Bluebird Music is pleased to introduce the newest turntable from SME, the Model 12. As with all SME turntables, the Model 12 is a high mass, small footprint, high performance design benefitting from the finest materials and hand craftsmanship. Every component part has been precision engineered in-house to the strictest tolerances to contribute to an outstanding musical performance.
The main chassis is precision machined from a solid billet of premium grade aerospace aluminum, ensuring an inert and stable base for the suspension and sub-chassis to reside on.
The turntable is supported on four large polymer isolators inside adjustable feet, which allow for quick and easy levelling. Also, machined from a single billet of aluminum, the trilateral sub-chassis, which firmly holds the close tolerance main bearing and tonearm, is mounted on three suspension columns, providing impressive isolation.
The main spindle is 3/4″ (19mm) machined from high chrome tool steel. It is machine ground, super finished and supported in a sealed housing with individually matched sintered bronze bearings of generous proportions needed to support the platter.
Machined from aluminum alloy and weighing over 10 lbs, the platter is perfectly dampened with an ultra-specialist space grade isodamp material unique to SME. The top surface is diamond-turned with a fine scroll carefully calculated for firmly engaging records to the platter. The substantial chrome-plated and logo engraved reflex clamp ensures the largest possible platter contact, even when an appreciable record warp is present.
The turntable is driven by a 3 phase, brushless out runner motor with 8-pole Neodymium magnets and three integrated hall-effect sensors. Contained within a precision-machined housing, the total motor assembly is virtually vibration-less, as its 2.5 kg (5.5lbs) weight is isolated from the sub chassis by urethane mounts and spikes.
The electronic control unit uses a high-performance microprocessor, optimized for motor control. Closed loop speed control is implemented using a proportional plus integral (PI) algorithm. Speed ranges are 33.3, 45 & 78 rpm, with fine pitch speed adjustment allowing increments/decrements of +/- 0.01% of the selected speed.
The electronic control circuitry and power supply unit are housed in an external one-piece CNC machined case. This new design offers complete isolation and support and is the perfect environment for the electronics. Speed selection controls are mounted on the front facia panel with LED indicators.
The Model 12 comes equipped with an SME Model 309 one-piece magnesium tonearm that uses advanced metal techniques to produce an exceptionally rigid arm. Constrained layers within the tonearm work to dampen any minute residual vibrations through the SME Series 309 Tonearm, making it one of the most acoustically inert tonearms available on the market.
With the new Model 12, SME have once again demonstrated audio engineering excellence delivering a world class precision turntable for the discerning audiophile and high end audio enthusiast.
The Model 12 is available in black finish. It weighs 57 lbs. Dimensions are: W15” x D14” x H7”.
US retail price is $10,900, ($13,900 Canadian).
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