Precision Engineering from West Sussex
A precision turntable designed, machined and assembled by SME in Steyning, West Sussex, the SME Model 8 makes a first impression of composure. A record settles onto the platter, the stylus finds the groove against a quiet background, and the music unfolds with an unhurried sense of order. SME brings together a CNC machined chassis of high density polymer resin, a belt drive under precise speed control and the SME 309 tonearm, and every Model 8 is run in, with the speeds set, before leaving the factory.
The SME Model 8 is an accomplished high-end turntable package that succeeds through refinement rather than spectacle.
A Chassis Machined for Composure
SME machines the chassis of the Model 8 by CNC from a high density polymer resin, a material chosen for high mass and superb resonance absorption, so the record plays on a foundation that stays still. A waistline is machined around the edge of the plinth, and a numeral 8 is recessed into the upper surface, a quiet signature that identifies the model at a glance.
The isolation system is built into the four height-adjustable feet, each finished with a machined aluminium trim, so the Model 8 can be levelled precisely on a dedicated equipment stand or on any substantial table or sideboard.
Drive and Speed Held Steady
A belt carries the drive from the motor to the platter. Inside the separate speed control unit, a generator produces two pure sine waves, and a dedicated discrete amplifier stage delivers the two signals to the twin coils of a custom AC motor, a design that draws on technology developed for the flagship SME Model 60.
Speed changes between the two standard speeds at a press of the rotary control, and the pitch can be trimmed in very fine steps, with the stroboscopic disc as a guide, then stored in memory for future use. A record weight clamp completes the arrangement, holding each disc firmly against the platter.
The SME 309 Arm
The Model 8 is equipped with the SME 309 tonearm, a member of the Series 300 family that SME introduced in 1988 with the influence of the classic Series V clear to see. The armtube is cast in magnesium alloy, and the detachable headshell is magnesium too, adding rigidity and allowing azimuth adjustment, with a tungsten balance weight and high quality ball race bearings in every plane completing the design.
Crystal Cable carries the signal through the arm to gold-plated WBT phono sockets at the rear of the plinth, and every adjustment an SME owner expects is at hand: arm height, azimuth, the sliding base for alignment, tracking force and anti-skate, each set with the tools in the box.
Platter and Bearing
SME has made the platter thicker for stability and tracking accuracy. The machined black acetal platter rests on an alloy sub-platter, and beneath, a stainless steel shaft runs on a tungsten ball within a phosphor bronze sleeve. SME makes the main bearing, spindle and pulleys with the same precision as every deck that leaves Steyning.
Choosing a Cartridge
The Model 8 arrives without a cartridge, leaving the final voice of the system to the owner. The headshell is supplied detached from the arm, ready for the cartridge of choice, and SME packs the screws, the alignment protractor and the wrenches needed to set the geometry correctly. A phono stage completes the chain, and Audio Lounge can suggest a pairing from the phono stages and moving coil cartridges in the shop.
Black, White or Midnight Blue
SME offers the Model 8 in three paint finishes, the traditional SME Black, White and Midnight Blue, each with contrasting details. Midnight Blue is SME’s new signature colour, and whichever finish is chosen, the engineering beneath the paint is the same.
From the Model 6 to the Model 8
The SME Model 8 succeeds the SME Model 6 and replaces the earlier deck in full. SME quotes a 40 per cent increase in mass over the Model 6 series, and the changes run through the whole design: the feet now adjust in height rather than levelling themselves, the platter is thicker, the speed control unit belongs to a new generation, and the M2-9 arm of the earlier deck gives way to the SME 309.
The SME Model 8 takes an already impressive entry level design in the Model 6 and significantly uplifts its performance.
Within the SME Range
The Model 8 opens SME’s current range of decks. The SME Model 12 MK2 moves to a machined aluminium billet chassis and the Series Vi tonearm, while the SME Synergy MK2 builds in a NAGRA phono stage and arrives with a moving coil cartridge from Ortofon, fitted and adjusted by SME, and the range continues to the Model 35 and the flagship Model 60.
Hearing the SME Model 8 at Audio Lounge
A turntable of this quality is best judged with familiar records, and Audio Lounge welcomes enquiries to hear the Model 8 in London, together with advice on cartridges, phono stages and setting up. The wider turntables collection shows every deck in the shop side by side.
