In air, sound vibrations will reduce in intensity by the square of the distance from the sound source. In order to address airborne vibrations, we need only remember the laws of physics: namely the inverse-square law.

Therefore, mounting in such a way as to help isolate the turntable from air-borne and structure-borne vibrations will result in the best possible extraction of information from the disk - basically the whole point of owning a 'reference turntable.' Creating a home for your reference turntable can be almost as important as the selection of the turntable itself. It does not take a genius to recognize that even small perturbations of this electro-mechanical playback system will color or distort the sound. Turntables work by converting small modulations cut in vinyl into electrical signals, which are then amplified (by an order of magnitude) and re-equalized via a RIAA pre-amp ( bass frequencies, for example, are amplified by +20dB ). Mounting the tonearm and adjusting the cartridge.Ĭalibrating and testing the Cartridge/Tonearm geometry.Ĭreating a level and vibration resistant base Leveling the plinth and disk playing surfaces. So a couple of emails to a friend, some serious $$ mula $$, a month of anxious waiting, and viola! The SME Model 20/2 turntable has landed! Well now that I have the beast, I ask myself 'What are the steps involved in setting up a reference turntable?' Through experience, I have found the following issues to be important:Ĭreating a level and vibration resistant base/mounting structure for the turntable to sit upon. After all, I had already invested in a SME Series V tonearm, a wonderful tour de force tonearm that reeks of quality construction, and is the easiest tonearm to configure accurately that I have ever owned. designs products guaranteed to last more than a decade. I concluded that only one turntable manufacturer - SME Ltd. After a year of considering numerous possibilities, I decided to invest in my 'last' turntable.

Sme tonearm set