SME Limited: the UK company that’s setting standards for the high-fidelity turntable industry worldwide

Management17 Oct 2024

Sponsored by SME Limited

Kat Ourlian, Global Sales & Marketing Director

Tony Faulkner, SME Brand Ambassador & Recording Engineer

High-fidelity audio represents the apex of contemporary home audio equipment. It’s designed for audiophiles who demand exceptional quality, in both craftsmanship and sound. Often distinguished by top pricing and innovative technologies, such products promise an exceptional acoustic experience.

The journey for high-fidelity sound began in the 1930s and 1940s, an era marked by groundbreaking advancements in recording techniques, the development of sophisticated tape machines and the creation of superior turntables tailored for quality playback. High-fidelity sound is the next-best thing to hearing live musicians, and the quest for the perfect sound experience has become a favoured pastime for many enthusiasts.

Music influences life. It alters emotion. It is a form of entertainment. It was one of the first forms of communication. It can be studied and appreciated. Its uses extend to therapy, philosophy and religion. That’s why being able to capture and reproduce music, in its purest form, is an essential part of modern life.

In the hi-fi sector, some brands have stayed true to their core DNA and continue to develop their high-fidelity products all in one place. Scale Model Equipment Company, or SME, is one of them. Located in Steyning, England and founded by the visionary Alastair Robertson-Aikman in 1946.

Robertson-Aikman began by producing elite precision models intended for the exhibition and model-engineering sectors. By 1950, the company expanded into engineering subcontracting, producing precision aircraft parts for prestigious companies such as Rolls-Royce, Hawker Aircraft and Martin-Baker.

In 1959, Robertson-Aikman designed a pick-up arm, or what we call today a tonearm, for his hi-fi system. After showing his friends the prototype, he was encouraged to produce it commercially. The component was received with such enthusiasm that a new factory was built to meet the demand, and the company’s name was changed to SME Limited to suit the new developments and brand.

Fast-forward to thepresent day and SME maintains a position as a supreme turntable manufacturer worldwide, with an exceptional commitment to in-house engineering and stringent standards in its tooling processes. It offers a line of turntables ranging from high-end, ready-to-play solutions to more complex, suspended designs. SME’s products are built on heavy-mass materials, created from either premium solid-cut aluminium billets or an advanced polymer resin.

In SME’s higher-end series, the suspension system provides definitive resonance control and houses the main bearing, platter and tonearm. The tonearms designed by SME are unlike any other on the market, which is why, even after six decades, they are among the most sought-after tonearms today.

SME uses magnesium in these designs as a single-piece pressure die-cast tone-arm. Internal constrained layer damps residual vibration, leaving the tone-arm acoustically inert. Between the arm tube and the bearing tolerances holding it all together, you can achieve complete stability with your vinyl playback.

SME turntables are synonymous with audio purity. They enable listeners to immerse themselves in the true essence of vinyl recordings, as originally intended by the artists. Each element on the turntable can be precisely adjusted to your taste and equipment needs.

From the company’s integrity to its in-depth, hands-on development of extensive material testing, SME ensures the delivery of impeccably refined audio products that stand as testaments to the its legacy and expertise in the field.

It’s common for consumers to be influenced by marketing and sales strategies to buy premium audio equipment, that may not be constructed according to industry standards or deliver the level of sound quality that is advertised.

SME stands out as a turntable manufacturer that employs genuine in-house engineering and adheres to strict standards. This unique capacity enables the company to expertly manipulate and rigorously test materials to precisely refine its products.

Since 1946, there has been no compromise.

For more information, visit sme.co.uk