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SME Audio Model 60

Name: SME Audio Model 60
Brand: SME Audio
SKU: model-60
Rating: 4.8 (27 reviews)

View at SME Audio

33/45 RPM

Speed Control

Adjustable VTA

Anti-Skate

Vinyl Playback

Introduction

The Model 60 is the most technically advanced turntable ever made, evolved from 75 years of engineering excellence, innovation and perfection, delivering precise and pure audio reproduction. Extremely high build quality, close tolerance precision engineered componentry, striking design and a range of none painted uniquely engineered finishes.

Introduced 60 years after entering the elite high end audio world, this is far superior than the highly credible previous reference precision turntable which has been the standard for over 3 decades. It is an entirely new turntable design with clever engineering and technological advancement.

Design Features

Design features include:

De-coupled adjustable feet with multipoint isolation
Intelligent suspended suspension system with horizontal and vertical control
Hydraulically dampened main bearing
Acoustically treated main chassis, sub-chassis and platter
Sophisticated new generation drive system with highly accurate speed control
AC motor and independent power transformer

Tonearm Details

Equipped with a new tonearm which is an advanced version of the famous previous model. The tonearm is extensively sonically improved by use of a non-metallic CNC machined advanced polymer resin material with high density and high rigidity properties.

The tonearm tube is acoustically inert with a significantly reduced resonance signature, optimised effective mass and a wide cartridge balance weight range.

Finish Options

Brushed Black

Brushed Metal Black Anodised Surface Finish with Black Detailing.

Brushed Silver

Brushed Metal Silver Anodised Surface Finish with Black Detailing.

Honeycomb

Machined Honeycomb Pattern with Anodised Surface Finish and Black Contrast Detailing available in Black, Blue, or Silver.

Diamond

Machined Cosmetic Pattern with Hand Polished Surface Finish. Polished Aluminium with Black Anodised Contrasting.

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Overall Score 95/100

Deliciously Crispy

SME Audio Model 60

SME Audio’s Model 60 is a flagship turntable that pairs museum-grade engineering with a near-silent presentation. Its standout traits are razor-sharp, neutral detail retrieval, wide-stage imaging and taut, controlled bass, driven by a DSP-tuned bi-phase AC synchronous motor and a heavy, diamond-turned 330mm platter. The new Series VA tonearm (polymer-resin tube, Crystal Cable internal wiring and rear RCA terminations) contributes an almost invisible, low-resonance delivery that lets cartridges reveal texture and dynamics without added character. Build quality is industrial and refined: machined aluminium chassis, multi-point O-ring suspension and separated power and control units. Ideal for resolving listeners and reference systems, the Model 60 is pitched at buyers seeking forensic clarity and long-term mechanical excellence. Reviewed by HiFi News, What Hi‑Fi? and The Absolute Sound.

HiFi News

"It is no overstatement to rank the Model 60/Series VA as the new standard by which all high-end turntables should be judged, regardless of price."

Audiophilepure

"This astonishing, incredible level of detail never once left the Model 60 sounding like a surgical instrument heartlessly dissecting the music."

soundstageglobal.com

"The Model 60 represents a quantum leap over existing SME products in terms of design, machining tolerances, materials, and performance."

The Absolute Sound

"This may sound oxymoronic, but the arm is noticeably not there."

What Hi-Fi

"The SME Model 60 is without doubt one of the finest turntables money can buy. Start saving."

Audiophilepure

"This brute can dance on its tiptoes, with finesse and fine gradations of tonal color that go beyond even the formidable 30/2 Series V combination."

Audiophilepure

"The 60 is sure-footed rather than enthusiastic when it comes to rendering rhythms, but in our system at least, it never comes across as mechanical or sterile."

soundstageglobal.com

"Each of these 75 turntables is the only one of its kind in the world,"

Pros

Exceptionally resolving, neutral sound with precise imaging and controlled, extended bass—lets recordings disclose low-level detail without adding character.
Industrial-grade build and finish: machined aluminium sub-chassis, heavy 330mm diamond-turned platter and refined multi-point O‑ring suspension provide long-term mechanical integrity.
Elite speed stability and very low mechanical noise thanks to the DSP-controlled AC synchronous motor and separated power/control architecture—fast audible stabilisation and minimal wow/flutter.
Series VA tonearm delivers an almost invisible, low-resonance platform with high-quality internal wiring and fixed rear RCA terminations that preserve cartridge detail.

Cons

Flagship pricing places the Model 60 well beyond the reach of most buyers.
Tonearm is a Model-60‑exclusive design and the table isn’t intended for easy arm-swapping, limiting flexibility for users who prefer multiple arms.

Sound Quality

97/100

Reviewers consistently describe the Model 60 as exquisitely neutral, highly resolving and musically involving—letting music "flow" rather than imposing a signature. Multiple sources praise its effortless detail retrieval, imaging precision and natural rhythmic presentation (e.g., HiFi News, What Hi‑Fi?, Audiophilepure), indicating the deck itself contributes clarity, dynamics and a very low-resonance platform that lets cartridges reveal more musical information.

Speed Stability

96/100

SME's AC synchronous motor with DSP-generated sine-wave drive and reported test results (33.33rpm error -0.005%; peak wow/flutter 0.01%/0.02%) demonstrate exceptional pitch accuracy and stability. Reviewers describe direct-drive‑like steadiness and fast audible stabilisation (5–6s), and the implementation of quartz-locked/precisely tuned control electronics is repeatedly praised, supporting an elite speed‑stability score.

Build Quality

98/100

Construction is industrial‑grade: a 48kg chassis, a 7.5kg, 330mm diamond‑turned platter, precision machined aluminium sub‑chassis and a sealed oil‑bath, high‑carbon steel spindle bearing are all cited. Reviewers note extensive CNC tooling, CMM tolerance testing, thickened sub‑chassis, isolated corner columns and meticulous finish, giving the Model 60 a 'tank‑like', ultra‑refined build quality.

Tonearm Performance

95/100

The included Series VA arm (machined from a single block of high‑density polymer resin) is repeatedly described as nearly invisible sonically and exceptionally low in resonant character, with high‑quality Crystal Cable internal wiring and gold‑plated RCA terminations. Reviewers report it faithfully conveyed differing cartridge characters, tracked flawlessly and contributed materially to the deck's neutrality and resolution.

Noise and Isolation

92/100

Measured rumble figures (DIN B wtd: ~-75dB) and multiple reviewer comments about an 'eerily silent background' support a very low mechanical noise floor. SME's multi‑point suspension, silicon bath for the bearing, re‑engineered brass motor housing and decoupled feet are cited as effective at isolating motor and external disturbances, producing outstanding isolation in practice.

Value for Money

90/100

At flagship pricing (variously reported around $50k–$71k/£50k–£60k and product data ~75,789), reviewers qualify the Model 60 as expensive yet justifiable: many call it a new benchmark and say the build, performance and engineering largely justify the premium. Value commentary is positive-to-qualified—acknowledging price places it out of reach for most, but that it delivers what the high-end buyer expects.