SME Synergy Turntable

SME doesn’t follow fashion. Its focus has always been on high-quality engineering delivered in a no-compromise way. Take a look at any of the company’s turntables or arms and that obsession for quality is impossible to miss, and goes a long way towards explaining their hefty price tags. 

This measured approach also means that SME doesn’t introduce new products often, and when they do appear, they tend to stay in production for decades.

So when the company decides to launch a complete record-playing package called the Synergy, which includes a brand-new turntable design, we can’t help but take note.

The Synergy package is made up of the new 12 turntable with a dedicated arm that’s essentially the highly regarded SME IV (but internally rewired with leads from Crystal Cables) and an Ortofon MC Windfeld Ti cartridge. Perhaps the biggest surprise is the inclusion of a built-in phono stage from Swiss high-end hi-fi royalty Nagra. Considering many of Nagra’s products tend to cost way more than the complete Synergy package that’s quite some coup.