SME will exit the tonearm retail and OEM business with immediate effect - this is a bummer

I remember the days when VPI sold a table (the HW19 series) where the user could mount the tonearm of their choice. Friends had ET2, Regas, and some the SME309. Now VPI - with a much different lineup - only offers the various JMW tonearms. I don't know many people who are replacing those with a SME or other. I'm straining to think of a current turntable manufacturer that lets you buy the table without an arm. Anyone?

This is just a kick in the #$!& for the DIY and rebuilder turntable hobbyists.

 

The company is down sizing, they made a corporate decision to close down the least profitable division.
Lots of that going on these days thanks to the economy.

 

My Acoustic Solid for example.

 

Michell, Avid, Linn, Roksan, Nottingham Analogue, Technics (SP10 R), Oracle, TW Acustic to name a few.

 

Also Origin Live selling their tables and arms separately. Reed as well.

 

We make a belt drive machine (the Atma-Sphere 208) which was a giant-killer at its price of only $4500 sans arm. And its belt drive, and one of the most speed stable belt drive machines made.

But the Technics is simply a better machine; it doesn't have any of the 'cogging' nonsense going on; its more speed-stable than our tt is. In a nutshell, the only 'sound' of the Technics is music.

In both cases I prefer the Triplanar tone arm. We designed a proper arm board for the Technics.

 

I Really have little faith these knob heads will continue to supply spares and accessories to existing owners. If so few arms are being made for their relatively small TT market they just won't be doing them as they obviously are trying to cut cost to the bone. Ordered a spare headshell for the 309 just to cover myself. I am wondering if a cut in the labour force is behind this 'lack of capacity'. Maybe someone will come in and try to buy the tonearm part of the business? There is a sound business there if prices are kept reasonable. All info on the arm specs has now gone from the website (which was useful to any used purchasers). Most decent companies leave up info on legacy products these days.

 

The IV and M2-12R that I bought new I treat with kid gloves so hopefully they will last a very long time, I have two 3009s, which I will be sending off to Audio Origami for a rewire and service, I'm sure that even if SME pull out of servicing arms Johnny or someone else will be able to take care of my IV and M2. My real problem is what I do in future for a quality, vintage looking high mass 12" tone arm, the M2-12R is better than the Jelcos and I don't want to go backwards, but I don't want to spend even sillier money either. Considering they are still fitting most of their arms to their decks you'd think they'd keep the info up for people buying decks let alone us arm owners, very strange almost spiteful attitude from the current owners.

 

No big deal. If there is a market for tonearms, somebody will step up to the plate. It will be interesting to see if the phono hardware industry has peaked. It is relatively small anyways, so any downward shift may see more manufacturers ****ting down.

 

Whatever you have to tell yourself.

 

I have a 1984 price list, in UKP. The 3009/S2 was £97, or £317 in today's money. I also have a 2011 price list. The IV at that stage was £1370, or about £1600 in today's money. When SME exited supplying arms a few days ago it was £3,500.

Now in 1984, CD had only just been introduced, and vinyl and turntables/arms/cartridges were still a buyers market - which kept prices low. As the market shrank to virtually nothing, Alastair Robertson-Aikman stuck to his guns and introduced new arms and a turntable range. But still affordable.

However, after Alastair Robertson-Aikman's death in 2006 (at age 82) it looks like SME was progressively on its financial knees, and there were even rumours that Robertson-Aikman's heirs were considering shutting the company and selling the land for housing development. So when the Indian audiophile businessman Ajay Shirke bought the company in 2016 (he also bought Siltech too) it looked like it would be happy days - the company was safe.

But almost the first thing they did is stop selling arms from the factory, and introduced a supplier chain - and the multiple margins involved ratcheted the price, by a factor of about 2 almost overnight. Hence the difference between £1600 for a IV based on 2011 prices to £3,500 before 3rd December.

I suspect that the onerous price of the arms under this new regime drove the volume for arm sales down so much that they have repositioned the company towards well heeled audiophiles. Brand management, margins and marketing don'cha know.

However, SME's strategy will open up opportunities for others. Hopefully.

 

I'm actually darned pleased I bought my IV three years ago with optional damper (so essentially a V by stealth) from a guy on eBay for £600, then sent it to SME for servicing, which was another £600. That involved putting on a brand new arm tube, new bearings throughout, new tracking weight adjusters and new arm wiring. What came back was essentially brand new and guaranteed for 1 year. for a total outlay of £1200.

