SME Model 60

The SME Model 60 is a flagship high-end turntable for serious vinyl collectors, and we proudly bring the Model 60 to music lovers in India.

Described by SME as its most technically advanced turntable ever, the Model 60 is the culmination of more than 75 years of precision British engineering and audio innovation. Introduced six decades after SME first entered the high-end audio world, the SME Model 60 goes far beyond the highly respected Model 30, redefining what a reference turntable can offer in terms of pitch stability, noise floor and musical insight.

For music lovers building a true reference turntable system, the Model 60 delivers an exceptionally quiet mechanical platform that lets your records breathe. This is a high-end turntable designed not just to impress on first listen, but to provide a lifetime’s companionship as your record collection and system evolve.

If you have followed the SME Model 60 review coverage in international titles such as Hi-Fi News, Hi-Fi Choice, Stereophile, What Hi-Fi? and SoundStage, you will already know it is widely regarded as a new benchmark in vinyl replay.

Engineering a silent mechanical platform

At the core of the Model 60 experience is an advanced suspended architecture. Decoupled, adjustable feet with multipoint isolation, combined with an intelligent suspended sub-chassis that controls both horizontal and vertical movement, create a stable, low-resonance platform for the platter and tonearm.

The main chassis, sub-chassis and platter are all acoustically treated, while a hydraulically damped main bearing minimises micro-vibration and mechanical noise at source. In practice, this translates to exceptionally black backgrounds, precise imaging and a sense of dynamic ease that lets complex recordings unfold naturally rather than being forced.

For collectors who care as much about long-term reliability as about sound, the turntable’s substantial 48 kg mass and over-engineered bearing system help ensure the SME Model 60 can serve as a precision turntable for collectors for decades.

The Series VA tonearm: control, composure and flexibility

Each Model 60 is exclusively equipped with the Series VA tonearm, an evolution of the legendary Series V. The arm tube is CNC-machined from an advanced high-density polymer resin, chosen for its high rigidity and acoustically inert behaviour compared with conventional metal designs.

The result is a tonearm with an extremely low resonance signature, optimised effective mass (around 10–11 g) and a generous cartridge balance range of 5–18 g, allowing confident matching with a wide span of modern moving-coil and moving-magnet designs. Vertical tracking force is adjustable up to 3.0 g, while internal wiring uses ultra-pure Crystal Cable Mono X-Tal conductors to preserve low-level detail on the way to your phono stage.

In listening, this combination brings superb tracking, rock-steady imaging and a sense of composure on demanding pressings, letting the SME Model 60 turntable reveal layers of tonal colour without sounding clinical.

Drive system, speed accuracy and real-world performance

The Model 60 is driven by a custom bi-phase AC synchronous motor governed by an outboard speed control unit with a dedicated DSP engine. This generates two mathematically pure sine waves, precisely controlling frequency, phase and amplitude before feeding a low-distortion class-AB output stage. The result is rock-solid rotation at both 33⅓ and 45 rpm, with independent memory settings for each speed.

For those who scrutinise the SME Model 60 specifications, measured wow and flutter figures as low as 0.01% and rumble below –75 dB simply confirm what your ears hear: pitch stability that lets piano notes hang without drift, and bass lines that lock into place with unshakable authority.

If you are comparing options for a high-end turntable to integrate into a serious system, this flagship design offers the kind of speed consistency and noise performance usually associated with studio-grade equipment.

Finishes, presence and system matching

Visually, the Model 60 has the presence to match its sonic authority. You can choose from Brushed Black or Brushed Silver anodised finishes, a dramatic Honeycomb pattern available in Black, Blue or Silver, or the exquisite Diamond cosmetic pattern with hand-polished aluminium and contrasting black anodising.

Whichever finish you select, the industrial sculpture of the chassis, external power supply and speed control unit makes the SME Model 60 as much a centrepiece in the room as it is a reference turntable. Its inherently neutral balance makes it an ideal partner for a wide variety of loudspeaker voicings, from classic British monitors to modern full-range floorstanders.

Installation, setup and placement tips

Given its 48 kg mass plus separate speed control and power units, the SME Model 60 deserves a rigid, level rack or dedicated turntable stand. Allow enough space for the external units behind or beside the main chassis so that cabling can be routed cleanly, without strain on connectors.

The suspended sub-chassis benefits from a stable, non-wobbly support rather than overly soft isolation furniture; let the deck’s own suspension and decoupled feet do the work. Once installed, take time to set tracking force, bias and VTA carefully on the Series VA tonearm, and ensure the platter is perfectly level for the most precise imaging and channel balance.

Good earthing practice and quality mains distribution will help you hear just how low the Model 60’s mechanical noise floor really is.

Compatibility and pairing

Thanks to the Series VA tonearm’s cartridge balance range and effective mass, the SME Model 60 is comfortable with many low-output moving-coil designs, as well as high-quality moving-magnet models. This makes it a versatile audiophile turntable in India whether you listen mainly to jazz, classical, rock or contemporary electronic records.

If you are researching the Model 60 turntable with an eye on upgrade paths, consider it a genuine end-game choice: a precision turntable for collectors that is designed to be cherished for generations. For details on the SME Model 60 price in India, or to arrange a private demonstration, our specialist team will guide you through configuration, delivery and installation

About SME

Founded in 1946 as the Scale Model Equipment Company by Alastair Robertson-Aikman, SME grew from crafting precision models into a world-class engineering house supplying critical components to aerospace, automotive and even atomic energy sectors.

In 1959, SME’s first pick-up arm was created for Robertson-Aikman’s own hi-fi system; demand was so strong that a new factory was built and SME Limited was born. Over subsequent decades, iconic tonearms such as the Series II and Series V, and turntables like the Model 30 and Model 20, cemented the brand as a benchmark for precision analogue replay.

Today, the SME Model 60 represents the pinnacle of this heritage – a flagship expression of British machining, in-house manufacturing and obsessive attention to detail at SME’s Steyning facility in West Sussex, England. Explore more from this legendary marque in our SME brand archive.

.