Sme

[bob orbell]

Well I am shocked, just been on to the SME website looking for arms, nothing, went into news, and they have announced that with immediate effect that they will no longer be selling arms except with their own turntables . Bob

[Black Stuart]

Think about it it - simple - no middlemen = more profit.

[bob orbell]

So, a turntable with arm for well over £10000, or an arm for about £2500 .

[Phil Y]

Yes, I had seen this elsewhere. I suppose that with the increased interest in vinyl, they are struggling to meet demand. If they want to keep everything in house (which SME probably do) something has got to give. Who are they going to keep happy, people who want an arm or people who want a complete deck?

Tis a shame though. Not that I could afford a new series 5!

Phil.

[davebms]

[quote=Phil Y;90145]Yes, I had seen this elsewhere. I suppose that with the increased interest in vinyl, they are struggling to meet demand.

yes, that was more or les what the info on there web site
they will supply existing orders but no new ones ..the only
good news they will still support repairs/ spares (not that mine has
ever needed any)

dave

[Ali Tait]

If you want an arm, Dave at MCRU can get you one.

[Greg.]

I have No doubt they will still be supplied to other TT manufacturers on demand such as Michell. Anyway, why all the fuss? They generally sound rather grey and uninspiring and there are much better and cheaper arms out there. I learnt a long time ago that an aspiration towards an SME was a true listeners falsehood. I don’t rate their arms and their turntables even less. All marketing bollocks and no sound performance evidence. All of course, IMHO.

[Black Stuart]

Greg,
you can say that about an awful lot of audio products. The number of hugely expensive i/connects/power cables which you are expected to buy knowing nothing about the materials and construction methods used and always accompanied by the b/s statement that 'we don't want to let our competitors into our secrets'. That is really treating potential buyers as morons. Any idiot can buy the i/connect or power cable, strip it down, have an analysis of the materials used and replicate.

As for the modern t/ts which cost serious money - none of them can match the Japanese superdecks of yesterday. I don't know of a single t/t made today that has end-of-side arm lift or motor turn off which I think should be standard on any good t/t. Nearly all the modern t/ts are created with one thing in mind - bling and the dummies fall for it.

The only modern t/t that is better than the old version is the new Technics SL 1200G but it costs just shy of £3K.

Equipment racks that cost stupid money but look wonderful, again - bling.

When I was selling my i/connects the number of times I was asked 'can't you make your i/cs look more attractive - unbelievable - cables are at the back of a system.

What a shame that Stanton or Pickering don't see the demand for LOMI cartridges and restart production.

If both my Kenwood t/ts went tits up, I'd go to ebay.de and buy another one at around €800 - £10K for a deck - for dummies only and ther are an awful lot of these around - never give a sucker an even break.

[bob orbell]

What you are saying then Stuart is that most members on this and other similar forums are Dummies . Bob

[Black Stuart]

Will forum members who have paid ITRO £10K for a t/t let us all know - awaiting replies - over to you Bob, Bob, are you there?