Fig.7 Thiel CS2.3, impulse response on tweeter axis at 50…
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In the time domain, the Thiel's performance is, as expected, superb. The impulse response (fig.7) indicates time-coherent performance, as does the step response (fig.8). The sharp spike at the leading edge of the step will be partly due to the measuring microphone's own slightly exaggerated top octave. However, it also implies that the acoustic center of the tweeter section of the coaxial drive-unit is just a little in front of that of the midrange section, which is puzzling considering that they share a common voice-coil.
What do you want from a 21st-century record-playing device? I hear you: you want one that's compact, well-made, easy to set up, holds its setup, sounds great, and doesn't cost a lot.
I'll tell you what I don't want: some kind of complex contraption. Some of you do. Fine—feel free to tweak and diddle to your heart's content. That's part of the fun of this hobby. For some analog addicts, a turntable that can't be adjusted in a hundred different ways can't possibly sound good. My experience with the SME 10 and a few other 'tables tells me otherwise.
Looks familiar
When…
SME M10 tonearm
SME's M10 tonearm is available only with the Model 10 turntable. According to the SME literature, the M10 is a derivative of the 309, itself a lower-cost variant of the original SME V—but according to the importer, Sumiko, it's actually better than the 309. Fabricated from a one-piece, pressure-diecast, tapered magnesium armtube, the M10 uses Abec 1 bearings (as opposed to the higher-quality Abec 7 bearings used in the more expensive IV.Vi), and its detachable magnesium headshell allows for adjustment of azimuth. Cost is kept down by using a mounting plate that's simpler…
SME's M10 tonearm is available only with the Model 10 turntable. According to the SME literature, the M10 is a derivative of the 309, itself a lower-cost variant of the original SME V—but according to the importer, Sumiko, it's actually better than the 309. Fabricated from a one-piece, pressure-diecast, tapered magnesium armtube, the M10 uses Abec 1 bearings (as opposed to the higher-quality Abec 7 bearings used in the more expensive IV.Vi), and its detachable magnesium headshell allows for adjustment of azimuth. Cost is kept down by using a mounting plate that's simpler…
Although the motor is mounted on the base, the polymer isolation system works extremely well. Placing the stethoscope on the side of the base directly below the motor revealed only the slightest amount of motor noise. The 'scope on the subchassis picked up an even lower, almost inaudible level of motor noise. More impressive, there was no bearing noise whatsoever. And while the 'scope revealed the motor housing to be noisy—as it is on all motors—the SME's motor ran the smoothest of any I've yet encountered. When I put my hand on it, I couldn't tell if it was spinning.
Speed accuracy was…
What's more, changing the arm cable—from the SME-supplied DIN-to-RCA connector to the Silver Audio, or any of the three variants of Kimber I'm currently auditioning—had a profound effect on the sound. The SME cable tended toward the hard and brittle. The Kimber TAK silver cable revealed greater detail, a far richer midrange, and rounder, more three-dimensional images.
The Model 10's predecessor in my system, the Basis Debut turntable that I reviewed in January, sounds softer, more plush, and somewhat more rich overall, particularly in the midrange—at least with the Graham or Immedia arms…
Sidebar 1: Specifications
SME 10 turntable: Belt-driven turntable with polymer-insert suspension. Speeds: 33 1/3rpm, 45rpm. Wow and flutter: not specified. Rumble: not specified.
Dimensions: 14 5/8" W by 6 3/8" H (clamp fitted) by 13.8" D. Weight: 35 lbs.
Serial number of unit reviewed: 020.
Prices: $5500 without tonearm, $5995 with M10 tonearm, $8250 with IV.Vi tonearm.
SME M10 tonearm: Fixed-bearing (Abec 1) tonearm with detachable headshell, adjustable VTA, and tapered, pressure-diecast magnesium armtube. Distance from pivot to stylus: 9.18"; from pivot to turntable…
Sidebar: Associated Equipment
Analog source: Simon Yorke turntable and tonearm; Graham 2.0, Immedia RPM2 tonearms; EMT TU-3 Geyger, Lyra Parnassus D.C.t, Transfiguration Temper Supreme cartridges; VPI SDS and Walker power supplies (on Yorke 'table).
Preamplification: Ayre K-1 remote preamp with built-in phono stage.
Power amplifiers: Musical Fidelity Nu-Vista 300, KR Enterprise VT8000 MK.
Loudspeakers: Sonus Faber Amati Homage, Infinity Prelude.
Cables: Phono: Kimber TAK silver, Silver Audio Silver Breeze, Cardas Neutral Reference DIN/RCA. Interconnects: Yamamura Millennium…
A company other than ProAc best describes the Future One: "And now for something completely different!" Of course, that was a company of British comedians. There's nothing funny about the talented British speaker designer Stuart Tyler's latest effort, but there is something odd: Tyler is reputed to have said of the Future One, "This is the loudspeaker I have always wanted to build."
Given how many years he's been at it, how many other speakers he's built, and how different the One is from any of those earlier designs you may have read about, owned, or may still own, Tyler could just as…
The One's rendering and delineation of bass and tom-tom drum pitches was stunning. For instance: Keith Moon's taut tom-tom rolls on an original British pressing of Tommy (Track 613 013/14) were delivered with superb tunefulness. The sensation of stick on skin was convincing and ultra-satisfying, as was the overall rhythmic presentation. The bottom would have to be fast and lean to keep up with the ribbon tweeter, and Tyler has tuned the system to be so. Whatever the Future One gave up in bass weight was more than compensated for in bass character, tonality, and speed.
To get that high…
Sidebar 1: Specifications
Description: Three-way, floorstanding, reflex-loaded loudspeaker: Drive-units: 2" long (approximately) ribbon tweeter, 5" polypropylene-cone midrange unit with phase plug, 7" carbon-fiber–impregnated paper-cone woofer. Crossover frequencies: 290Hz, 3.5kHz. Frequency response: Not stated. Impedance: 8 ohms nominal. Sensitivity: 87dB/W/m.
Dimensions: 48" H by 19½" W (base) and 13" W (top) by 9" D. Net weight: 75 lbs.
Finishes: Nine wood veneers.
Serial numbers of units reviewed: 141, 142.
Price: $10,000/pair. Approximate number of dealers: 35.
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