SME Model 6
I t might seem like an odd thing to say, but we suspect that SME doesn’t view itself as a hi-fi manufacturer. Talk to anyone at the company and it’s clear the brand is more about cutting-edge precision engineering than product types.
SME makes world-class turntables and arms, but a huge slice of its business is work done for the medical, military, aerospace and Formula One industries.The single thread tying all these clients together is the need for the highest standards in workmanship, almost regardless of cost. The brand’s reputation is built on excellence and anything less has never been acceptable.
Trouble is, high-end record players are all about precision manufacturing and that’s never going to be cheap. So how can you introduce a degree of affordability without compromising your standards?