SMA HAS AN NMAC WITH A LIGHT TWIN IN THE VICINITY OF N52.

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OPERATING UNDER IFR; DEPARTING FROM N52; AND ENRTE TO SBJ VOR; PREVIOUSLY ALERTED TO ACFT 'OVER SOLBERG VOR' AT 2000 FT; ABOUT 1-2 MINS BEFORE EVENT. AFTER BEING TURNED TO HDG OF 180 DEGS I WAS ALERTED TO 'TFC 9 O'CLOCK; LESS THAN A MI' -- OBVIOUSLY NOT THE PREVIOUSLY CALLED TFC. ACTUALLY 7-8 O'CLOCK; RATHER THAN 9 O'CLOCK; THERE WAS AT MY ALT A CONVERGING WHITE TWIN (CESSNA?) IN CRUISE CONFIGN. EVASIVE ACTION; WHICH NECESSITATED DEPARTING FROM ASSIGNED ALT AND COURSE; WAS REQUIRED BY ME. I WAS NOT ABLE TO SEE ANY MOVEMENT (EVASIVE ACTION) BY THE OTHER ACFT; NOR DID I SEE HIM PASS. QUITE SHAKEN BY THE EVENT; I TOLD DEP CTL I NEEDED TO RETURN TO SOMERSET (N52) -- MY POINT OF DEP. THE CABIN WAS IN COMPLETE DISARRAY; WITH THE UNSECURED 70 LB GOLDEN RETRIEVER HAVING BEEN THROWN INTO THE REAR BAGGAGE AREA. UPON LNDG AT N52 THE ACFT WAS CHKED FOR DAMAGE BY ME AND THE FBO -- NONE WAS FOUND. WHILE SEE AND AVOID MAY BE THE WATCH WORDS; THE CONVERGENCE ANGLE WAS NOT ONE I HAD INCLUDED IN THE SCAN; ESPECIALLY IN THE VICINITY OF A RADIO FIX SUCH AS SBJ VOR. THAT NOTWITHSTANDING; THE DEP CTLR SHOULD HAVE ALERTED ME EARLIER. INTERESTINGLY; AFTER RPTING THE NEAR MISS TO NY DEP; THE CTLR TOLD ME HE HAD CALLED TFC TO ME EARLIER. NOT SO; OTHER THAN THE ORIGINAL ADVISORY REGARDING THE ACFT 'OVER SOLBERG.' THIS WAS CONFIRMED BY MY SPOUSE; ALSO A PLT; WHO WAS ASSISTING WITH CLRNC AND NAV CHORES. AS A GENERAL COMMENT; ENHANCEMENT OF SAFETY IN THE IMMEDIATE VICINITY OF BUSY NAVAIDS SUCH AS VORS; SHOULD BE A PRIORITY OF BOTH PLTS (IMPROVED TFC SCANS) AND ATC (MORE TIMELY ADVISORIES; ESTABLISHING RADAR IDENT PRIOR TO REACHING THE FIX; ETC).