SME is leaving the OEM and aftermarket/retail tonearm business.

Tend to disagree with some on the SMEs. I've owned the IV and the V and found them to be excellent. They exude a quality and precision that makes them a joy to set up and use, and I had great experiences with many cartridges on them over the years. Best in the world? I am not sure there is anything in audio that I would claim emphatically so, but they are undoubtedly great performers. To each their own.

Then they had better get the price of their turntables down. My suspicion is that once they get expanded they will be back.

Audiotroy, no they are not. It depends on the cartridge. But I do myself prefer the 4 points. I have a 9 and a 14. The SME 5 would be wonderful for high compliance cartridges but there are not many of those left. So for most of the cartridges we like today you are right. I like the Triplanar but do not like unipivots. The Graham is the best unipivot available because of its magnetic stabilization and build quality but I think the 4 point 9 is a better arm at a fraction of the price. If you have a Koetsu or an Air Tight the 4 point 14 is an arm you have to hear. 

oscar44

Tend to disagree with some on the SMEs. I've owned the IV and the V and found them to be excellent. They exude a quality and precision that makes them a joy to set up and use, and I had great experiences with many cartridges on them over the years.

Same here. I've used an SME V for years and it's the best pick-up arm I've ever had. In my system it replaced a Fidelity Research FR-64FX, which is also an excellent arm. But I think the SME is better, and it is also more versatile.

Thats a mistake.