Copy, Replica, Recreation.....they are all FAKE and COUNTERFEIT. No amount of sophistry will change that. I would go so far as to say one man's "copy...in the sense of admiration" is another man's theft of property.
Regarding something as critical as a tonearm, I would wonder about the quality of the materials used in construction. What is the quality of the bearing(s) ? Different base metals, or composites, machined to a standard that is not the same as the original, bearings of inferior grade...all would combine to represent an inferior product. Just because it "looks" the same, does not mean it will perform the same.....
Given that the seller(s) are in HK leads me to believe that the producer of the arm(s) is Chinese based. Another red flag. This is not a xenophobic judgment but a caveat based upon known trade practices. How many times have we seen Chinese based components at shockingly low prices that look a lot like a known brand ?
As for the SME Arm, individuals complaining to Ebay may not accomplish anything. I would complain to the local importer, and parent company, then let their lawyers contact Ebay regarding FAKE and COUNTERFEIT merchandise.
Regarding something as critical as a tonearm, I would wonder about the quality of the materials used in construction. What is the quality of the bearing(s) ? Different base metals, or composites, machined to a standard that is not the same as the original, bearings of inferior grade...all would combine to represent an inferior product. Just because it "looks" the same, does not mean it will perform the same.....
Given that the seller(s) are in HK leads me to believe that the producer of the arm(s) is Chinese based. Another red flag. This is not a xenophobic judgment but a caveat based upon known trade practices. How many times have we seen Chinese based components at shockingly low prices that look a lot like a known brand ?
As for the SME Arm, individuals complaining to Ebay may not accomplish anything. I would complain to the local importer, and parent company, then let their lawyers contact Ebay regarding FAKE and COUNTERFEIT merchandise.