magnesium pick-up arm SME launched in 1986. A one-piece arm tube works with an adjustable fluid damper, SME quotes 10 to 11 grams of effective mass, and the balance range reaches cartridges of 14 grams, with up to 3 grams of tracking force. No cartridge is supplied with the SME Model 20 MK2. The mounting base also takes SME’s Model 309 and Series IV arms, and the Audio Lounge team can recommend a suitable cartridge.
How is speed set on the SME Model 20 MK2?
From the front of the speed control unit. With the motor stopped, pressing the rotary control steps between 33⅓ and 45 rpm, and the power button starts the platter. With the motor running, a two-second hold on the control begins fine adjustment, where each step shifts the selected speed by 0.01% while the stroboscopic disc shows the result. A further press stores the setting, and each speed is remembered independently.
What size is the SME Model 20 MK2, and how much does each part weigh?
The turntable is 440 mm wide, 350 mm deep and 175 mm high including the tonearm, and weighs 26 kg. The speed control unit is 150 mm wide, 295 mm deep and 82 mm high at 2.52 kg, and the power unit is 188 mm wide, 242 mm deep and also 82 mm high, at 4.04 kg. SME advises choosing the final position before setting up, because moving the turntable afterwards is best avoided.
Why is the SME Model 20 MK2 on this page listed as ex-demonstration?
Because the turntable has been used for demonstrations instead of being sold new. For that reason the specification table shows Refurbished under Condition and Ex-Demonstration under Provenance. Audio Lounge has one unit, held by a reservation online until collection from the Wigmore Street showroom. Registering the turntable with SME lengthens the standard 24-month guarantee to five years, and the team welcomes questions before collection.
