Dear @mattdrummer : As you left clear prority belongs to transiente response characteristic directly related first to the cartridge and then to the TT speed accuracy and continuos stability. I know that you want DD but this very well regarded UK manufacturer shows to you/us not only " words " about but " incredible " thrid part measurements and I said " incredible " because the TT is BD one. Yes the SME 60:
" S peed stability has been a given with previous SME turntables, but the switch from DC to AC motor drive has taken its Model 60 to another level. Its ~0.005% absolute speed accuracy and mere 0.01% peak-weighted wow (fig.1) are comparable with the best of today’s direct-drive offerings, including Technics’s fabulous Grand Class SL-1200GAE. Few other belt-drive decks get this close. Minor flutter modes at ±12Hz, ±33Hz, and ±65Hz (also visible on the unweighted rumble spectra, fig.2) amount to no more than a peak-weighted 0.02%. Furthermore, the sintered bronze bearing, with its oil-damped ball, is so precisely machined and polished that both through-groove and through-bearing rumble are truly state of the art, at –75.5dB and –76.5dB (DIN-B–weighted, ref. 5cm/s), respectively. The impact of the screw-down record weight/clamp is limited to a mere ±0.1dB variance on the through-groove measurement; replay from less flat vinyl discs may benefit more meaningfully. The Series VA tonearm’s spring-loaded downforce dial is calibrated to within ~2% over a 0–3gm range (1gm = 1.02gm; 2gm = 2.05gm of actual downforce). Although the Series VA tonearm’s design is based on the Series V, the new polymer armtube brings the effective mass down closer to 10gm. While this might render the Series VA slightly less compatible with heavier, low-compliance MCs, the current trend for slightly more relaxed MC suspensions—in pursuit of improved tracking—actually makes the VA more relevant. The sidemounted oil bath is retained in case additional damping of especially excitable pickups is required. As with the Series V, the VA’s bearings are free of any perceptible play and for our purposes are essentially frictionless (<5mg in both planes). Resonances within the arm itself are resolved into just two components: a bending mode at 105Hz with a harmonic at 270Hz (structural harmonics are not necessarily integer multiples) and another, higher-Q, resonance at 450Hz. The freedom from more complex resonances, and general clutter, is quite remarkable (CSD waterfall, fig.3).—Paul Miller MEASUREMENTS Fig.2 Unweighted rumble from DC-200Hz (with clamp, blue; without clamp, black), all ref. 1kHz at 5cm/s. Fig.1 Wow and flutter re. 3150Hz tone at 5cm/s (plotted ±150Hz, 5Hz per minor division). Fig.3 Cumulative spectral decay spectrum illustrating the tonearm’s various bearing, pillar, and “tube” vibration modes 100Hz–10kHz over 40"
As any one can see the SME is not only a contender against way more expensive TTs but a true/real challwenge extremely hard to beat it. There are not only " words " but measurements that till the other TT manufacturers show it can puts any one in shame.
Matt, at the ned this is a serious alternative where you don't buy by kilogram.
Btw, Other that SME only TTs made in Japan ( CS Port/Esoteric) shows specs ( words . ) but SME not only shows but real time measurements from a truly experts TT manufacturer with experience for more than 50+ years building different TTs: it's not a " new kid in the block ". SME is a true warranty of true whole quality, nothing less and second to none.
R.
