SME is selling tonearms again!
SME announces the made to order Classic Series M2 tonearms in 9- and 12-inch varieties, straight or J-shaped.
The shock news that SME was leaving the separate tonearm business back in 2019 sent ripples through the audiophile world. However, the respected British brand has today announced the release of the Classic Series M2 range.
SME tells us that “the introduction of the new VA tonearm compliments the magnesium range of tonearms fitted to SME turntables, which provides an opportunity for the highly credible M2 Series to be assigned to a Classic Range now available for individual retail sales. “
The Classic M2 Series is a class-leading tonearm famous for its precision instrument quality and ultimate sonic performance and is available in 9-inch and 12-inch versions in straight and ’J’ shaped tubes; the latter is denoted by the R in its name.
The M2-9 is the standard arm having a pivot-stylus dimension of 233.2 mm (9.18-inches) and the M2-12 has a pivot-stylus dimension of 308.8 mm (12.16-inches).
The SME Classic Series M2 is made to order and starts at an RRP of £2,380 for the M2-9, with the M2-12 costing £2,628.00. The M2-9R is priced at £3,108.00, and the 12-inch version costs £3,348.00. All prices include VAT.
interesting points which make sense. As to the SME price hike together with everything else god knows. SME were reassuringly expensive but now??? I have heard great things about the Audiomods from multiple sources and the various Rega offerings are excellent too. The 3009 and 3012 were always an affordable arm but at over £2k it appears to be a lazy greedy cash in - I’m sure there are always the usual commercial reasons to price hike (I am not stupid) but it’s a real shame
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@jasonbourne52 price adjustment wise audio has gone up in price exponentially. The SAT turntable I think is even less justifiable than the arm because it is a re-plinthed Technics - sorry if anyone disagrees - but it is. I don’t have such a problem with the tech-das oddly - if I was spending 30k on an arm it would be the derrenville parallel tracker. As I have said some things are expensive and justifiably so - the Rockport Sirius - Mares/Connoisseur amps. I wonder if SME continue to service items past and present still? |
totally agree - ridiculously over-priced. SME was taken over by the man behind Padood - an Indian multi-billionaire. I think they don't have the same steady approach - ie bought Garrard. The Model 60 and now the bizarre decision to stop selling arms - and then come back with the 'classics' over-priced. I do not get this strategy which seems scattergun and not by someone who truly appreciates audio. BTW I am Asian myself so this is not a pop at someone from my part of the world - just a simple observation
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If the new 3009 and 3012 were the R version I might consider getting one because used they are extortionate. since vinyl became fashionable circa 2007 Hifi - mid/high end has become ludicrously expensive. There is no logic to it either. In the past there was the odd outlier such as Goldmund Reference and Rockport but they were also scintillating products. Now every boutique product wants to occupy that space and few genuinely justify it |
Thanks - you must be old grandad 🤣 I am talking about market share and fashion... In the 90's the high street rid its stores of vinyl and you had to go to places like reckless records to buy vinyl. I think in the last 10 years (can't say the year) the sale of vinyl in the UK outstripped CD. That has been driven by market tastes (fashion) Vinyl was previously the only widespread access to music (yes reel to reel is superb - but neither easy to store nor affordable) CD changed that |
