AVID Acutus Reference SP vs SME Model 12
Side-by-side specifications and a plain-English account of the recorded differences. Full profiles: AVID Acutus Reference SP · SME Model 12.
| Specification | AVID Acutus Reference SP |
SME Model 12 |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $20,000 | Highlighted difference. $15,599 |
| Category | High-end | High-end |
| Status | current | current |
| Years | 2008–present | 2015–present |
| Drive | belt drive | belt drive |
| Speeds | 33/45 rpm | 33/45 rpm |
| Operation | manual | manual |
| Cartridge supplied | sold bare | sold bare |
| Phono stage | No | No |
| USB output | No | No |
| Bluetooth | No | No |
| Platter | aluminium, heavy | aluminium, damped |
| Tonearm | sold bare | SME 309 / M2-12 |
| Wow & flutter | — | — |
Practical differences
Highlighted cells show a lower reference price, support for more listed speeds, or the presence of a convenience feature. They are not an overall score.
There's a real gap here: $4,401 separates them, with the AVID Acutus Reference SP the pricier of the two.
Both are belt-drive, so that part of the experience should feel similar on either deck: a motor that's mechanically isolated from the platter by an elastic belt, which is the usual route to a quieter noise floor — the default choice across most of hi-fi.
Bottom line: the SME Model 12 has the lower reference price; the table shows which documented features change with the $4,401 gap.
Live retailer offers
Checking current in-stock offers for AVID Acutus Reference SP…
Live retailer offers
Checking current in-stock offers for SME Model 12…
Retailer searches
1 US retailer stock SME — each outbound link searches the deck on that retailer’s site.
| Retailer | Type | Shipping | Product search |
|---|---|---|---|
| eBay | marketplace | Shipping set per seller; many listings ship free within the US. | View at eBay ↗ |