Audiophilepure

https://www.hifinews.com/content/sme-model-8309-turntabletonearm

There is one very important caveat, though, and that is you must always use the supplied record weight/clamp. A brief listen to the Model 8 without it revealed that it’s an essential part of the design. With the record weight absent, bass is less sure-footed, as is that signature SME sound. As PM postulates in his [see PM’s Lab Report], this may well be due to slight movement of the LP on the ‘slippery’, machined surface of the acetal platter [pic, above and p62]. The Model 8’s record weight prevents any movement of the LP on the platter, and makes a big difference to the sound.

With the weight firmly in place, the result is a turntable that doesn’t miss a thing. There’s a subtle tinge of warmth to the overall sonic balance that’s very appealing, but don’t interpret this as the Model 8 being all warm and fluffy and lacking any substance. Nothing could be further from the truth – the deck has a crispness and sense of focus that many other models around the price struggle to match.