Twelve Inches in the SME Tradition
The SME M2-12R carries SME’s Series M2 to twelve inches, joining the classic looks of a traditional J-shaped arm to meticulous English build quality. A thin-walled tube of stainless steel, an aluminium headshell that detaches, a two-stage tungsten counterbalance and superb ball race bearings give the arm a rigidity that suits every type of cartridge, while the extra length keeps tracking error to a minimum.
Why a Longer Arm Tracks More Truly
A 12 inch tonearm sweeps across the record along a gentler arc than a shorter design, so the stylus follows the line of the original cutting more closely across the whole side, from the first groove to the last. SME builds the M2-12R to make the most of that length, and the maximum tracking error falls below that of SME’s nine-inch arms, while the distortion that follows tracking error falls in step.
A Headshell Locked by Two Draw Pins
The aluminium S2-R headshell brings the convenience of a detachable shell without surrendering rigidity. Two draw pins pull the shell into a bayonet fitting at the far end of the tube, and once the socket nut is tightened, shell and arm form a single firm assembly; loosen the nut and the shell comes away with the cartridge and wiring untouched. The coupling also carries the azimuth adjustment, checked against a mirror and held by a small locking screw.
A Counterbalance in Two Stages
Dense tungsten alloy lets the counterweights move the balance point far enough back to suit a remarkable spread of cartridges. The main weight serves the lighter designs; with the end cap removed and the accessory weight coupled behind, the SME M2-12R accommodates cartridges as heavy as 38 grams once fitted to the S2-R headshell, with plug-in heads heavier still. A sliding rider weight on the graduated wayrod then applies the tracking force, half a gram at a time.
Engineering Beneath the Polish
Under the polished finish lies uncompromising precision engineering. The stainless steel cross shaft, ground and thread ground, runs in a substantial yoke on precision ball races, and the vertical shaft couples to the yoke through an integral flange. The pillar, of heat-treated steel ground and honed, rides on two widely spaced races to resist tilt, internal constrained-layer damping quietens residual vibration, and conductors of Silver Litz take the signal along the arm and on into a balanced hybrid audio lead.
Fitting the M2-12R
A twelve-inch arm needs a turntable designed to receive one, with the pivot set further from the spindle than a nine-inch mounting allows. SME supplies a mounting template, a double null-point protractor and the wrenches for every step; the base slides along the bedplate for horizontal tracking alignment, a thumbwheel sets the height, and anti-skate is applied by weight and filament. At Audio Lounge, the M2-12R is one of two arms from SME available with the Garrard 301 Advanced, built and commissioned to order.
The M2-12R Within the Series M2
Two close relations share the Series M2 name. The SME M2-12 keeps the twelve-inch length but fits a magnesium headshell, die-cast for lightness, with a single-element balance for lighter cartridges, while the SME M2-9R shares the S2-R headshell and the two-stage counterbalance with a nine-inch arm, for turntables built around the shorter length.
Collecting the M2-12R in London
Reserve the SME M2-12R online and collect the arm in person from Audio Lounge, Wigmore Street, London, where the staff can help pair the arm with one of the moving coil cartridges in stock and talk through the turntables that accept a twelve-inch arm. Every arm Audio Lounge holds is listed in the tonearms collection.
About SME
Precision has run through SME from the start. In 1946 Alastair Robertson-Aikman set up the Scale Model Equipment Company, building scale models and then, during the 1950s, turning to precision engineering, supplying parts for aircraft instruments. In 1959 Robertson-Aikman needed a pick-up arm to use himself, and the experimental design so impressed friends across the sound industry that commercial production followed; later that year SME’s first precision tonearm appeared, under the new company name of SME Limited. SME still makes every arm and turntable in Steyning, West Sussex, beside work for the aerospace, medical and Formula 1 industries. Discover the SME tonearms and turntables that Audio Lounge carries.
Questions About the SME Series M2-12R
What is the SME Series M2-12R?
