Nine Inches of SME Precision
Made by SME in West Sussex, the SME M2-9R is the nine-inch R version within SME’s Series M2, a precision tonearm designed around the freedom to change cartridges at will. SME developed the R version by popular demand, bringing the design and engineering associated with the SME name into a compact form: an arm tube of lightweight stainless steel, a detachable aluminium headshell, tungsten counterweights and ball race bearings for both horizontal and vertical movement. SME calls the result an arm built by enthusiasts for enthusiasts, ready for a broad choice of cartridges and turntables.
It is a successful reinterpretation of the classic 3009 arm for the 21st Century and deserves as long a production run and all of the success of its predecessor.
A Headshell That Leaves the Wiring Alone
The S2-R headshell defines the character of the M2-9R. Made in aluminium, the shell detaches and interchanges without disturbing the cartridge or the wiring, so a change of cartridge becomes a calm, unhurried ritual. Two draw pins and a bayonet fitting lock the shell to the arm tube in a rigid junction, and the same coupling provides azimuth adjustment, set with the help of a small mirror and secured by a locking screw beneath the arm.
Balanced for Heavier Cartridges
Tungsten-alloy inserts, housed in satin-chromed brass sleeves, give the counterbalance unusual reach. The main balance weight alone looks after lighter cartridges; remove the end cap, couple the accessory weight in place, and the SME M2-9R balances cartridges right up to 38 grams, with heavier plug-in heads catered for as well. A rider weight moved along a graduated wayrod then sets the tracking force, with half-gram positions marked between the indents, so each setting is easy to read and to repeat.
Bearings, Damping and Silver Litz
Beneath the polished surfaces, the engineering follows long-established SME principles. Ground stainless steel spindles turn in precision ball race bearings, the horizontal spindle carried in a substantial yoke, while a heat-treated steel pillar, ground and internally honed, runs on two widely spaced races that resist tilt. A constrained layer inside the arm tube damps the minute vibrations that remain, leaving the arm acoustically inert, and internal wiring of Silver Litz carries the signal to a balanced hybrid audio lead with gold-plated phono plugs and an independent ground.
Setting Up the M2-9R
Every adjustment of a careful set-up is built in. A thumbwheel sets the arm height and, with the height, the vertical tracking angle; the base slides on the bedplate to align the stylus with SME’s protractor at two null points; azimuth is trimmed at the headshell coupling. Anti-skate acts through a weight and filament, and the arm lift gives a smooth, controlled descent, with a lift height that can be adjusted. SME supplies the mounting template, the protractor and the wrenches, and asks that the arm be cared for like a fine camera, with no oil on any part.
Beside the M2-9 and the M2-12R
Within SME’s Series M2, the R version sits beside the SME M2-9, which shares the nine-inch geometry but carries a magnesium headshell and a balance system for lighter cartridges. For a turntable with room for a longer arm, the SME M2-12R brings the same headshell and two-stage counterbalance to a twelve-inch tube. The M2-9R was also the arm SME fitted to the SME Model 6 Classic, which Audio Lounge holds as a single ex-demonstration turntable.
Reserving the M2-9R in London
Reservations for the SME M2-9R are made online, with collection in person at Audio Lounge in Wigmore Street, where advice is on hand for matching the arm to a turntable, to a cartridge from the moving coil cartridges range and to a suitable phono stage. Every arm in stock appears in the Audio Lounge tonearms collection.
About SME
The story of SME opens in 1946 with the Scale Model Equipment Company, set up by Alastair Robertson-Aikman to build scale models and parts for model engineers, before precision engineering took over in the 1950s. Robertson-Aikman then needed a pick-up arm for personal use in 1959; an experimental model was built and proved so popular with acquaintances in the sound industry that a production run followed, and the first precision pick-up arm from SME appeared the same year, under the new name SME Limited. Pick-up arms have shaped the SME story ever since. In Steyning, West Sussex, SME still makes high-end audio equipment entirely in-house, together with precision parts for Formula 1, the aerospace industry and medical equipment. Explore the SME turntables and precision tonearms that Audio Lounge holds.
Questions About the SME Series M2-9R
What is the SME Series M2-9R?
