SME Synergy

[brian2957]

Not sure what to make of this . Cant't afford it anyway :) https://sme.co.uk/audio/product/synergy/

[mayebaza]

Not sure what to make of this . Cant't afford it anyway :) https://sme.co.uk/audio/product/synergy/Seems ideal for people with limited space, however I feel you will paying for the effort involved in magnetic shielding over output audio quality.

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[struth]

very pretty, but at 15k a bit rich

[Barry]

Agree £15K is a "bit rich", but the package does include an Ortofon 'Winfield' cartridge and a customised Nagra phonostage. Both of these are expensive components.

It would seem that SME, since being sold off, and Nagra, and to some extent Ortofon, are all aiming towards achieving 'Veblen' status, where if you need to ask the price you can't afford it. The recent price hikes are the new owners exploiting supply and demand.

SME make most of their money now through precision engineering for the MoD and aerospace industries. Audio is no longer their core business.

[Bksabath]

It has the name but ...

They have been bought by another company whit a resulting price hike last year, I know because when I got the V the day after I got a call telling me "it is now £1K more"

Does the name mean the same thing anymore?

One have to have a listen to it …

It looks like they used the 10 platform call it £6K + the IV arm £3.5 K +£2k for a cartridge that probably most of us do not want means about 4 k for the phono stage some how this take me back to the start of this post

[Spectral Morn]

It has the name but ...

They have been bought by another company whit a resulting price hike last year, I know because when I got the V the day after I got a call telling me "it is now £1K more"

Does the name mean the same thing anymore?

One have to have a listen to it …

It looks like they used the 10 platform call it £6K + the IV arm £3.5 K +£2k for a cartridge that probably most of us do not want means about 4 k for the phono stage some how this take me back to the start of this post

SME no longer sell to dealers direct, now done via a distributor and they need a profit margin, that explains the price rise. SME has been getting more and more expensive, and I can't really see the justification for the jumps.

Yes the guy behind Cadence speakers and amps bought SME.

[tlscapital]

Looks terrible IMO. Not judging one bit it's performance though. Understanding that SME now do participate in the race for the gentrification of the "hipster" phenomenon of the turntable revival as seen in the movies, advertisements and bars. Like the BIG watches, cars, boats and wallets owners, this commercialized turntable likely aim to those who enjoy showing off that the gap between the have and the have nots has grown...

Honestly I am not impressed nor jealous nor have the gut feeling it aim for an unrivaled experience never before encountered of turntable playback as it should be for such tag priced developed product. No it's not that new phono geek engineer eccentricity trial commercial suicide product that will not avail very far. It seems, to me at least, to be a bit like an every day for use Porsche (show off car) that will never see a race track down the road...

This is not where SME comes from.

[Vrajbasi]

SME no longer sell to dealers direct, now done via a distributor and they need a profit margin, that explains the price rise. SME has been getting more and more expensive, and I can't really see the justification for the jumps.

Yes the guy behind Cadence speakers and amps bought SME.

Padood who distribute sme is also owned by the same owner.

[YNWaN]

I think it’s a clever and logical idea. Basically a fit and forget high-end turntable - an SME 10 deck with SME arm and built in Nagra phonostage.

[Ammonite Audio]

I think it’s a clever and logical idea. Basically a fit and forget high-end turntable - an SME 10 deck with SME arm and built in Nagra phonostage.

Indeed, however it's a shame that SME's prices have risen so much, but presumably the new owners know the market they're targeting. For that money, I would have a new Technics SL-1000R and spend the change on a decent phono stage.

[prestonchipfryer]

It's a compact unit, an all-in-one solution for those who don't want or need space using components. Well made for sure as all SME. I'd be more interested in how it sounds tbh. :)

[Audio Al]

I could buy a VERY nice SYSTEM for a less than £15 K

[Ammonite Audio]

I could buy a VERY nice SYSTEM for a less than £15 K

Of course you can, but people seriously considering something like the SME Synergy won't look at overall system cost in the same way, and there's nothing wrong with that.

[Pharos]

Interesting that it uses a IV rather than a V arm, but anything 'Winfield' seems to put a Woolworths feel to my perception.

