I wouldn't mid that at all.. Had the 309, pretty decent arm.. One reviewer though, thought Hadcock beat the crap out if SME 3 series...
Another thing - have you checked the new retail pricing for SME? I talked to my buddy, a dealer, SME V is just about $7K now. Oracle SME 345 if I remember right, close to $3500.. I forget what he said for SME 309. Must be over $2k.
Not that I'm set on Hadock, far from it, I made this post to get some opinions on it as I don't have a clue, but form what I can tell, one can be had for only a few bucks..
Benesch ACT 0.5 is what I really would like to get. I had it on my last Oracle, MkV, long time ago and just loved it.
Good suggestion though and I'll keep my eyes open for 309 too. Pretty solid piece.