The SME 20/2 Turntable/SME V Arm/ARC/Von Schweikert System

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The SME 20/2 Turntable/SME V Arm/ARC/Von Schweikert System

Postby jadis » Fri Jun 01, 2007 9:44 am

This has been quite a super 'analog-uous' week for me. :D Got a call from another very good friend to help set up his audio system. This is a total overhaul from his last system. And now he has handpicked his 'dream' turntable and gave the green light for it to purr and sing.

The SME 20/2 Turntable and SME 5 Tonearm:

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From the net pics I have seen, I have always thought the SME 'top dog' tables to be huge, bulky and massive. Well, where I was right is that it is indeed massive. Very heavy BUT quite compact and 'small' in footprint - that is if you do not include the motor assembly beside it. It actually looks very cute and on first glance looks very simple. Unpacking the box opens up a whole array of tools, syringes for oil damping, protractors, and it even comes with a strobe. The tonearm also comes with the most complete set of tools I have ever seen. And touching and working on the nuts, screws and bolts is another experience. British engineering. Fit and Finish. The snug fit of tightness of using an allen wrench to tighten a bolt. It feels strong yet the touch is smooth and soft. Impressive. Drooltime again. The tonearm has so many 'screw-type adjustments that will delight the tonearm tweaker in making the necessary adjustments.

The owner has also chosen to go the ARC way in the electronics area. From the CD-7 digital source to the PH7 Phono Stage, into the Ref 3 line stage and finally into the Ref 110 amp. Loudspeakers in the pics are only on loan until the real deal speakers arrive. So this is like a sneak preview. :lol:

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And what is this?

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If I had no pre-knowledge of what these things are, I would not have guessed it right. :) My friend showed me packed in a box almost as big as my ARC VS110 amp are massive speaker cables made by MIT - The Magnum line, which is only second in line to the Oracle line. Price? When I was told that a pair of 2 meter balanced IC costs 2 thou...plus $$$$ my brain suddenly kind of stopped absorbing the figures. :lol: Oh boy. Maybe the 'super' speakers deserve such 'threads' :)

That's it for now folks...hopefully we get to update more 'gears' when they arrive.
Last edited by jadis on Fri Jul 20, 2007 1:52 pm, edited 4 times in total.
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Postby stereophile » Fri Jun 01, 2007 9:55 am

Jadis- That is a very beautiful turntable. Fit n finish are topnotch. I can understand your feelings about the precision and craftsmanship engineered into this multiple O-ring suspended ttable. Indeed, the SME V is one of the top tier tonearms available. Just swivel the tonearm and feel the smooth yet very positive feel of those ABEC-7 ball bearings! :shock: Btw, which Koetsu is mounted? Coral? Beautiful :!: :lol2:
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Postby jadis » Fri Jun 01, 2007 10:20 am

stereophile wrote:Jadis- That is a very beautiful turntable. Fit n finish are topnotch. I can understand your feelings about the precision and craftsmanship engineered into this multiple O-ring suspended ttable. Indeed, the SME V is one of the top tier tonearms available. Just swivel the tonearm and feel the smooth yet very positive feel of those ABEC-7 ball bearings! :shock: Btw, which Koetsu is mounted? Coral? Beautiful :!: :lol2:


Doc,

Indeed this SME combo is something else. The makers even hide the belt under the platter and provide an 'electronic' control for speeds of 33.3, 45 and even 78 RPM. 8) And the 'traditional' counterweight of the tonearm is 'hidden'. :) Simply an amazing design. And adjustment of the overhang is not done via the usual headshell movement but by an entire tonearm sliding movement that is so precise to a screw turn, perhaps we are talking of mini mm notches here. :) Wow...life should go on and I should stop drooling.... :lol:

The mounted cartridge is the Koetsu Blue Lace/Agate Platinum. Available mainly to the UK market.
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Postby JackD201 » Fri Jun 01, 2007 8:30 pm

I'm so excited!!!!!!!

