Kuzma Stabi R compared to a Garrard 301/401??

[kozzmo]

IME and obviously according to my taste it is the slate and not the Garrard that is responsible for:

"The Garrard can overwhelm sometimes with certain records and get fatiguing and slightly harsh, too in your face and too ruthless with poor recordings"

A Garrard on wood sounds nothing like the above.

A garrard on wood also sounds nothing like one on slate. The slate really gave a super solid foundation to the presentation. One that I never heard with a wood plinth. I have had 3 garrards over a 20 plus year period. One thing I could never escape with any garrard I've had or have heard in other systems is the forward nature of it. That forward nature is what everyone loves about them, myself included. But sometimes I found that forward driving thing a bit tedious. Sometimes. Honestly I moved on for other reasons namely upkeep. I am no longer in the "mood" for DIY. I have done DIY for a very very long time. The garrard is something that needs tending to. Once you get it right its glorious but after a few years the idler starts to wear, or the spings start to sag or the motor coils start to burn up...oh and then theres the sagging top plate that doesn't allow one to level a tonearm to the platter correctly.....its always something and that I am personally no longer in the mood to deal with.

 

[Marcus]

Not sure how it actually impacts the sound but the 4point arm does not track warps well at all. The VTF varies greatly depending where the stylus is in relation to the pivot, this is probably the biggest drawback of this arm...when riding a warp the cartridge sees less VTF at the top of it....so as far as wether or not it effects the sound??? I do know it has an impact on the tracking of the arm, the mechanical aspect of it....it works as it should with a flat record.

Every tonearm without exception looses some VTF on top of the wave, so don’t think this is “the biggest drawback of this tonearm”. When the needle gets to the warp on the upside first, VTF increases and when the needle comes across to the other side, it goes down and VTF decreases. Tonearms with lower mass and cartridges with higher compliance are known to track better, but due to their lower mass, are very sensitive to VTF changes.

Brüel & Kjær did some tests of actual VTF versus warps on records in the mid 70ties and VTF changed from plus 150 % to almost null %. They were using a few of the best tonearms & cartridges (for that time), and yes, Shure was often the winner in tracking and MC cartridges were always a bit short. But when playing music, the story changes, especially with complex music.

Since the worst thing for the record is if needle mistracks, please tell us, are you hearing any distortions on big (or small) warps? Is the tonearm losing tracking or are you just speculating?

Franc one told me that he lifted the centre of gravity a bit on the 4Point specifically for this reason - to minimize the effect of VTF fluctuations. “With 4Point tonearms there are two very important parameters which are often missed at optimal tonearm & cartridge set up. First, VTF must be measured at a record height. Some scales measure it 3-4 mm above the record and that gives a smaller VTF at a record height of about 0,3 g. If you set up for 2 grams, on the record VTF would be only 1,7 g. So, it’s obvious you need a correct VTF scale. Second - precise horizontal levelling of the tonearm, not turntable(!) with precise spirit level is a must. A lot of those available for audio are just not precise enough. If off for more than 0,2 deg, the bias forces on the tonearm will be way out of optimal. With the 4P tonearm arm base, levelling will bring the tonearm to a precise horizontal level. But you need to measure it in all directions, not just left-right.”

You can read more about this on Kuzma website: https://www.kuzma.si/media/uploads/files/BIAS%20SET%20231121.pdf”, or even better, contact Frank Kuzma if you would like to know more about this interesting theme.

 

[DasguteOhr]

A garrard on wood also sounds nothing like one on slate. The slate really gave a super solid foundation to the presentation. One that I never heard with a wood plinth. I have had 3 garrards over a 20 plus year period. One thing I could never escape with any garrard I've had or have heard in other systems is the forward nature of it. That forward nature is what everyone loves about them, myself included. But sometimes I found that forward driving thing a bit tedious. Sometimes. Honestly I moved on for other reasons namely upkeep. I am no longer in the "mood" for DIY. I have done DIY for a very very long time. The garrard is something that needs tending to. Once you get it right its glorious but after a few years the idler starts to wear, or the spings start to sag or the motor coils start to burn up...oh and then theres the sagging top plate that doesn't allow one to level a tonearm to the platter correctly.....its always something and that I am personally no longer in the mood to deal with.

