SME Exits the Tonearm Business
On December 3rd 2019 SME announced that it would no longer be manufacturing its tonearms for either retail sale or OEM distribution.
Here is the official press announcement:
“SME will exit the tonearm retail and OEM business with immediate effect shifting our focus on our core turntable and tonearm combination business. The decision to leave the tonearm business was not taken lightly, especially as we have played a key role in the design and development of the world’s best tonearms. The growth of our turntable business and commitment to higher production levels means that we cannot continue both streams.
SME has designed, engineered and manufactured tonearms for retail and OEM sales since 1959 and achieved international recognition as makers of the best pick-up arms in the world. This tradition of tonearm manufacturing will continue with the manufacture of our highly accredited tonearms for the purpose of coupling with our comprehensive range of high-end precision turntables in which SME will be expanding in 2020.
Whilst no new orders for individual tonearms will be accepted from the issue date of this product announcement, all obligations of the warranty will be honoured. Factory service and spare parts support for tonearm owners will continue.
Stuart McNeilis
Chief Executive Officer”
A Little Company History
SME was formed in 1946 under the name “The Scale Model Equipment Company” to manufacture scale models and parts for the model engineering trade. During the 1950s SME moved away from model making to precision engineering, principally parts for aircraft instruments and business machines.
In 1959 Alastair Robertson-Aikman, the Company’s founder, required a pick-up arm for his own use and an experimental model was built. It received such an enthusiastic reception from friends in the sound industry that it was decided to produce it commercially and the first SME precision pick-up arm appeared in September 1959. At this time the company’s name was changed to SME Limited.
In December 2016 the company was purchased by Cadence Audio LLP and Indian based company of approximately nineteen staff that now owns:
SME is a precision-engineering company based in Steyning, Sussex, England. They manufacture high-end, precision-made audio equipment and high-quality precision made components for Aerospace, Formula 1, and Medical Equipment industries.
Whilst SME hasn’t provided tremendous tonearm, innovation in the past few years, their arms are still world-class and many will sadly miss their presence in the market. They will however continue to manufacture and design tonearms and supply them with the purchase of one of their turntables.
Why that? I run a Transrotor 5009, which is a modified SME Series IV, on an AVID Sequel with great pleasure. It will now become even more difficult and unlikely for the common man to afford a new piece of SME audio engineering, because the turntables below the 15 are unattractive, and that ones above are completely overpriced. (Well, the 15…) The prices for SME tonearms will rise on the second hand market. But what is SME’s advantage of that? There are several other high-end tonearms, most of which are difficult to get.
I too was totally shocked when I first heard about this. Clearly SME do not feel that the margins from selling the arms, as stand alone are worth the effort, and that their turntable business is enhancing their bottom line to a point where they no longer need the product that set them up in business in the first place.
Luckily there is still good range of stand alone arms to choose from.
You have a good setup, and yes you are correct that SME arms, all of them, will become collectors pieces. I so regret now selling my fixed headshell 3009. There again, in hind sight, there is a lot of equipment I now regret selling.
Happy Listening.