About SME
SME began in 1946 as the Scale Model Equipment Company, founded by Alastair Robertson-Aikman to make scale models and parts, before moving into precision engineering for aircraft instruments in the 1950s. In 1959 the founder needed a pick-up arm for his own use, and friends in the sound industry received the experimental design so warmly that the first SME precision pick-up arm went into production the same year. Precision tonearms have defined SME ever since, joined later by turntables, and SME still makes both entirely in-house at Steyning, West Sussex, where SME also produces precision components for the aerospace, Formula 1 and medical industries. Since 2016 SME has been part of the Cadence Audio Group. Discover SME turntables at Audio Lounge.
Questions About the SME Model 8
What is the SME Model 8?
The SME Model 8 is a belt-driven precision turntable made by SME in Steyning, England, supplied complete with a separate speed control unit for 33 and 45 rpm and the SME 309 tonearm. The chassis is CNC machined from high density polymer resin and stands on four height-adjustable isolation feet. Three paint finishes are offered, Black, White and Midnight Blue, and the turntable is supplied without a cartridge.
Does the SME Model 8 turntable come with a cartridge?
The Model 8 comes without a cartridge, which leaves the owner free to pick one for the system. The detachable headshell arrives separate from the arm, ready for fitting, and the box includes a cartridge screw set, an alignment protractor and the wrenches for setting tracking force and geometry. The SME 309 tonearm suits cartridges weighing between 6 and 17 grams.
Does the SME Model 8 need a phono stage?
Yes, because the Model 8 has no built-in phono stage: gold-plated WBT phono sockets and an earth point on the rear connect to a separate phono stage or to the phono input of an amplifier. Choose a phono stage that matches the cartridge, moving magnet or moving coil, and Audio Lounge can recommend a pairing.
What tonearm comes with the SME Model 8?
The SME 309, a member of SME’s Series 300 family. SME specifies an effective mass of 9.5 g, a pivot to stylus distance of 232.2 mm and a cartridge weight range of 6 to 17 g, with a detachable magnesium headshell, a tungsten balance weight and ball race bearings in all planes. The cast magnesium alloy armtube carries internal damping and Crystal Cable wiring.
How is speed controlled on the SME Model 8?
A separate speed control unit, built around a DSP sine wave generator and a dedicated discrete amplifier, drives the custom AC motor with two pure sine waves. The rotary control selects 33 or 45 rpm, and the pitch can be fine-tuned in steps of approximately 0.0133 Hz and stored in memory, using the stroboscopic disc supplied as a check. SME runs in every Model 8 and sets the speeds before dispatch.
How large and heavy is the SME Model 8?
The turntable measures 435 mm wide, 320 mm deep and 150 mm high and weighs 12.4 kg, with a 300 mm platter. The speed control unit measures 152 mm wide, 275 mm deep and 85 mm high and weighs 2.4 kg. SME gives the power consumption as 5 W at idle and 10 W at most.
What colours does the SME Model 8 come in?
Black, White or Midnight Blue, the three paint finishes SME offers, each set off by contrasting details. The finish is the only difference between the three versions, so the choice rests on the room and personal taste. Audio Lounge can confirm the availability of each finish on enquiry.
How does the SME Model 8 compare with the SME Model 6?
The Model 8 replaces the SME Model 6, and SME quotes 40% more mass than the Model 6 series. The newer turntable also brings height-adjustable isolation feet in place of self-levelling feet, a thicker platter, a new generation speed control unit and the SME 309 tonearm in place of the M2-9.
How stable is the speed of the SME Model 8?
Very stable: measured at 33.33 rpm, the speed error is just -0.013%, with peak wow and flutter of 0.02% and 0.04% and silent groove rumble of -74.0 dB. The platter settles at speed within five or six seconds of starting. Use the supplied record weight clamp every time, because speed stability depends on the clamp holding the record firmly in place.
What warranty does the SME Model 8 carry?
SME covers the Model 8 against faults in materials and workmanship for 24 months as standard, and registering the turntable with SME extends the cover to five years. The guarantee is not transferable, and any matter arising is reported to SME in the first instance. Owners register through the product registration page on SME’s website.