+1
synergy slate with turntable sounds phantastic, no matter whether as a plinth or a basis for the whole thing.

 

[mtemur]

Every tonearm without exception looses some VTF on top of the wave, so don’t think this is “the biggest drawback of this tonearm”. When the needle gets to the warp on the upside first, VTF increases and when the needle comes across to the other side, it goes down and VTF decreases. Tonearms with lower mass and cartridges with higher compliance are known to track better, but due to their lower mass, are very sensitive to VTF changes.

Brüel & Kjær did some tests of actual VTF versus warps on records in the mid 70ties and VTF changed from plus 150 % to almost null %. They were using a few of the best tonearms & cartridges (for that time), and yes, Shure was often the winner in tracking and MC cartridges were always a bit short. But when playing music, the story changes, especially with complex music.

In short;
tonearm’s vertical bearing axis should be at the same plane with stylus and preferably G point (center of gravity) should be on that plane too. Unfortunately Kuzma 4P’s vertical bearing axis is on a lower plane than stylus’ and has a higher G point. This is causing 4P to face problems on warps even if it doesn’t mistrack.

 

[noromance]

IME and obviously according to my taste it is the slate and not the Garrard that is responsible for:

"The Garrard can overwhelm sometimes with certain records and get fatiguing and slightly harsh, too in your face and too ruthless with poor recordings"

A Garrard on wood sounds nothing like the above.

I agree. I have wood and slate plinthed 401s. It takes a little work to ensure the slate doesn't get too fatiguing. I'm not sure where kozzmo sourced the slate but it should be soft slate.

 

[kozzmo]

I agree. I have wood and slate plinthed 401s. It takes a little work to ensure the slate doesn't get too fatiguing. I'm not sure where kozzmo sourced the slate but it should be soft slate.

What did you end up having to do to make a slate 401 less "fatigued" in slate???

 

[analogsa]

it should be soft slate.

Please do tell more. Never heard that term.

 

[noromance]

Please do tell more. Never heard that term.

I'm no geologist but some slates are softer than others. The slate used by Jim Campbell, and, I believe OMA comes from Pennsylvania. It has better acoustic properties.

 

[noromance]

What did you end up having to do to make a slate 401 less "fatigued" in slate???

I sat the plinth on a 2'x2'x3" maple block. This had the immediate effect of adding a slightly sweet woodiness to the tone. Previous to this, it was a little silvery. Replacing the open steel stand with concrete blocks added stability and gave the sound more control. I also added springs to the footers. This unpacked the depth giving a more holographic soundstage. Highs became more detailed and clear and less splashy. OCC solid copper Teflon speaker cable helped.

 

[Davehg]

I've had some time with the Kuzma sufficient to form better impressions. I also upgraded the rack from an older Target rack to a new dedicated RigidRack, which has lent some sonic benefit. Here's my current setup:

I finally understand now the references to the Kuzma as being "warmer". It never struck me that turntables had a "sound" but I get it now, especially on the low end.

I'm quite taken with the Kuzma. It's super easy to setup, it is a massive plinth that dispatches any vibrations, and I've caught myself with many "wow" moments listening to records I thought I knew well. Example: I was listening to Creedence's "Born on the Bayou" (the recent remaster) and never noticed the cowbell moving not just left to right during the track, but in a circular motion like someone walking around the recording studio while striking it.

The small details impress me the most. How Kuzma 4Pt 11 makes VTA adjustment, azimuth adjustment, and VTF so simple and easy to dial in. The texture and surface of the "mat". The quickness of how fast the motor comes up to speed. The ease of adjusting platter speed in fine increments. The simplicity of installing the platter and arms, the craftsmanship of the collars and wings. The ease of adjusting the balance of the table via the easy to adjust feet.

The Jelco arm and board are a nice way to experiment with a second arm and cartridge without going too far down the rabbit hole.

