Features

SME Model 10 turntable (review) ($5995 with tonearm; reviewed by Michael Fremer, Vol.23 No.4 & Vol.24 No.1, April 2000 & January 2001)

Runners-Up (in alphabetical order):
Acoustic Signature Final Tool turntable ($2000; reviewed by Michael Fremer, Vol.24 No.9, September 2001)
Audio Note Kondo IO-J/silver MC phono cartridge ($15,000; reviewed by Michael Fremer, Vol.23 No.11, November 2000)
Clearaudio Discovery phono cartridge ($3300; reviewed by Michael Fremer, Vol.24 No.3, March 2001)
Fanfare FT-1A FM tuner ($1595; reviewed by Larry Greenhill, Vol.24 No.10, October 2001)
Graham 2.2 tonearm (review) ($2250-$3000; reviewed by Michael Fremer, Vol.21 No.2, Vol.24 Nos.1 & 10, February 1998, January & October 2001)
Koetsu Urushi phono cartridge ($4000; reviewed by Michael Fremer & Robert J. Reina, Vol.21 No.10 & Vol.24 No.10, October 1998 & October 2001)
Lyra Helikon MC phono cartridge ($1995; reviewed by Michael Fremer, Vol.23 Nos.8 & 11 and Vol.24 No.6, August & November 2000 and June 2001)
SME IV.Vi tonearm (review) ($2750; reviewed by Michael Fremer, Vol.23 No.4 & Vol.24 No.1, April 2000 & January 2001)
Tivoli Audio Henry Kloss Model One table radio ($100; reviewed by Sam Tellig, Vol.24 No.3, March 2001)

SME's Model 10 turntable was the only winner here, with nearly double the votes of any other component on the list. MF first reviewed the 'table in April 2000: "With its simple, suspensionless construction, you can have this 'table up and running in just a few minutes....When everything was set up and ready to go, I was confronted by an absolutely magnificent piece of gleaming industrial architecture." Looks small, sounds BIG, according to The Analog One. "The 10's magnificent build quality, compact design, ease of use, and rock-solid performance should keep most analog lovers happy for many years to come." Using both the SME's own arm and the Graham 2.0 tonearm with a Bob Graham-engineered adapter plate, the SME's bass focus seemed a bit tighter, wth slightly more resolved low-level inner detail, compared with with MF's reference Simon Yorke 'table, the 1998 winner. The SME's character "allowed reverberant fields to hang around longer and decay more slowly....The Yorke was slightly richer in the lower midrange and perhaps a bit warmer on top, but I thought the sound was comparable overall, if not identical." The SME combo was clearly more dynamic, punchy, and present, said MF. A 'table for all time.