The SME Series M2-12R is SME’s twelve-inch precision tonearm, built in England as the long-arm R model of the Series M2. The SME M2-12R combines a thin-walled, J-shaped stainless steel tube with the detachable S2-R aluminium headshell, a two-stage tungsten counterbalance and Silver Litz internal wiring, with the rigidity to suit every type of cartridge. No cartridge is supplied.
Why choose a 12 inch tonearm?
Because length reduces tracking error. Maximum tracking error on the SME M2-12R comes to 0.010 degrees per millimetre, where SME’s nine-inch M2-9R reaches 0.013, and SME credits the longer arm with a matching reduction in distortion. The trade-off is space: the pivot sits 295.6 mm from the platter spindle, so the turntable has to be designed for a twelve-inch arm.
How does the SME M2-12R differ from the M2-12?
Mainly in headshell, cartridge range and mass. The SME M2-12R holds the aluminium S2-R headshell with two draw pins, while the M2-12 relies on a magnesium shell, die-cast and secured by a collet. The R version takes cartridges to 38 g and plug-in heads to 46 g, not 5 to 12 g, tracks at up to 5 g instead of 2.5 g and has 18 g of effective mass, not 12 g, with Silver Litz in place of LCOFC.
Which cartridges suit the SME M2-12R?
Almost any. With 18 g of effective mass and tracking forces to 5 g, the SME M2-12R allows wide latitude. The counterbalance handles cartridges to 16 g on the main weight alone; with the accessory weight added, the S2-R headshell carries cartridges to 38 g, while plug-in heads of up to 46 g fit directly. Fixing centres are the standard 12.7 mm, alloy cartridge screws come with the arm, and the cartridge is chosen separately.
Which turntables accept the SME M2-12R?
Turntables designed for a twelve-inch arm. The SME M2-12R needs the pivot 295.6 mm from the spindle, 46 mm of space under the mounting surface, a mounting height range of 63 to 87 mm and a balance weight clearance radius of 85 mm, and SME’s template guides the preparation of the board. At Audio Lounge, the Garrard 301 Advanced can be commissioned with the M2-12R.
How is the headshell of the SME M2-12R fitted?
In two simple movements. Present the shell to the socket at the end of the arm and push inwards until the draw pins engage the socket nut’s thread; then, keeping the pressure on, rotate the nut anti-clockwise as seen from the front until the shell is drawn fully home and firm. Removal runs in reverse, with the shell held still while the nut turns clockwise. Neither step disturbs the cartridge or the wiring.
What adjustments does the SME M2-12R provide?
Every adjustment a twelve-inch set-up asks for. Arm height, and so vertical tracking angle, comes from the thumbwheel; overhang and horizontal tracking angle from sliding the base along the bedplate, 12 mm each way, against SME’s double null-point protractor; azimuth from the coupling at the headshell; tracking force, to a maximum of 5 g, from the sliding rider weight; anti-skate from a weight and filament; and lift height from a screw inside the arm lift.
Which specifications define the SME M2-12R?
Pivot to stylus is 308.81 mm and pivot to spindle 295.6 mm on the SME M2-12R, with 13.21 mm of overhang and an offset angle of 17.62 degrees. Effective mass is 18 g, null points lie at radii of 66.04 mm and 120.90 mm, maximum tracking error is held at 0.010 degrees per millimetre, net weight is 834 g, and the 1.2 m audio lead is balanced hybrid cable terminated in gold-plated phono plugs.
What is supplied with the SME M2-12R?
Inside the carton, SME packs the S2-R headshell, an audio lead of 1.2 m, a bias weight with a matching bias guide, a mounting template and the alignment protractor alongside the arm. The hardware covers alloy cartridge screws with nuts, M3 button head mounting screws, each with a nut and washer, four tonearm mounting washers and three hex wrenches, plus SME’s instruction book and guarantee card. A cartridge is not included.
How is the SME M2-12R collected?
Reserve the SME M2-12R online, then collect the arm from Audio Lounge’s showroom in London; the arm is collection only and is not posted. Questions are welcome beforehand, whether about a turntable for a twelve-inch arm, a cartridge or the set-up, by telephone, email or a visit.