Sailing this way!!!!!!!!!
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Postby jadis » Fri Jun 01, 2007 8:46 pm

JackD201 wrote:I'm so excited!!!!!!!

Sailing this way!!!!!!!!!


Lakasin ang paypay ng sailboat !!!!

Whatever 'substitute' speakers they are, basta hindi ang 'real deal', ay hindi pa kami happy.... :)
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Postby JackD201 » Fri Jun 01, 2007 8:57 pm

Have installed the air freighted brother to the real deal.

Am very happy to report that they sound much closer to the 5 than the Mk.1. They also weigh a lot more than the Mk.1s.

The consolation for the long wait is "Mr. Coral" is saving himself almost 2 thousand doolars over what Mr. Hurry-up did. His came in at over US retail pa. :D
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Postby jadis » Fri Jun 01, 2007 9:19 pm

JackD201 wrote:Have installed the air freighted brother to the real deal.

Am very happy to report that they sound much closer to the 5 than the Mk.1. They also weigh a lot more than the Mk.1s.

The consolation for the long wait is "Mr. Coral" is saving himself almost 2 thousand doolars over what Mr. Hurry-up did. His came in at over US retail pa. :D


Good to know that....Hope by the time of the arrival, the woody tranny are gonna be in too for more 'sock' :)
Last edited by jadis on Tue Jun 19, 2007 11:35 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Postby jadis » Sat Jun 09, 2007 4:39 pm

THE KOETSU STEP UP TRANSFORMER

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The 'woody tranny'. Koetsu's own version of the MC step up transformer for those who want to 'gain' something. :) Hand made and housed in solid rosewood, a sight and sound to behold.
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Postby jadis » Mon Jun 11, 2007 7:04 pm

The musical river keeps flowing here...Had another gracious event in assisting the plugging in of 'cryogenically treated' KT88 power tubes in the ARC Ref 100 amp. It goes without saying that I love to be part of 'experiencing' these events. :) Stock tubes were SED 6550 and a little downward re-biasing was needed for the cryo tubes. Owner loved the change and so did I. :) This is one time that I can say that 'hot' tubes are 'cool' AND 'cold' tubes are 'hot'. :lol:

The SED 'Black Sable' KT 88 Cryo-treated Tubes:

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Postby ttommy » Tue Jun 19, 2007 1:27 am

The mounted cartridge is the Koetsu Blue Lace/Agate Platinum. Available mainly to the UK market.

Beautiful rig and an outstanding analog front end! And pardon my ignorance, Jadis, but is the Blue Lace the most expensive stone bodied Koetsu?
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Postby jadis » Tue Jun 19, 2007 7:03 am

hi ttommy,

the blue lace platinum above is not fitted with the diamond cantilever/stylus option. that option will be indeed the flagship and the most expensive in the koetsu line, even surpassing the coralstone platinum diamond. the blue lace though, is not yet listed in the US market as it was intended for the UK market. you can check out the current roster of koetsus and their srp's at acousticsounds.com then run a search on koetsu.
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Postby jadis » Sat Jun 30, 2007 7:54 am

System Update: Enter The (V)ragon - The VS VR 4 MKII Virtuoso

Maybe that should have read Sytem Completion. :)

Yesterday, the sealed-in-crates Von Schweikert VR 4 MKIIs finally arrived after all the 'extended' swimming and haggling from cross-pacific-ocean channels. Yes, finally.... Our dedicated owner finally becomes a mini prince in the Bozanian empire, led of course by the Emperor himself. :)

I was excited like the proverbial giddy schoolboy that I forgot to bring my digcam to take some sneak peeks...but it should follow when I do another visit in a few weeks to savor the 'mid break-in' phenomenon. :) Needless to say, the owner is very happy with the initial performance and the exquisite looks of the loudspeakers. :)
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Postby JackD201 » Sat Jun 30, 2007 12:04 pm

It was a pleasure for Keith and I to be part of this project. We love the synergy with the Koetsu/ARC/MIT chain. We were expecting some edge due to the fact that all the components are new from stylus to speakers. Initial impressions are indeed extremely promising.

