The SMARTractor appears to be among the most precise devices available to set overhang and zenith angle. The designer even provides a variety of spindle insert to insure a snug fit.
Five years ago, during a visit to the Hi-Fi News “Heathrow” audio show someone passed along an intriguing tidbit: EMI’s mothballed record pressing plant was back in business on the Hayes-Middlesex campus. Since it was but a short cab ride from the show venue, I paid an unscheduled visit.
What do you want from a 21st-century record-playing device? I hear you: you want one that's compact, well-made, easy to set up, holds its setup, sounds great, and doesn't cost a lot.
SME debuted a new "Flagship" turntable at an event held March 25th, 2022 at the company's Steyning, West Sussex U.K. headquarters and in the legendary listening room of the company's founder, the late Alastair Robertson-Aikman. When I asked CEO Stuart McNeilis if yet another factory tour was necessary, he said "you be the judge". The answer was "yes" as new owner Ajay Shirke has made considerable investments in SME including new CNC machines, a brand new state of the art plating facility and a new tolerance measuring system that produces even greater machining tolerances than the already legendary SME precision.
SME debuted "Synergy" at High End Munich 2018, the company's first new turntable since it introduced in 2015 the Model 15. The Synergy is also the SME's first "Integrated" turntable and its its first non-numbered product. It's also the first to be introduced under the company's new CEO Stuart McNeilis appointed after SME's purchase by The Cadence Group.
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.
North American SME importer Bluebird Music recently announced "significant" across the board price reductions on all SME products, effective November 23, 2018.
"The Model 6 brings the legendary SME engineering excellence and craftsmanship to a wider audience than ever before. The turntable chassis is CNC-machined from a high density polymer resin, providing high mass with a small footprint; the result is superb resonance absorption and the musical, dynamic sound quality for which SME is famous.
SME Limited announced today that it had acquired Garrard from Gradiente Electronics of Brazil, which in 1979 had acquired the brand name. In addition, SME announced it had acquired Loricraft Audio founded by Terry O'Sullivan who set up shop in Lambourn, West Berkshire close to Garrard's original Swindon manufacturing site.