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"Special build" SME demo arms

nmtjb

nmtjb

pfm Member
Just noticed an ad on HiFi for Sale site noting:

"Special build SME demo arms are built to higher standards and are stamped on the underneath demo only not for resale this makes them very collectable and hard to obtain"

Does that mean when you audition an SME arm it'll sound or function better than the one you'll get if purchased?
 
nmtjb said:
Just noticed an ad on HiFi for Sale site noting:

"Special build SME demo arms are built to higher standards and are stamped on the underneath demo only not for resale this makes them very collectable and hard to obtain"

Does that mean when you audition an SME arm it'll sound or function better than the one you'll get if purchased?
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The SME IV that I owned years ago was a ex demo arm, it was stamped, apparently with V bearings and VDH silver wiring, whether it was better than a stock IV I've no idea, FWIW I didn't particularly rate it and much preferred the M2-10.
 
I'm not in the market for one, just an observation that when they were available on their own, perhaps what one listened to at the dealers wasn't exactly what you got in the box.
Darren's example above for instance, a "demo" IV but with upgraded bearings and VDH Silver should sound better than a stock arm.
I have a few SME arms including a V so no axe to grind, just surprised that's a thing manufacturers would do. Wonder if its the same with other brands?
 
nmtjb said:
I'm not in the market for one, just an observation that when they were available on their own, perhaps what one listened to at the dealers wasn't exactly what you got in the box.
Darren's example above for instance, a "demo" IV but with upgraded bearings and VDH Silver should sound better than a stock arm.
I have a few SME arms including a V so no axe to grind, just surprised that's a thing manufacturers would do. Wonder if its the same with other brands?
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Wasn't there a fuss a few years back about review amplifiers (was it MF I can't quite remember) being "upgraded" over the standard versions by using Vishays etc?
 
Surely it wouldn't be in the interest of any prestige manufacturer to do this. That's not saying it doesn't happen though. But if it were true then any company wouldn't last very long if customers thought they were, in some way, being cheated.
 
jayacee said:
Surely it wouldn't be in the interest of any prestige manufacturer to do this. That's not saying it doesn't happen though. But if it were true then any company wouldn't last very long if customers thought they were, in some way, being cheated.
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I seem to recall the manufacturer apologized at the time. We could be charitable and say it was an experimental upgrade that found it's way to a reviewer by accident. On the other hand we could not be charitable.
 
I have one of these arms, a series V I bought from ARA back in about 1989 or 90. I don't know whether the bearings were 'selected' at that time, I think they were just making all of these arms as well as they could given it was fairly new then. I was able to buy it wired with Audio Note silver cable rather than the vdH cable they were fitting as standard and I did have an extra pair of wires put in to supply the DC voltage to an Audio Note Io Ltd cartridge.



It has been on & off multiple decks over the past 30 years without missing a beat so in terms of reliability I can't fault it. Many other arms from that time would've fallen apart by now.
 
richardkendell said:
Wasn't there a fuss a few years back about review amplifiers (was it MF I can't quite remember) being "upgraded" over the standard versions by using Vishays etc?
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Yes, it was the B1 integrated, and a few decades ago now!

IIRC, it wasn't just one reviewer or magazine that reported same. MF needn't have bothered, really, as the standard item sounded fine for the price. Although competition at this level was quite strong back then, I don't recall having heard of any other cases of 'doping' going on.
 
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Craig B said:
Yes, it was the B1 integrated, and a few decades ago now!

IIRC, it wasn't just one reviewer or magazine that reported same. MF needn't have bothered, really, as the standard item sounded fine for the price. Although competition at this level was quite strong back then, I don't recall having heard of any other cases of 'doping' going on.
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Wasn’t the B1 the model with the horizontally-finned heatsink across the top that you could use to fry an egg? Ran quite hot as I recall...
 
Surely these arms were just demo stock for dealers sent out at the 'right' price to make holding such stock a little more affordable?
Less scrupulous dealers would doubtless sell the things given half a chance so stamping them as not for resale makes sense. I doubt there is anything else going on here.
I've heard the MF story so many times, never with any evidence and anyway..... Who cares.... Some of you seem to struggle with the fact that manufacturers need to promote and sell things in order to eat.
 
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I never heard about any such thing when I worked for MF..... but I wouldn't put it past them... quite what fitted with "Vishays" means I have no idea.. they are a huge electronic component manufacturer and just about any part you can name they probably make one... from economy to high spec.
I was asked to check over Michaelson Audio Chronos and Odysseus amps before they went out for review but it was only to check that they were fully up to spec etc. Nothing more than that.
 
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