SME V price?

Can anyone suggest a value for a secondhand SME V tonearm, have looked on hifishark and seems to be around the £1500 range?

How old, what colour (i.e. is it gold plated blingy horrible one?). Boxed or unboxed?

It’s fitted to a Palmer TT and I want to make an offer for the TT without the arm…

If no box, then probably about £1400-1500, depending on age.

Thanks, just had a nasty thought though, I’m guessing the Palmer arm mount is for an SME so probably won’t take my PU7 and given he’s stopped making them finding an arm board will be a bloody nightmare.

You should be able to get one made very easily, it’s just a lump of 20mm stainless steel with a few holes in it and a chamfered edge. Simple for an engineering company to knock one up in no time.

What attracts you to a Palmer?

After-sales care.

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Never heard one but have read they are good.

Pffffft

Doesn’t their fanboi on PFM do armboards?

Rocky? Have no idea.

Just fancy a change, trying to come up with some options at the moment.

Garrard 301 or 401
Thorens TD124
PInk Triangle Anni
Kuzma Stabi

Problem is I got the OL resolution so cheap I’d need to spend a lot to better it.

You need a nice 401 :grinning:

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Just get an sp10 and stop dicking about.

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Out of that lot, the Anniversary.

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Yeah. I find the Garrards to be a bit one-trick, couldn’t live with them for long. I never had an Anni but am fairly familiar with it, and if you could find a decent one it’s easily good enough to stop worrying.

If at any point I get close to being able to have a bakeoff, it might be interesting for people to hear one with a different approach to the SME/SPU.

It would, for sure. I think it’s really down to a personal view on presentation and music preference, but there’s nothing like confounding expectations :blush:

All have their moments, but I would take any of them before the Palmer, and yes, I’ve owned a Palmer.

If I had to choose and only have one of those, it would be the PT Anni. Hard to explain why, but it is a lovely sounding thing.

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