About the Oracle SME V
SME engineers, recognising the potential of the latest complementary equipment, accepted the challenge to design and build a pick-up arm which unlike others in existence would make no detectable sound contribution of its own. The work took almost four years and the measure of its success is the acceptance of the Series V precision pick-up arm by technical experts and users as one of the world's truly great audio products. The series V sound has an almost startling dynamic range and neutrality enabling high levels to be enjoyed. It escapes the 'LP' sound and demonstrates that structural resonances in pick-up arms are responsible for much that makes vinyl records readily discernible from master tapes.
The functioning of a pick-up arm appears simple but is in fact very complex. All cartridges employ relative motion between armature and stator portions of a generating system to produce the signal output. Reproduction can only be true therefore when all movement representing groove modulation is made by the armature to which the stylus cantilever is attached and none by the stator represented by the cartridge body. Unless the pick-up arm holds the latter against even the minutest movement at audio frequencies the signal will be modified in some way. The result is a subtle loss of clarity, dynamic range and transient attack that can make the sound from even the best system tiring to listen to.
Oracle SME V Tonearms all come in silver finish with Oracle branding and MCS-150 (Mono Crystal Silver) internal wiring. The tonearm cable provided is a Van Den Hul M.C. D-501 Silver Hybrid Halogen free cable.
Specifications
-Unique one-piece pressure die-cast tone-arm utilising the advantages of magnesium, replace conventional fabricated construction.
-Internal constrained layer damps minute residual vibration leaving the tone-arm acoustically inert.
-Fine machined cartridge platform, enamel free to avoid interface resonance.
-A Stainless steel cross shaft, ground and thread ground. Carried in massive yoke on 10mm ABEC 7 ball races. Axis at record mean level to minimise warp-wow.
-Dynamic balance graduated vertical tracking force (VTF) control applies 0-3g x 0.125g through resonance controlled spring.
-Unique assembly gives high rigidity and allows bearings to be critically adjusted before tone-arm is fitted.
-Stainless steel vertical shaft, ground and thread ground, with integral 16mm diameter flange to couple shaft and yoke.
-23mm diameter steel pillar, heat treated, ground and honed, carries two 17mm ABEC 7 ball races, widely spaced to resist tilt.
-Anti-skate control operates through tension spring and filament. Dial corresponds with VTF and has positive OFF position.
-Lowering/raising control gives smooth positive action. Height of lift can be adjusted.
-Subsonic lateral mode fluid damper can be instantly adjusted or cancelled.
-Dual-lock base provides movement control with high rigidity.
-Tungsten-alloy balance weight carried on damped two-point suspension. Extra-low inertia design assists warp riding.
-Underslung weight housing corrects centre of gravity and provides non-reflective tone-arm termination. Adjustment leadscrew journalled in twin ball races with lever clamping.
-Swivelling damped output socket minimises vibration transmission in sub-chassis use.
-Fine adjustment of arm height (VTA).
-Reference lines on tone-arm facilitate VTA setting.
-Fine adjustment of horizontal tracking angle (HTA).
-New design alignment protractor sets HTA with greater accuracy.
-Advanced jig/template system guarantees correct positioning.
-Oracle SME V Tonearms all come in silver finish with Oracle branding and MCS-150 (Mono Crystal Silver) internal wiring.
-Effective mass: 10.0/11.0g
-Cartridge balance range: 4.2 - 1.8g
-Vertical tracking force: 0 - 3.0g
-Maximum tracking error: 0.012 (degrees per mm)
-Nullpoints Inner: 66.04mm
Outter: 120.09mm
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-Output plug and socket: DIN 5-pole 240 degrees, 720g