Clearaudio Innovation vs SME Model 15
Side-by-side specifications and a plain-English account of the recorded differences. Full profiles: Clearaudio Innovation · SME Model 15.
| Specification | Clearaudio Innovation |
SME Model 15 |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $22,500 | Highlighted difference. $18,199 |
| Category | High-end | High-end |
| Status | current | current |
| Years | 2009–present | 2015–present |
| Drive | belt drive | belt drive |
| Speeds | Highlighted difference. 33/45/78 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 | three-layer sandwich | aluminium, damped |
| Tonearm | Clearaudio (various) | SME 309 |
| 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: $4,301 separates them, with the Clearaudio Innovation 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 15 has the lower reference price; the table shows which documented features change with the $4,301 gap.
Live retailer offers
Checking current in-stock offers for Clearaudio Innovation…
Retailer searches
6 US retailers stock Clearaudio — each outbound link searches the deck on that retailer’s site.
| Retailer | Type | Shipping | Product search |
|---|---|---|---|
| Acoustic Sounds | hifi independent | Ships worldwide from Salina, Kansas at carrier rates. | View at Acoustic Sounds ↗ |
| Audio Advice | hifi independent | Free shipping on most orders. | View at Audio Advice ↗ |
| Elusive Disc | hifi independent | Free shipping on orders over $79. | View at Elusive Disc ↗ |
| Turntable Lab | hifi independent | Free shipping to the continental US on most orders (bulk/oversized items excluded). | View at Turntable Lab ↗ |
| Upscale Audio | hifi independent | Free USA shipping on orders over $99 (exclusions for oversized items). | View at Upscale Audio ↗ |
| eBay | marketplace | Shipping set per seller; many listings ship free within the US. | View at eBay ↗ |
Live retailer offers
Checking current in-stock offers for SME Model 15…
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 ↗ |