SME Synergy

[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.