All
Sme
Website:https://sme.co.uk/
Est. year: 1946
Location: UK
SME is a British maker of precision tonearms and turntables based in Steyning, West Sussex, founded in 1946 by Alastair Robertson-Aikman It began as the Scale Model Equipment Company, producing scale models and engineering parts, and moved into audio in 1959 when an experimental pickup arm built by its founder drew commercial interest. Its detachable headshell mount became an industry standard fitting.
Range & what it's known for
SME made its name with a long run of arms, from the Series II of the 1960s and the Series III of the late 1970s to the Series V of 1986, the Series IV of 1987, the Series 300 of 1988, the M10 of 1999 and the M2 of 2004. The current tonearm range is the M2 Series, including the M2-9R and M2-12R. On the turntable side, the lineup runs from the Model 8 and Model 12 through the Synergy, which integrates more of the playback chain in one unit, and the Model 35, up to the Model 60 at the top. A Model 60 One of One bespoke commission is also offered for clients who want a signature build.
Who owns it and where it's made
The company was renamed SME Limited in 1961, the year it moved into a new factory in Steyning. In December 2016 it was bought by Ajay Shirke, who said he aimed to preserve the brand and expand research and development. In May 2018 SME added the Garrard turntable brand and Loricraft Audio, a maker of professional record cleaning machines and an authorised Garrard service agent, and the Garrard 301 now sits under the same roof. Products remain made in England at the Steyning works.
The lineup in this catalog
The catalog lists SME tonearms and turntables. A tonearm on its own costs about GBP 3,000, while the largest turntable systems go far beyond GBP 30,000.
Who it's for
SME is for the record collector set on a turntable or arm machined and built in England by a firm with a long analogue history. A buyer with an existing deck can start with an M2 Series tonearm, while a complete player begins with the Model 8 or Model 12 and climbs through the Model 35 toward the Model 60.
Range & what it's known for
SME made its name with a long run of arms, from the Series II of the 1960s and the Series III of the late 1970s to the Series V of 1986, the Series IV of 1987, the Series 300 of 1988, the M10 of 1999 and the M2 of 2004. The current tonearm range is the M2 Series, including the M2-9R and M2-12R. On the turntable side, the lineup runs from the Model 8 and Model 12 through the Synergy, which integrates more of the playback chain in one unit, and the Model 35, up to the Model 60 at the top. A Model 60 One of One bespoke commission is also offered for clients who want a signature build.
Who owns it and where it's made
The company was renamed SME Limited in 1961, the year it moved into a new factory in Steyning. In December 2016 it was bought by Ajay Shirke, who said he aimed to preserve the brand and expand research and development. In May 2018 SME added the Garrard turntable brand and Loricraft Audio, a maker of professional record cleaning machines and an authorised Garrard service agent, and the Garrard 301 now sits under the same roof. Products remain made in England at the Steyning works.
The lineup in this catalog
The catalog lists SME tonearms and turntables. A tonearm on its own costs about GBP 3,000, while the largest turntable systems go far beyond GBP 30,000.
Who it's for
SME is for the record collector set on a turntable or arm machined and built in England by a firm with a long analogue history. A buyer with an existing deck can start with an M2 Series tonearm, while a complete player begins with the Model 8 or Model 12 and climbs through the Model 35 toward the Model 60.