I considered various isolation platforms but took the advice to order the Kuzma "feet". They are used in Kuzma's Platis platform system, and consist of machined aluminum around a silicon impregnated puck. The top of the feet have a small indent perfectly designed to accept the "nub" of the Stabi R's feet, plus they raise the table nicely off the rack. While not super cheap, they are a fraction of the cost for a full platis isolation platform. My rack is pretty robust and its on a wood floor coupled to a concrete foundation.

Spending over $20k on a table and arm setup carries high expectations and the Kuzma does not disappoint in the slightest. I had considered a few other tables, including the J.Sikora, the SME 12, and the Feikart, but the build quality and engineering excellence of the Kuzma won me over.

I will give a big shout out again to Thom Mackris of Galibier Design. I spoke with a few dealers in my journey but Thom is in another league when it comes to understanding tables and their setup and quirks. For my Hana, I shipped and he installed and did the setup, and machined an acrylic VTA shim that made installation a breeze. For the Jelco, he machined a special collar and did some cool upgrades to the arm to increase its performance. He sent along an 80!! page setup guide done specifically for my table with pictures and detail, and talked me through several questions. Honestly, after that experience I am spoiled for life, and it was well worth the fretting over shipping and such (he packed the table much better than it comes from Kuzma). I wouldn't hesitate a moment in buying from him, and feel like I formed a friendship along the way (he gave me oodles of reference materials in my education on setup and various details). A true mensch and a considerable asset for Kuzma.

 

[kozzmo]

I'm no geologist but some slates are softer than others. The slate used by Jim Campbell, and, I believe OMA comes from Pennsylvania. It has better acoustic properties.

Personally this observation has always bothered me, that the softer Pennsylvania slate has "better" acoustic properties. One of the people pushing this idea was the manufacturer of such "soft" slate plinths. This manufacturer also happened to based in the same county as the slate quarries where this "soft" slate was produced which is also a little suspect. I am not an engineer but such statements in hifi help when they are backed with actual data, at least from a manufacturer selling slate plinths at an extremely high cost.

 

[kozzmo]

I've had some time with the Kuzma sufficient to form better impressions. I also upgraded the rack from an older Target rack to a new dedicated RigidRack, which has lent some sonic benefit. Here's my current setup:

I finally understand now the references to the Kuzma as being "warmer". It never struck me that turntables had a "sound" but I get it now, especially on the low end.

I'm quite taken with the Kuzma. It's super easy to setup, it is a massive plinth that dispatches any vibrations, and I've caught myself with many "wow" moments listening to records I thought I knew well. Example: I was listening to Creedence's "Born on the Bayou" (the recent remaster) and never noticed the cowbell moving not just left to right during the track, but in a circular motion like someone walking around the recording studio while striking it.

The small details impress me the most. How Kuzma 4Pt 11 makes VTA adjustment, azimuth adjustment, and VTF so simple and easy to dial in. The texture and surface of the "mat". The quickness of how fast the motor comes up to speed. The ease of adjusting platter speed in fine increments. The simplicity of installing the platter and arms, the craftsmanship of the collars and wings. The ease of adjusting the balance of the table via the easy to adjust feet.

The Jelco arm and board are a nice way to experiment with a second arm and cartridge without going too far down the rabbit hole.

I considered various isolation platforms but took the advice to order the Kuzma "feet". They are used in Kuzma's Platis platform system, and consist of machined aluminum around a silicon impregnated puck. The top of the feet have a small indent perfectly designed to accept the "nub" of the Stabi R's feet, plus they raise the table nicely off the rack. While not super cheap, they are a fraction of the cost for a full platis isolation platform. My rack is pretty robust and its on a wood floor coupled to a concrete foundation.

Spending over $20k on a table and arm setup carries high expectations and the Kuzma does not disappoint in the slightest. I had considered a few other tables, including the J.Sikora, the SME 12, and the Feikart, but the build quality and engineering excellence of the Kuzma won me over.

I will give a big shout out again to Thom Mackris of Galibier Design. I spoke with a few dealers in my journey but Thom is in another league when it comes to understanding tables and their setup and quirks. For my Hana, I shipped and he installed and did the setup, and machined an acrylic VTA shim that made installation a breeze. For the Jelco, he machined a special collar and did some cool upgrades to the arm to increase its performance. He sent along an 80!! page setup guide done specifically for my table with pictures and detail, and talked me through several questions. Honestly, after that experience I am spoiled for life, and it was well worth the fretting over shipping and such (he packed the table much better than it comes from Kuzma). I wouldn't hesitate a moment in buying from him, and feel like I formed a friendship along the way (he game me oodles of reference materials in my education on setup and various details). A true mensch and a considerable asset for Kuzma.

