Has There Been Changes To The SME V Over The Years?

When I was looking into having my SME IV modified / upgraded, I was included in discussion that was quite similar to the latter, where ABEC /ISO are being commented on by a well respected Tonearm Engineer.

I'm quite sure from recollections ABEC 9 was the suggested modification along with a rewire. The description was there is benefits to having lessened surface contacts, but if doing so adds a whole new set of issues more difficult to overcome, is the idea of swapping out a Bearing Type a improvement?  

Even though the idea to make changes was strong the description on offer about the parts to be used was quite convincing and I chose to direct my monies to other options which eventually become a change of Tonearm.

Today I realise that my Ego was a big part in sticking loyal to the SME Tonearm.

Today that Tonearm is a stored tool, occasionally lent out to somebody with an interest in what it can offer in comparison to other Tonearms.

To date following periods of Loan where comparisons have been made to support a Tonearm Purchase, the individual has not chosen SME as the Tonearm being purchased. Also others who have heard the SME at such comparisons, when making a Tonearm selection for themselves have not chosen to purchased SME.

There are experiences had in my local Audio Group, where the outcome has been profound as an impression made on members within my Local Group.

Inclusive of my own go to Tonearm, there are three Tonearms now in use based on the design of the Tonearm I exchanged to. 

After listening to my Vinyl Front End, the influence on a few group members was such that they made significant changes to their Vinyl Sources. An SME TT and V/12 user sold up and started a new journey of discoveries to be had. 

One member commenced to replicate my Vinyl front end with an immediacy and another bought into a SP10 R shortly after, with a Arm selected that become a  Glanz Model.

"Ball bearings – the myth of ABEC quality

In the audio press and in advertising it is often mentioned that tonearm manufacturers are using best quality bearings, stating ABEC 7 quality. Does this statement have any practical use?

Let us check what an ABEC standard actually means. It is a US standard for classifying certain parameters of ball bearings. In this case it only guaranties that ball bearings are made to specific sizes and tolerances. The higher the number, the tighter tolerances of the bearing.

In any production process when parts are made, their dimensions have to be specified. It is almost impossible, for example to make a shaft exactly 20.000 mm in diameter. In production tolerances are used, which tell us how much bigger or smaller than the exact 20.000 mm the shaft can be. For example for that shaft to fit a hole of 20 mm in bearing housing, it would need to be smaller. The shaft can be made 0.1 mm smaller or only 0.01mm smaller. The smaller the size variation which is allowed, the tighter is the tolerance and the more difficult to make. The same applies for the hole size. It can be made bigger for 0.1 mm or 0.01 mm. I believe you get the picture.

ABEC standard ( US) or ISO ( European) prescribes only certain basic dimension tolerances of ball bearings. In ball bearings there is an outer and inner ring, balls and a cage which separates the balls. All these parts are made within certain tolerances to fit together and to be built into products.


ABEC and ISO standards do not cover: radial play, surface finish, material, ball complement, number, size or precision level, retainer type, lubrication, torque, cleanliness at assembly, raceway curvature, packaging and other factors that may be essential to the desired bearing performance.

I would like to emphasise a few of the most important parameters which are not covered by ABEC: Starting torque which affects the swinging of the tonearm up and down and following eccentricity of the record, noise level and vibration in bearings which adds distortion, cleanliness of oil which may restrict movements. It will not tell how precisely the ball bearings are fitted into the housing and shaft of the tonearm, which has direct influence on smooth zero play and movement of the tube in all directions and across the whole record playing area.

When you read about the quality of the ball bearings in a tonearms ask yourself ˝Did they choose the right bearings and are they fitted in the best possible way"? Just stating ABEC means the same as declaring that amplifier A is the best because it has the lowest measured distortion and, as we all know, this has nothing to do with good sound itself."

Why not just buy an electron microscope to confirm all of the desired properties?

 

@roxy54 The monies some of the TA are being priced at, It would be very satisfying for the Customer to be knowing the critical parts at movement interfaces, will have the Balls that are in use Highly Polished, and selected as most accurate Spherical is shape, with hopefully a tolerance selected of 0.01mm separating Ball sizes.

A Perfect Circular Race, with perfect dimension between ID to OD, as well as a tightest of tolerance fit to house the Balls.

How about once assembled to be one that has the lowest Co-efficient of friction that can be achieved for all parts assembled 😎 .

Note: A TA as a result of the Method it is used, will at some time in its life be detrimentally affected from Brinelling having occurred. Is Brinelling a condition that is to become perceived as having an influence on the end sound?, or even one that is Audible?

But what do I know, I wont be spending the monies asked by the Big Names for their products in today' market.  

As my got to TA has a brand new bearing design and assembly, Brinelling is something I will not be concerned about for the rest of my years left to enjoy it.

TA's from a Vintage Period, especially ones without too much Quality Controls in place for parts selected for use at the critical movement interfaces at the time of Manufacture, are ones potentially being detrimentally effected through Brinelling having already developed.

Again not the wisest of choice to be putting the most expensive of Cart's onto such a TA, that has not been serviced and had any bearing wear issues addressed.

Add the Vintage TA to the Vintage TT with wear in the Spindles Bearing Housing and having developed a Eccentric Rotation, then Mount the TA from a Vintage Period with Brinelling having developed, along with your $5K Cart', is not looking like the most attractive place for such a Cart' to reside.

It is very very easy to remediate the issues that can manifest through excessive Wear of Critical Moving Part Interfaces, if they are concerning enough to motivate change to be made.  