 

Before the price hike my M2-12R cost £1369, I can't find what I paid for my IV, my memory says around £1500 three or four years ago, I'm guessing they've both appreciated in value somewhat.

 

I surely hope so. Japanese makers (Jelco, Sorane, etc) can up the ante as they they still priced reasonable in comparison.
Up and coming Lithuanian company Reed looks very interesting, not mention much better looking )).
Heck, if I had 5-6 large to spend on tonearm (I do not) I can dig into Dynavector 507!

 

SME for starters, LOL, all SME tables are sold without arms, or more appropriately stated "Priced" without arms.

Most tables worth their salt and highly regarded sell their table without arms leaving the choice to the buyer. They are not trying to put package deals together to entice buyers to their bang for the buck package.

 

I will repeat there is nothing like the engineering quality of SME other than at stratospheric prices. You can't just step in and build an arm to those standards. A lot of development required and machinery. SME did all their own machining including making the screws (which follow old UK imperial sizes rather than metric). That years of experience cannot be acquired or the tools made other than at vast cost. Cheaper solution would be to bid for the business IMO. Maybe someone else with the capital will have that idea, but sense would be to await until Shirke calls in the receivers, which could be on the cards down the line.

 

Anyway when I heard this news I thought of it as a bad thing, and really I guess it is.

I am a SME fanboy however in thinking about it I have never bought one new. I have bought many used but like new for less than half the price of new. Since 1959? thats a lot of used arms out there and really there is never a time you cant find a used model being sold.

Last weekend I should have made time to contact a seller on CL, he was selling a very nice SOTA Star Sapphire Series 3, with clamp, Composite armboard, Electric Flywheel, dust cover and original box. A SME Series V, with a Grado Signature cart, asking price $2500. That was a really good deal as these tables can be found packaged like this for $3500-$4500, so needless to say it didn't last long.

Last week I was weighing the need because I have redundancy with these tables and arms. The point is the Series V has been over $5000 for a long time and is now $6200. But even with out a nice used package deal they can be found individually for $2000-$2400 used, a 309 for around $1300-$1500.

As far as I know SME has always commanded more money for their arms than a lot of competitors. So to say now they are making this move to be more exclusive and luxury is absurd. If you can't or don't want to pay retail then don't, buy used.

I can't even see the used market jumping higher over this new move as the a mount of used arms out there will always fill the need of buyers. I can also see SME keeping a contract with Orical to make there arms.

Funny how a small company: The Scale Model Equipment Company abandoned their customers 60 years ago, I wonder how they felt?

 

They specifically stated that they are pulling out of the OEM business. So Oracle have been dropped on from a great height as have been Avid and Michell. Obviously the new owners don't give a monkey's about their arm customers or OEM company buyers. Or is this a last desperate and misguided play to save the business? They invested a lot in developing two new 'lifestyle' TT models and their Garrard 301 (using NOS chassis). Maybe overall sales have dropped so low that they haven't covered development costs. Looks like the arms got the blame after they priced themselves out of their traditional customer market.

The used arm market is big but buyers know spares were available as well as a reasonably priced refurbishment service from the SME factory. If that has gone along with the arms then even used seems a less attractive buy. Maybe an opportunity for third party restoration businesses, but original replacement parts still need to be available long term.

 

My local Home Depot have buckets of imperial size screws, I can supply SME for years to come if that what stopping their business.

 

They can make their own + I think they use some odd sizes?

 

I have never needed to service any SME arm I'v owned and all of them being bought used. That would be three 3009 series 2 improved now sold, Still have two Series V and one Series 309. One of the main reasons to buy these arms is if treated right they last a lifetime. I'll be dead before the three arms I currently have ever need service. I also know in 50 years from now there will still be SME arms on the market, they left a huge footprint.

 

Well I have just bought the last SME IV my dealer had in stock ...
with an JA Michell Gyro SE.

 

A wise choice and excellent deck/arm combination, definitely get the HR power supply if you haven't already.

 

Yes definitely I will I know is a great upgrade!

 

There are quite a few abused examples out there that need bearings renewed or refinishing. How do you know your arm is optimal if you haven't had it from new?