SME Under New Ownership

microstrip

VIP/Donor
May 30, 2010
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Times are changing - a few years ago such news would stir the audiophile world, I have not seen any reaction to the article of the Audiobeat concerning the SME change of hands. http://www.theaudiobeat.com/news/sme_ownership.htm . It refers that the new owner is a major shareholder in Siltech/Crystal Cable and Spendor. Will we see a Siltech wired SMEV soon?

Many SME pieces have landed in my listening rooms along more than thirty years, just a few months ago the vintage SME 3012R has joined my system. The company is still supplying spares for this arm.
 

cjfrbw

Well-Known Member
Apr 20, 2010
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Is this just the audio engineering and turntable business? The audio part was just a subsidiary of the larger SME company.
 

jfrech

VIP/Donor
Sep 3, 2012
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Interesting changes...I owned a SME 20/2 in the past ...really a killer table
 

PeterA

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Dec 6, 2011
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Interesting changes...I owned a SME 20/2 in the past ...really a killer table

SME seems respected but not loved these days, except for perhaps some of the older, vintage arms. Based on what I have read about the new SME 20/3, it seems like it is a very competitive design at that price point, and perhaps an excellent value. I have not heard it, nor the new Model 15.

I continue to love my 30/12, though I have not directly compared it to any other table in the same system. I always found it curious that TAS and Stereophile never reviewed the flaship 30/12. Perhaps they did not like it.

It will be interesting to see what happens with the brand and future products. They just don't seem to have much of a presence in the US, and from the reports I've read, the TechDas AF2 and AF3 are preferred to the SME at similar price points.
 

cjfrbw

Well-Known Member
Apr 20, 2010
3,323
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Pleasanton, CA
The dearth of reviews of SME turntables had to do with the company not releasing samples, or not releasing them without conditions or in keeping with the usual "promotional" permanent loans. SME has had plenty of customer demand without review input.

I think the older SME 30/2 had a single sample that had to be shipped in North America from reviewer to reviewer, which created delays and aggravated the reviewing community. Ken Kessler has gotten samples directly in the UK, so he has been the predominant reviewer of the various models as they have come out.

I decided that I wanted to be more of a listener and less of a turntable butler, so the SME is amongst the most carefree high performance all mechanical turntables without blowers, suckers, compressors, vacuums, bladders, actuators, etc. etc. A drop of oil a year and an occasional change of belt, and a new cartridge every couple of years after the needle wears out.
 

JackD201

WBF Founding Member
Apr 20, 2010
12,308
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Manila, Philippines
SME seems respected but not loved these days, except for perhaps some of the older, vintage arms. Based on what I have read about the new SME 20/3, it seems like it is a very competitive design at that price point, and perhaps an excellent value. I have not heard it, nor the new Model 15.

I continue to love my 30/12, though I have not directly compared it to any other table in the same system. I always found it curious that TAS and Stereophile never reviewed the flaship 30/12. Perhaps they did not like it.

It will be interesting to see what happens with the brand and future products. They just don't seem to have much of a presence in the US, and from the reports I've read, the TechDas AF2 and AF3 are preferred to the SME at similar price points.

I think they are every bit as good today as yesterday. If anything I think the overall trend has been moving away from sprung/suspended tables for a few years now. Of all the darling tables of the here and now perhaps it is the sprung and visually similar Kronos' and not the TDs that have eclipsed both SME and Avid as the Ks probably get even more press than TD.
 

microstrip

VIP/Donor
May 30, 2010
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Portugal
(...) I decided that I wanted to be more of a listener and less of a turntable butler, so the SME is amongst the most carefree high performance all mechanical turntables without blowers, suckers, compressors, vacuums, bladders, actuators, etc. etc. A drop of oil a year and an occasional change of belt, and a new cartridge every couple of years after the needle wears out.

Excellent point. I listened to much more vinyl when I owned the SME30 than with any other turntable. Retrospectively I think I should have swapped the tonearm and kept the turntable.
 

PeterA

Well-Known Member
Dec 6, 2011
12,521
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USA
I think they are every bit as good today as yesterday. If anything I think the overall trend has been moving away from sprung/suspended tables for a few years now. Of all the darling tables of the here and now perhaps it is the sprung and visually similar Kronos' and not the TDs that have eclipsed both SME and Avid as the Ks probably get even more press than TD.

Interesting to mention a trend away from sprung/suspended tables. Two of the most talked about recent tables are just that: the Kronos and TechDas AF1/2. I remember recent forum chat was focused on new direct drives and vintage idlers for quite some time: the Dobbins Beat, Wave Kinetics, VPI DD, restored Garrards, SP 10s, etc. But, the new tables at shows and in reviews are often the belt drive Kronos Pro/Sparta and TechDas. Magico even has a Kronos Pro in their listening room. And then there is ddk's American Sound and his other belt drives.

It seems to me that well implemented designs, whether belt or DD or idler, or tube/SS are more important that trends toward or away from particular typologies. There is also the popular chat in this forum about panels and horns versus cones. It's a fascinating time in audio with so many great options.

I just wonder if the new owners will develop new SME products or if the transition will seem fairly benign to customers. SME seemed to be a very conservative company that made small changes slowly. It should be interesting to see what happens, if anything.
 

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