What’s “brinelling”?

 

Here is the review by John Borwick when it first came out, from a 1986 Gramophone. and the Hi-Fi News review. What is not often remembered now, is that the Series V came out before the Series IV. They are essentially the same arm (with the V having a damping trough and VTA screw as standard, plus a thumbwheel to adjust VTF instead of the hex-screw used on the IV) but the V is assembled from selected parts with finer tolerances, whereas the IV uses the parts just as they come off the production line.

 

My question about brunelling was rhetorical, although I did have to look up the definition. My point is that I doubt any tonearm ever is used so often or so roughly as to cause brinelling. If it’s present, it’s probably due to a manufacturing defect. Which doesn’t necessarily conflict with Pindac’s point.

The following is posted by myself in another Thread recently:

Most record pressing standards have a production tolerances that are producing a centre hole to groove eccentricity tolerance of 0.2 mm maximum.

Apply the 0.2mm to a playback radius of 100 mm (approximately the centre of the LP modulated groove area) equates to a wow of +/- 0.2 % peak ( 0.14 % RMS). As this is for most an people inaudible, it does seem like a fair tolerance for a standard production item. 

Does a Premium production Item address the off-set to a Zero mm dimension?

Usually, when I refer to eccentricity of a rotation, I refer to the eccentric rotation of the LP, in conjunction, with the eccentric rotation of the Platter Spindle Bearing being the main concern.

What is an additional concern, is the condition of the TA in use, being able to maintain a True Axis when in use, decreasing any creep to the Spindle Axis / Pivot dimension.

Wear of the Tonearm Bearing has the potential to add to the movement at a critical mechanical interface, where maintenance of a dimension is a high importance.

Bearing condition, Quality of Bearing Parts along with Bearing Wear such as Brinelling, are if present able to add to the changes being made to what is ideally a fixed dimension. 

What is the main concern is that a Typical Bearing design has proven the use of Captured Ball Race Bearings have a design that will produce energy that is able to be transferred to the Styli, along with other influences being restrictive to the freedom of movement.

Add to the typical design concerns a wear is present that is a detriment, where an excess of movement has manifested. As well as being an increased risk to producing energies that are being transferred to the Styli. The condition of wear if suspected of being present is also able to contribute to changing a critical dimension that is best maintained. Measures selected as an attempt to remove the influence are worthwhile as an investigation.

I will make claim there are TA's in use today that are between 40 - 50 Years since their being new models, that are used regularly with no knowledge of what has developed in the Bearing Assembly. It would be of interest to know who is using such a Tonearm Type and which Cart's are mounted on them.

At what time of usage does a bearing wear become a concern or bearing wear manifest?

 In the modern day, there are Differing Materials selected to produce Captured Ball Race Bearings. The result being, Bearing Balls are available that are improved for being consistently Spherical, with improved dimensions between each Balls sizing.

Some Bearings as a result of Parts selected for the assembly, are offering Quality Control where very low micron dimensions are quoted as the contact between all contacts of balls in the assembly.

It is the levels of Polishing to the surfaces and how long these levels of Polish that can be maintained, that are one of the requirements to ensure low friction and substantially reduce the risk of stiction occurring.

When an individual does like the idea of renewing a Part such as a Captured Ball Race Bearing, it is not just the Model No for the replacement part that should be seen as the improvement.

What really matters is if the design has been produced to improve/decrease the likelihood of other concerns from older used items used for the same role still remaining. 

It is also best to fully satisfy oneself that the individual being entrusted fully to carry out the exchanges, understands the mechanical need of the TA, and is not just adept at swapping out one Captured Ball Race Bearing Type for another.

It is also best, if the same individual fully comprehends how free a bearing can be,  to be optimised for freedom oof movement when reassembled.

I have a adjustment device where one full turn is 1 micron, which then equates to an increased or decreased force on the freedom of movement.

It is the sort of control that only very very limited individuals should be let near. Certainly not a toy for myself to get an interest in.

From my end, I have a True Axis at the Platter Spindle, I have a True Axis at the Tonearm Pivot. 

The interface between Platter Spindle / TA Pivot are a consistent unchanging dimension.

I have a Album in the mix that has a possible 0,2mm eccentricity.

There is only one concern I have for an unwanted influence on the Styli, but if the above calculation is correct, as I am sure the Record Industry has allowed for, then this is a non-concern as well. 

I am yet to see any great difficulty in attaining such an attractive condition as a mechanical interface.          

 

How can you sleep at night?

I expect I'm not the only person who aligns cartridges in his sleep.

Sleeping is easy, the Cart' is mounted on a TA that has a lot of thought and micro engineering added, that is very beneficial to the Interface.

The Cart' is also mounted on a specially designed interference fit Headshell that in comparisons to the original is a substantial improvement.

The TT is with a Bearing that has true Axis and with an improved Speed Control.

The Cart' functions in a very attractive environment that to achieve was very friendly to my budget.

No Sleep is lost to such a subject, more like a celebration of another's welcomed work and the discoveries that are made / to be made. As I am without a Vinyl Source at the moment, there are many good experiences in the waiting.

In relation to lost sleep, plenty is lost to Lower Back Pain and meeting the early hours unwantedly, well that's another subject.  

I do celebrate equally the discoveries made following the Osteopaths very welcomed work. 

The accuracy/optimisation of the function of the bearings being used, is the key point, I am putting a spot light on.