It was fun to hang with the Prince and siyempre with Jadis and Elmo who did a housecall.

The Blue Lace and Step-up are gorgeous. I think I want to try the step up with my Jade ;) The SME 20 was cute as hell. I never thought by looking at the pictures that it was so compact. Despite being very close to the speakers there was no feedback. Great isolation! I must add that the ARC CD7 is a very musical CDP. Probably the most under rated of the present ARC line and deserving of more attention.

Oh, then there's the speakers. Talk about luck of the draw choosing S/N 1023/1024 LR. Imagine snagging the rare African Tiger Ebony that went into the Prince's pair. Keith and I were shocked when we saw it.

Sayang we could have charged more!! :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:
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Postby jadis » Sat Jun 30, 2007 3:44 pm

JackD201 wrote:It was a pleasure for Keith and I to be part of this project. We love the synergy with the Koetsu/ARC/MIT chain. We were expecting some edge due to the fact that all the components are new from stylus to speakers. Initial impressions are indeed extremely promising.

It was fun to hang with the Prince and siyempre with Jadis and Elmo who did a housecall.

The Blue Lace and Step-up are gorgeous. I think I want to try the step up with my Jade ;) The SME 20 was cute as hell. I never thought by looking at the pictures that it was so compact. Despite being very close to the speakers there was no feedback. Great isolation! I must add that the ARC CD7 is a very musical CDP. Probably the most under rated of the present ARC line and deserving of more attention.

Oh, then there's the speakers. Talk about luck of the draw choosing S/N 1023/1024 LR. Imagine snagging the rare African Tiger Ebony that went into the Prince's pair. Keith and I were shocked when we saw it.

Sayang we could have charged more!! :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:



Indeed, the first moment my eyes hit the side of the 'tiger striped ebony', I said to myself: Wow! What a strikingly beautiful finish! But what's more important of course is the sound. And I agree with your initial impressions re the synergy of the system. Being forgiving at this early stage, I was not ready to react to certain shortcomings that may arise in yesterday's initial session, but when all of you left and I was alone with the Prince, we listened to the DM Friday Night again at the proper loading setting and I found the high frequencies quite muzzled. I suggested to open the main curtain ( very thick ) and leave the black out lining closed.
The improvement was FANTASTIC. LIVE AND ALIVE, as they say. Almost a 360 degree turnaround, and the rear firing ambiance tweeters finally made their present felt. And all was well, for day number 1. :)
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Postby jadis » Thu Jul 19, 2007 6:26 pm

Week 2 ( and a half ):

Had a visit today to our prince's lair, to help fine tune after about 100 hours of blasting the Virtuousos. The owner has struck me as a man of incredible patience, logging in countless blasting hours even while he is away. :shock: 'Blastum Continuum', as the saying goes. And he has just hit the halfway mark. But lo and behold, a trememdous improvement from Day 1. The bass-boom phenomenon has been sliced to very tolerable levels with CDs whose bass content can rot your socks. :) Adding on the spikes today totally obliterated the so-called bass boom syndrome. Imaging and focus have also been greatly improved by the installation of the spikes.

Was able to bring my 'instamatic' for some quick shots.

The Tiger Ebony finish of the VR4-SRMKII:

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Frontal nude: No grills look :)

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Closing in on the Tiger:

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Back panel binding posts and ambiance control:

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Postby mullard88 » Mon Jul 23, 2007 8:10 am

jadis,

I totally agree that this prince is a patient man. In fact, he is one of the most patient man I have met when it comes to waiting for audio equipment. He has exhibited this virtue from the time he ordered his celestion speakers.
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Postby jadis » Mon Jul 23, 2007 10:38 am

mullard88 wrote:jadis,

I totally agree that this prince is a patient man. In fact, he is one of the most patient man I have met when it comes to waiting for audio equipment. He has exhibited this virtue from the time he ordered his celestion speakers.


yes, i remember i accompanied him to audiophile components in paco to order the celestions.
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