This is the legendary SME Model 3009 Series II Improved — a precision-engineered pick-up arm that has become a benchmark in analog audio history. Built with SME’s renowned craftsmanship and technical excellence, it represents the pinnacle of tonearm design from the golden age of vinyl.
Featuring a 9-inch pivot-to-stylus distance, the 3009 Series II Improved is designed for exceptional tracking performance, minimal distortion, and supreme mechanical stability. As seen in the photos, this unit comes complete with the RCA cable adapter and original removable headshell, making cartridge alignment and swaps straightforward and precise.
Each arm is hand-assembled and individually tested, ensuring it not only meets, but often exceeds factory specifications. Known for their longevity, these arms remain fully functional and sonically exceptional even after decades of use — a testament to SME’s commitment to mechanical integrity and durability.
The use of high-grade materials like lightweight magnesium alloy, polished stainless steel, and precision bearings allows the arm to achieve low inertia, ultra-low friction, and high rigidity, making it ideal for both professional studio use and high-end home audio systems.
Its knife-edge bearing system ensures accurate vertical tracking, while lateral movement is handled by a precision ball-race bearing — delivering silky smooth performance and accurate groove tracking.
The anti-skate mechanism, precision cueing lever, and adjustable counterweight further elevate the arm’s usability and customizability, allowing it to work with a wide range of cartridges, from high-compliance MM to low-output MC.
Technically correct, mechanically refined, and aesthetically iconic, the SME 3009 has rightly earned its reputation as one of the finest tonearms ever made. Many still consider it — quite simply — “the best pick-up arm in the world.”
