Beyond the Model 30
Through more than three decades, SME’s Model 30 stood as a reference among precision turntables, and the SME Model 35 was built to surpass that standard. SME drew the design from the flagship Model 60, gathering de-coupled feet, a sub-chassis hung in suspension, hydraulic damping for the main bearing and acoustic treatment for chassis and platter into a more compact tri-column form, then fitted the Series Vi, an improved version of the celebrated Series V tonearm. Made entirely in-house in West Sussex, the SME Model 35 turntable meets each record with poise, presence and an unhurried sense of scale.
The SME Model 35 with its new Series Vi arm is an astonishing turntable.
Suspended Within Three Columns
Composure begins underneath. Three height-adjustable feet, de-coupled for multipoint isolation, carry the main chassis, and above that base the sub-chassis hangs within three suspension columns, brought at installation to an even clearance with gauges that SME supplies. Acoustic treatment extends through both chassis and the platter, and whenever the deck is locked down for travel, the damping system of the sub-chassis seals automatically, ready for the next set-up. Vibration from the room and the stand finds little purchase, leaving the stylus to read the groove and nothing more.
The Improved Series Vi Arm
For decades, the magnesium Series V set the global benchmark for tonearm design. With the Series Vi, where the letter i signifies improved, SME exchanged the metal armtube for one CNC machined in a single piece from a high-density, high-rigidity polymer resin, acoustically inert and circular in section. The result is a very low resonance signature, with markedly better measured arm and pillar resonances, alongside a carefully optimised effective mass and a wide balance range that suits cartridges of many kinds. Fitted at the factory, the Series Vi is wired with Crystal Cable conductors that run directly from the headshell to the phono output sockets.
The Model 35 turntable and Series Vi tonearm are brilliantly engineered and turn in a magnificently musical, poised and joyous performance.
Belt, Motor and Steady Pitch
EISA’s jury singled out superb speed stability in the SME Model 35, and the drive shows where that steadiness begins. The platter is driven by belt from a custom-made bi-phase AC synchronous motor. A separately housed speed control unit creates two independent sine waves and tunes each one precisely to the motor, while the transformer stands apart in a dedicated power unit, an arrangement derived from the Model 60. Both speeds are fine-tuned with the rotary control until the strobe pattern holds still, then committed to memory, so a long piano chord decays at a steady pitch and a slow fade stays true to the final bar.
…the sound alive with vibrant detail and possessed of dynamics, solidity and sheer scale that sets the standard for high-end decks.
Four Anodised Finishes
Every finish of the SME Model 35 is anodised. Black and Silver form the standard pair, while Midnight Blue and Gunmetal are the special finishes. Whichever colour is chosen, the tri-column outline stays compact and streamlined, as much at home in a living room as in a dedicated listening space.
Setting Up the SME Model 35
At 32 kilograms, the SME Model 35 is lifted by two people with hands beneath the main chassis, and asks for a support equal to the weight: a sturdy table or one of the purpose-built hi-fi racks in the Audio Lounge collection. Installation follows a clear order, from releasing the transit screws and levelling chassis and motor to fitting belt and platter and bringing the three suspension columns to an even height. Thereafter SME’s manual lists no critical adjustments and no need to tweak: lifetime lubrication looks after the main bearing, the sub-chassis damping needs no attention, and the drive belt asks for little beyond an occasional clean. What remains is ritual, with washer and record on the spindle, the clamp screwed down until the disc lies flat against the platter, and the lowering control easing the stylus into the groove at a measured pace.
Placing the SME Model 35 in the Range
The SME Model 60 remains SME’s flagship, built around the Series VA tonearm and four suspension columns, and the SME Model 35 carries much of that thinking into a smaller, lighter tri-column chassis. The SME Model 12 MK2 places the Series Vi arm on a compact high-mass design, the SME Synergy MK2 arrives with a cartridge already fitted and a NAGRA phono stage built in, and the SME Model 8 brings SME precision to a resin chassis with the SME 309 arm. The SME Model 35 sits within a wider collection of turntables at Audio Lounge, and enquiries about hearing one in London are always welcome.
…the Model 35 adopts the cleaner industrial-design language introduced with the flagship, making it both visually and practically more appealing than the Model 30 it replaces.
About SME
Alastair Robertson-Aikman set up SME in West Sussex in 1946, when the initials stood for Scale Model Equipment, and the company turned to audio after a tonearm he built for personal use won over friends in the sound industry. The first Series I arm was assembled entirely from individually machined parts, and that self-reliance endures: in Steyning today SME carries out CNC machining, die casting, plating and anodising under one roof, completes each turntable and tonearm with traditional craftsmanship, and makes precision components for aerospace, Formula 1 and medical clients. Find the rest of the SME turntable range at Audio Lounge, London.
