Unfortunately, it's not practical, or even possible where I'm located, to audition much of anything. So you read, read, read, question, speculate, read between the lines, solicit opinions, extrapolate from what you've been able to glean, and then, when the urge becomes strong you have to dive in and hope for the best. The frustrating part is spending a lot of money but ending up short of where you hoped you would end up.
Mike...I would suggest at your price point that you book the weekend of Oct 14-16 and make your way to RMAF in Denver and have the opportunity to listen to multiple tables (not only SME) at that price point and compare. Yes Show conditions are not ideal and yes each turntable set up will be partnered with different phonos/cartridges/tonearms, not to mention altogether different amplification and speakers but if your option is to make a purchasing decision without hearing at all in that $15-$25K range vs. having a chance to hear a number of different set-ups, my vote would be to spend $1500 to go to RMAF and have a listen and have a fun weekend while you're at it. My 2c worth.