The SME Series M2-9R is a nine-inch precision tonearm from SME, made in England as part of the Series M2 range. The SME M2-9R pairs a stainless steel arm tube with a detachable S2-R headshell in aluminium, tungsten balance weights, ball races on both axes and Silver Litz internal wiring, and suits a wide choice of cartridges and turntables. The arm is supplied without a cartridge.
How does the SME M2-9R differ from the M2-9?
Both share a nine-inch geometry and the same 9.5 g effective mass, but the R suits heavier cartridges. The SME M2-9R uses the S2-R aluminium headshell on two draw pins, where the M2-9 carries a die-cast magnesium headshell and a collet. The R balances cartridges to 38 g, or plug-in heads to 46 g, against 5 to 12 g, applies up to 5 g of tracking force, not 2.5 g, and uses Silver Litz wiring, not LCOFC.
Should I choose the SME M2-9R or the M2-12R?
Choose the SME M2-9R for the widest choice of turntables: the pivot sits 215.4 mm from the spindle and effective mass is 9.5 g. The M2-12R needs a deck with room for a twelve-inch arm, with the pivot 295.6 mm away from the spindle, and gives a maximum tracking error of 0.010 rather than 0.013 degrees per millimetre, at an effective mass of 18 g. The headshell and counterbalance are common to both.
Which cartridges suit the SME M2-9R?
A very wide choice. On the main balance weight alone, cartridges up to 16 g balance; with the accessory weight coupled, the SME M2-9R carries cartridges up to 38 g in the S2-R headshell and plug-in heads up to 46 g. Tracking forces reach 5 g, and the cartridge fixing centres follow the standard 12.7 mm. SME includes alloy cartridge screws; the cartridge itself is chosen separately.
Will the SME M2-9R fit my turntable?
Yes, on a deck already cut for SME’s pick-up arms, and SME’s mounting template prepares other boards. Allow for the pivot 215.4 mm from the platter spindle, a depth of 46 mm beneath the board, an arm that sits between 63 and 87 mm above the mounting surface, and 79 mm of radial clearance for the counterweights. Four M3 button head screws secure the bedplate, and Audio Lounge can check a particular turntable on enquiry.
How is the S2-R headshell changed?
Press the S2-R headshell firmly into the arm socket until the two draw pins meet the thread of the socket nut, then, still pressing, turn the nut anti-clockwise, viewed from the front, to draw the shell home, tightening firmly but never to the point of strain. To remove the shell, hold the shell steady and turn the nut clockwise until the shell is released. The cartridge and the wiring stay undisturbed.
Which adjustments does the SME M2-9R provide?
All the principal ones: vertical tracking angle by thumbwheel; horizontal tracking angle by sliding the base on the bedplate, with 12 mm of movement either way; azimuth at the headshell coupling; tracking force up to 5 g by rider weight on a graduated wayrod, in half-gram steps; anti-skate by weight and filament, matched to the tracking force; and the height of the arm lift, set with the 0.89 mm wrench.
What are the key measurements of the SME M2-9R?
Effective mass comes to 9.5 g. The SME M2-9R has a pivot-to-stylus length of 233.2 mm and a pivot-to-spindle distance of 215.4 mm, with an overhang of 17.8 mm and an offset angle of 23.63 degrees; the null points fall at 66.04 and 120.9 mm, the maximum tracking error is 0.013 degrees per millimetre and the arm weighs 735 g. The audio lead is 1.2 m of balanced hybrid cable with gold-plated phono plugs.
What comes in the box with the SME M2-9R?
The SME M2-9R arrives with the detachable headshell, the audio lead, the bias weight and guide, a mounting template and an alignment protractor. Hardware comes too: alloy cartridge screws and nuts, M3 button head screws with nuts and washers, four arm mounting washers and 2 mm, 2.5 mm and 0.89 mm hex wrenches, together with the instruction book and a guarantee card. No cartridge is included.
Can the SME M2-9R be collected in London?
Yes. The SME M2-9R is reserved online and collected in person from Audio Lounge on Wigmore Street in London, as a collection-only product that is not posted. Before collection, the staff are happy to discuss turntables, cartridges and set-up by phone, by email or in person.