The SME Model 6 Classic at Audio Lounge
The SME Model 6 Classic brings together a dense resin chassis, a stand-alone speed control unit and the M2-9R, the arm SME built to accept a broader choice of moving coil designs. The example on this page is a single ex-demonstration unit, available to reserve online and collect from the Audio Lounge showroom in London. SME designed and built the Model 6 Classic entirely in-house in England, and every detail described below belongs to this particular turntable.
Resin, Mass and Stillness
SME machined the chassis by CNC from a high-density polymer resin, chosen because the material combines considerable mass with a superb capacity for absorbing resonance. A specialist isolation system works within the self-levelling feet, so no dedicated equipment stand is required: SME intended the Model 6 Classic for any substantial table or similar piece of furniture, although the Audio Lounge selection of hi-fi racks can give a complete system a fine home. Beneath the platter, the main bearing, the spindle and the drive pulleys are made to the same standards SME applies to every high-end design bearing the SME name.
Speed Set by Pure Sine Waves
A separate speed control unit governs the platter. Inside, a bi-phase generator shapes a pair of pure sine waves, which a dedicated discrete power amplifier passes to twin coils within a custom AC motor, and a belt carries the motion on to the platter. The rotary control chooses either standard speed, and holding the control down opens a fine adjustment mode: with the stroboscopic disc on the platter as a reference, each speed can be nudged in minute increments until the strobe bands stand still, then saved for every session that follows.
The M2-9R Arm
SME created the M2-9R and the longer M2-12R in answer to enthusiasts’ requests for arms suited to more moving coil types, and the nine-inch M2-9R equips every Model 6 Classic. A lightweight stainless steel arm tube meets a detachable aluminium headshell through a bayonet of two draw-in pins, a junction that stays rigid while allowing azimuth to be set with precision. Tungsten balance weights in satin chromed brass sleeves move the centre of gravity far enough to balance cartridges of up to 38 grams, a thumbwheel sets the height of the arm, ball race bearings guide movement in every plane, and Silver Litz conductors carry the signal. The same arm is sold separately as a version of the SME Series M2-9.
Choosing a Cartridge
No cartridge comes with the Model 6 Classic, so the voice of the turntable rests on personal taste. SME supplies the headshell detached, so a cartridge can be mounted on the bench before the shell is drawn home onto the arm, and includes an alignment protractor, hex wrenches and cartridge screws for the rest of the set-up. Audio Lounge can suggest partners from the moving coil cartridges in the collection and a matching phono stage, and welcomes enquiries about hearing a combination before a choice is made.
Where the Model 6 Classic Sits Today
In SME’s current range, the SME Model 8 has taken the place of the Model 6, with a heavier build, height-adjustable feet and SME’s 309 arm. The Model 6 Classic holds one clear advantage over the newer deck: the M2-9R accepts far heavier cartridges than the 309, so a weighty moving coil design can find a natural partner here. Audio Lounge welcomes enquiries about comparing the two in London.
Reserving the Ex-Demonstration Unit
A reservation online secures the SME Model 6 Classic on this page for collection in person from the Audio Lounge showroom on Wigmore Street, where the team can answer questions about the history and condition of the unit beforehand. For other designs, the wider selection of record decks at Audio Lounge brings together every turntable in the shop, from Rega to Garrard.
About SME
A single pick-up arm turned SME towards sound. The initials once stood for Scale Model Equipment, the business Alastair Robertson-Aikman started in West Sussex in 1946, and in 1959 he designed an arm for his own hi-fi system; friends in the audio trade were so taken with the prototype that a new factory went up to meet demand and the business adopted the name SME Limited. Every component of that first Series I arm was machined individually. More than six decades on, nine- and twelve-inch arms such as the M2 series still leave the SME factory in Steyning, West Sussex, beside SME’s own precision decks and the parts SME supplies to the Formula 1, aerospace and medical equipment industries, all made in England under one roof. Browse the SME tonearms and precision decks that Audio Lounge stocks.