Questions About the SME Model 35
What is the SME Model 35?
The SME Model 35 is a belt-driven precision turntable designed and built at SME’s Steyning factory in West Sussex, and supplied with the Series Vi tonearm fitted. Drawing on the flagship SME Model 60 for the tri-column layout, the SME Model 35 suspends the sub-chassis within three columns, damps the main bearing hydraulically and runs from separate speed control and power units. The turntable weighs 32 kg and comes in four anodised finishes.
What tonearm does the SME Model 35 carry?
The SME Model 35 carries the Series Vi, SME’s improved development of the magnesium Series V. A one-piece armtube, CNC machined from high-density polymer resin and circular in section, keeps resonance very low. Effective mass is quoted at 10 to 11 g, cartridges from 7 to 18 g balance correctly and tracking force reaches 3 g. Pivot to stylus measures 233.15 mm, and Crystal Cable 0.1 mm Mono X-Tal wiring runs direct to the RCA phono outputs.
Does the SME Model 35 include a cartridge?
The SME Model 35 arrives without a cartridge, so the choice of voice rests with the owner. SME packs cartridge screws in stainless steel and in aluminium, the lighter set reducing effective mass for high-compliance cartridges, and the cartridge leads plug into the headshell and can be replaced. The RCA outputs pass the cartridge signal on unamplified, so a phono stage completes the system: Audio Lounge holds a choice of phono stages alongside moving coil cartridges to suit.
How is the sub-chassis of the SME Model 35 suspended?
Three suspension columns carry the sub-chassis of the SME Model 35, each raised with a key until the supplied 5 mm gauges show an even clearance, and SME supplies replacement suspension bands should the originals stretch over the years. Beneath, three height-adjustable feet with multipoint isolation support the main chassis. When the suspension is locked for travel, the sub-chassis damping seals itself and needs no maintenance.
How is the SME Model 35 driven?
SME’s own custom-made bi-phase AC synchronous motor drives the SME Model 35 by belt. The separate speed control unit generates a pair of independent sine waves, each tuned to the motor, and feeds the drive through a two-channel class AB output stage, while the mains transformer sits apart in the power unit. Both speeds, 33⅓ and 45 rpm, keep an independent memory setting and adjust in microfine steps against the stroboscopic disc.
Which colours does the SME Model 35 come in?
The SME Model 35 comes in four anodised finishes: Black and Silver as SME’s standard finishes, Midnight Blue and Gunmetal as special finishes. The manual sets out one specification for all four, so the finish is a matter of taste and setting. Audio Lounge can advise on finishes and availability.
How much space does the SME Model 35 need?
The SME Model 35 turntable stands 220 mm tall with the clamp in place, 480 mm wide and 430 mm deep, and weighs 32 kg. Two separate units accompany the turntable: the speed control unit, 87 x 170 x 295 mm at 2 kg, and a power unit of 83 x 190 x 243 mm at 4.2 kg. SME advises a solid table or sturdy audio stand, and a two-person lift with hands under the main chassis.
What separates the SME Model 35 from the SME Model 60?
SME builds the SME Model 60 as the flagship of the range, with four suspension columns, the Series VA arm, 48 kg of turntable and seven finishes. The SME Model 35 condenses that thinking into a tri-column chassis of 32 kg, with the Series Vi arm, and speed control and power units the same size as the flagship’s. Both turntables share a hydraulically damped main bearing, acoustic treatment throughout chassis and platter, and manufacture in Steyning.
How have critics received the SME Model 35?
Warmly, and with three distinctions. EISA, whose jury brings together editors from 51 specialist magazines across 26 countries, named the SME Model 35 Best High-End Turntable 2026-2027. The SoundStage! Network gave the turntable a 2025 Product of the Year award for Outstanding Performance, after a Reviewers’ Choice in SoundStage! Ultra, and the Dutch publication HiFi.NL awarded five stars in 2025.
Is the SME Model 35 covered by a guarantee?
Yes. SME’s standard warranty runs 24 months, and registering the SME Model 35 with SME activates an extended period of five years. Upkeep is modest: once the bearing has been charged with oil at installation, lubrication lasts for life, a fresh drive belt is due after 1,000 hours of play, and the tonearm damping fluid is best changed once a year. Audio Lounge is glad to help with registration and servicing.
