Clearaudio innovation wood or SME 20/3

I don't know anything about the Clearaudio tables, but I owned the SME Model 10 with V arm for eight years and now have the SME 30/12 with V-12 arm. I have not heard the 20/3, but I read that it's sound approaches the regular 9" Model 30. If you have heard it and like it and since you will be using your V arm, I would suggest buying the 20/3. IMO, the suspended SME tables are very good platforms for allowing the cartridge to perform. I find them very neutral, though many disagree and think they are dull, slow, unexciting. My two SME tables have never sounded like that in my system. With the new power supply/motor controller, the table is very speed accurate, has great isolation and is built to be a "last purchase". You can also have every confidence in the quality of the company.

You might also consider the barely-used 20/12 on Audiogon. This could be an interesting alternative for a similar price to a new 20/3. The V-12 arm is incredible and I find it to be significantly better than the standard V.

Perhaps you can't go wrong, but there are sonic differences between the tables
you mention and they can be large depending on how resolving your system is.
There are also differences between the companies in terms of size, longevity,
and service.

For some, small differences matter a lot. For others, its all about the same after
a certain level is reached and they would rather just listen to music.

Wrm57, I don't know to which turntables you refer, but these are some of the ones I have heard in fairly good systems:

Sota
Basis
TW
Clearaudio
Teres

Walker
SME
Brinkman
Dobbins The Beat

I don't have firm ideas as to their differences as I've only heard SME tables in my own system. But I do have impressions about their differences. The systems I did hear these tables in all sounded different, some very much so. I can not extrapolate how much the turntables contributed to the sounds, let alone the arms or cartridges. But I do have impressions about the tables in terms of speed accuracy, isolation, extension and neutrality. They are my impressions only and others, I'm sure would have different ideas.

I do have firm ideas about the SME Model 10 and SME Model 30/12 which you could email me about privately. I don't want to bore others.

I do think what some consider minor sonic differences may be considered major by others.

Bill,

You can email me at peterayer@comcast.net about the TW tables. I've heard the Raven, AC-1 and Black Night. I'd rather not take the focus off of the original post of this thread.

Peter

Tom, that last sentence describes my SME 30/12 quite well. Despite what many have said and written about the SME sound, I find the tables very neutral. In my limited experience, both my SME 10 and 30/12 allow me to hear differences in recording qualities very easily. I could also clearly hear the differences between the V and V-12 arms and Air Tight PC-1 and Supreme cartridges.

The SME table is a very solid, neutral platform for the arm/cartridge that will last a lifetime. Though I haven't heard the 20/3 specifically, I'm sure it will not "go too far over in either direction from what I am hearing now" in your words.

I know a guy who has an SME 30 with V arm and Titan i cartridge. He's had the table/arm for 17 years. He says it is only bested by his other table - a 30/12 with V-12 arm and Lyra Olympus cartridge.