[prestonchipfryer]

Interesting that it uses a IV rather than a V arm, but anything 'Winfield' seems to put a Woolworths feel to my perception.

I think the idea is to attract customers who have moved away from cheap and nasty goods and more towards solid engineering applied to products that give long-term satisfaction. :)

[Vrajbasi]

I think it’s a clever and logical idea. Basically a fit and forget high-end turntable - an SME 10 deck with SME arm and built in Nagra phonostage.

Its quite a bit more substantial than a model 10 the chassis are beefed up as is the sub platter and the platter weighs more, I think without the cartridge and maybe the phono stage its more of a interesting proposition, but you are right for someone who wants to buy a deck and wants a fit and forget deck its a great deck. Expensive yes but in line with others out there I just noticed a Series V is now £5200, which seems steep but than a graham phantom is now £6500 and the sme is well built etc. I remember when a Series v was £1800 and the phantom £2100.

These days I have come to conclusion you dont buy an Sme on sound merits you buy it for the longevity and the fact you can easily get parts and they offer great service and back up and they can sound ok in the right set up. I still have a 30/12 turntable that i use all be it with a non sme tonearm, its a great bit of kit it works every day never gives me any trouble and i dont have to fiddle with it. Do i think its the last word in sound of course not.

[Spectral Morn]

Its quite a bit more substantial than a model 10 the chassis are beefed up as is the sub platter and the platter weighs more, I think without the cartridge and maybe the phono stage its more of a interesting proposition, but you are right for someone who wants to buy a deck and wants a fit and forget deck its a great deck. Expensive yes but in line with others out there I just noticed a Series V is now £5200, which seems steep but than a graham phantom is now £6500 and the sme is well built etc. I remember when a Series v was £1800 and the phantom £2100.

These days I have come to conclusion you dont buy an Sme on sound merits you buy it for the longevity and the fact you can easily get parts and they offer great service and back up and they can sound ok in the right set up. I still have a 30/12 turntable that i use all be it with a non sme tonearm, its a great bit of kit it works every day never gives me any trouble and i dont have to fiddle with it. Do i think its the last word in sound of course not.

Graham is a very small company by comparison, not sure how many + Bob Graham, but SME all the tooling is there, the materials are there, the arms are essentially unchanged so asking these prices is a rip off. I like SME, I have a 5 and a mk1 Model 20 turntable which still works as well as it did when made, it needs little attention as does the 5 arm, so I am not an SME hater, but the pricing is daylight robbery, and can't be justified more so that the distributor is part of the same group - I didn't know that.

I don't usually complain about pricing, as I understand it mostly, but in this case I really can't see how SME can justify it, other than the new owner wantsto stick his arm as far up people as he can.

[Bksabath]

Seems to me that no one here is going to buy one
Why we are talking about it ?

[Barry]

Seems to me that no one here is going to buy one
Why we are talking about it ?

Because that is what audio fora are for. We like to discuss music and the means by which to reproduce it.

[Vrajbasi]

Graham is a very small company by comparison, not sure how many + Bob Graham, but SME all the tooling is there, the materials are there, the arms are essentially unchanged so asking these prices is a rip off. I like SME, I have a 5 and a mk1 Model 20 turntable which still works as well as it did when made, it needs little attention as does the 5 arm, so I am not an SME hater, but the pricing is daylight robbery, and can't be justified more so that the distributor is part of the same group - I didn't know that.

I don't usually complain about pricing, as I understand it mostly, but in this case I really can't see how SME can justify it, other than the new owner wantsto stick his arm as far up people as he can.

Sme I have been told had to have to have a brand new plating and paint shop installed at a whopping price of £400000 plus had to purchase and extreamly expensive 5 axis machine just for the synergy how many companies could even consider making such investment to control there production. I have seen some of the recent tonearms and can most certainly see improvements in the all ready excellent finish. I also know that sme have taken on more staff, the company was not making any money previously for the past 8 years the current owner wishes to stay in business. I dont like paying more but when we see products such as the £40000 Sat arm and the £20000 axiom by acoustical systems and £35000 for the vertre does the series V look really expensive for the quality of engineering offered. I see so much hifi that is not well built and manufacturers who can be described as flaky at least sme have a reputation to be none the sort.