This article considers a refined analysis of the Helfrich-Hurault effect in smectic A when the layer normal a and the director n need not coincide. We demonstrate that the Helfrich-Hurault transition threshold decreases as a and n decouple. The dependence of this transition upon the elastic coupling constant B, is discussed and its qualitative universal influence upon the reduced threshold is depicted. The implications for the measurement of compression and coupling constants is discussed.