SHURE SME 3009 SERIES 2 IMPROVED

Second-hand. Equipped with Shure M75ED Type 2 cartridge and manual.

The SME 3009 Series II tonearm is made of anodized aluminum; its “J”-shaped arm tube is thin yet extremely rigid, with a diameter of 9.5 mm and a wall thickness of only 0.56 mm, designed to offer an optimal balance between lightness and stability. The arm’s structure is engineered to minimize vibrations and allow the cartridge’s cantilever to move freely, thanks to a high-precision bearing system: vertical ball bearings are mounted on one axis, while knife-edge bearings support the horizontal axis, ensuring smooth, friction-free movement.

A distinctive feature of this tonearm is its method for optimizing cartridge alignment. Unlike the common practice of using long adjustable slots in the headshell, SME fixes the headshell holes and instead adjusts the tracking angle by sliding the entire arm on the mounting plate. This innovative system contributes to greater rigidity and precision during playback. Tracking force is set by a dual-weight system: a threaded rear counterweight balances the arm to zero grams, and an additional sliding weight on a lateral rod allows very precise fine-tuning of the pressure exerted on the vinyl.

Despite its design dating back to the 1960s, this tonearm still delivers excellent performance, proving to be an ideal solution for those seeking quality and reliability in the analog world. Its lightness combined with effective mass enables optimal interaction with cartridges of varying compliance, ensuring musical reproduction rich in detail and fidelity. Thanks to its careful engineering, every movement of the arm is smooth and controlled, without compromising the freedom of oscillation necessary to faithfully reproduce the signal engraved in the vinyl groove. This makes it a true bridge between vintage engineering precision and the current demands of discerning, passionate listening.

Technical specifications:

• Product: 9" J-shaped tonearm; anodized aluminum arm tube
• Mounting distance: 215.4 mm
• Effective mass: 9 g
• Connection: 4-pin SME parallel
• Weight: 0.82 kg

Shure M75ED Type 2:

• Typical trackability: 22 cm/sec at 400 Hz; 33 cm/sec at 1,000 Hz; 28 cm/sec at 5,000 Hz; 19 cm/sec at 10,000 Hz
• Frequency response: 20 – 20,000 Hz
• Output voltage: 5.0 mV per channel at 1,000 Hz, 6 cm/sec
• Channel balance: within 2 dB
• Channel separation: over 25 dB at 1,000 Hz
• Stylus: N75ED elliptical diamond; frontal radius 0.0007 in (0.018 mm); side contact radius 0.0002 in (0.005 mm); distance between contact points 0.0010 in (0.025 mm)
• Tracking force: ¾ to 1½ grams
• Recommended load impedance: nominally 47,000 ohms per channel; up to 70,000 ohms causes little audible change in frequency response
• Optimum input capacitance: 400 – 500 pF per channel including arm cable
• Inductance: 720 mH
• DC resistance: 630 ohms
• Connections: 4 terminals
• Mounting distance: standard ¾ inch
• Net weight: 6 grams