Questions About the SME Model 6 Classic
What is the SME Model 6 Classic?
The SME Model 6 Classic is a precision turntable made in England by SME, supplied with the M2-9R tonearm and an external speed control unit. SME calls the design an integrated precision turntable: a CNC-machined resin chassis, isolation in self-levelling feet, a belt-driven platter and an arm with a detachable headshell. The unit listed here is an ex-demonstration example, the only one at Audio Lounge, reserved online and collected in London.
How does the SME Model 6 Classic differ from the SME Model 6?
Through the tonearm. The SME Model 6 Classic carries the M2-9R, while the SME Model 6 was supplied with the M2-9. SME developed the R version so that more moving coil designs could be used, with a detachable aluminium S2-R headshell held by double draw-in pins and tungsten balance weights that let the arm carry cartridges weighing as much as 38 grams. The resin chassis, the self-levelling feet and the speed control are common to both.
What is the SME M2-9R tonearm?
The M2-9R is the nine-inch pick-up arm fitted to the Model 6 Classic. Effective mass is 9.5 grams and the pivot-to-stylus length 233.2 mm. A light stainless steel tube, an S2-R aluminium headshell that can be exchanged without disturbing cartridge or wiring, a thumbwheel for height, ball race bearings on both axes of movement, internal constrained layer damping and Silver Litz wiring to gold-plated RCA connectors complete the design.
Which cartridges suit the SME Model 6 Classic?
Any cartridge up to 38 grams in the headshell, or plug-in heads up to 46 grams. The main balance weight alone balances cartridges up to 16 grams, the supplied accessory weight extends the range, and the rider weight sets a tracking force of up to 5 grams in half-gram steps. The SME Model 6 Classic is supplied with no cartridge fitted, and Audio Lounge is glad to suggest a partner.
Which speeds can the SME Model 6 Classic play?
Both 33⅓ and 45 rpm, selected by pressing the rotary button on the front panel of the control unit. To check or trim a speed, the stroboscopic disc goes on the platter and the button is held for two seconds; turning the button then moves the speed in steps of roughly 0.0133 Hz until the strobe pattern appears stationary. Pressing and releasing the button stores the setting, which also saves itself after 20 seconds without a change.
How does the SME Model 6 Classic compare with the Model 8?
The Model 8 has replaced the Model 6 in SME’s current range, so the SME Model 8 is the natural comparison. The newer turntable weighs 12.4 kg against 9.1 kg for the SME Model 6 Classic, stands on height-adjustable feet rather than self-levelling ones and carries the SME 309 arm, rated for cartridges up to 17 grams. The M2-9R of the Model 6 Classic accepts cartridges up to 38 grams.
Where is the SME Model 6 Classic made?
In England, by SME. SME makes every turntable and tonearm in SME’s own workshops in Steyning, West Sussex, pairing state-of-the-art machining with traditional craftsmanship, and the badge on the SME Model 6 Classic reads Made in England.
What does ex-demonstration mean for the SME Model 6 Classic here?
The turntable has served for demonstrations rather than being sold new, so the listing records Condition as Refurbished and Provenance as Ex-Demonstration in the specification table. One unit of the SME Model 6 Classic is available. Audio Lounge welcomes questions about how the unit has been used and kept, and enquiries to see the turntable in London before reserving.
Is the SME Model 6 Classic covered by a warranty?
Yes, for five years once registered with SME. Cover begins with SME’s standard 24-month warranty, which grows to five years in total when the owner registers the turntable with SME, as the specification table shows. Upkeep is light: SME advises replacing the drive belt at 1,000 hours or two years, cleaning with a lightly dampened microfibre cloth, and no user-serviceable parts sit inside the turntable or the speed control unit.
How is the SME Model 6 Classic collected?
In person, at the Wigmore Street showroom of Audio Lounge in London. The SME Model 6 Classic is reserved online and is available for collection only. The team welcomes enquiries about a convenient time to collect and about setting up the turntable at home.