I have had some very similar experiences with this turntable as well. I was listening to Louis Armstrong they other night and I could hear his trumpet moving closer and farther away from the mic, also tell which direction he was facing! While its not necessary to hear such things to enjoy the music it is kinda fun as a hifi nut! Having moved from a diy based turntable in the Garrard I also have had the same reactions to ease of use and setup. This thing is a pure joy to set up and use. I also hear that warmth, it's a really nice turntable as it should be for that cost! I did try those feet that you are using. In my setup they had a pronounced effect and worked really well but I found the sound a little more exciting without them, maybe not as audiophile but without I enjoyed listening a little more. Your system is amazing!

 

[Tangram]

I AM a geologist and I call bs. A quick search shows slate has a density of 2.7-2.8 gm/cc which means there’s a 3.6% difference between the low and high of the range. My science brain screams “marketing ploy.”

 

[Tangram]

I've had some time with the Kuzma sufficient to form better impressions. I also upgraded the rack from an older Target rack to a new dedicated RigidRack, which has lent some sonic benefit. Here's my current setup:

I finally understand now the references to the Kuzma as being "warmer". It never struck me that turntables had a "sound" but I get it now, especially on the low end.

I'm quite taken with the Kuzma. It's super easy to setup, it is a massive plinth that dispatches any vibrations, and I've caught myself with many "wow" moments listening to records I thought I knew well. Example: I was listening to Creedence's "Born on the Bayou" (the recent remaster) and never noticed the cowbell moving not just left to right during the track, but in a circular motion like someone walking around the recording studio while striking it.

The small details impress me the most. How Kuzma 4Pt 11 makes VTA adjustment, azimuth adjustment, and VTF so simple and easy to dial in. The texture and surface of the "mat". The quickness of how fast the motor comes up to speed. The ease of adjusting platter speed in fine increments. The simplicity of installing the platter and arms, the craftsmanship of the collars and wings. The ease of adjusting the balance of the table via the easy to adjust feet.

The Jelco arm and board are a nice way to experiment with a second arm and cartridge without going too far down the rabbit hole.

I considered various isolation platforms but took the advice to order the Kuzma "feet". They are used in Kuzma's Platis platform system, and consist of machined aluminum around a silicon impregnated puck. The top of the feet have a small indent perfectly designed to accept the "nub" of the Stabi R's feet, plus they raise the table nicely off the rack. While not super cheap, they are a fraction of the cost for a full platis isolation platform. My rack is pretty robust and its on a wood floor coupled to a concrete foundation.

Spending over $20k on a table and arm setup carries high expectations and the Kuzma does not disappoint in the slightest. I had considered a few other tables, including the J.Sikora, the SME 12, and the Feikart, but the build quality and engineering excellence of the Kuzma won me over.

I will give a big shout out again to Thom Mackris of Galibier Design. I spoke with a few dealers in my journey but Thom is in another league when it comes to understanding tables and their setup and quirks. For my Hana, I shipped and he installed and did the setup, and machined an acrylic VTA shim that made installation a breeze. For the Jelco, he machined a special collar and did some cool upgrades to the arm to increase its performance. He sent along an 80!! page setup guide done specifically for my table with pictures and detail, and talked me through several questions. Honestly, after that experience I am spoiled for life, and it was well worth the fretting over shipping and such (he packed the table much better than it comes from Kuzma). I wouldn't hesitate a moment in buying from him, and feel like I formed a friendship along the way (he game me oodles of reference materials in my education on setup and various details). A true mensch and a considerable asset for Kuzma.

Really excellent rundown. I have had a very similar experience. Sometimes I feel the human/turntable interface (otherwise known as ease of use) is sacrificed on the alter of chasing the absolute sound, but if I’m interacting with a piece of equipment every 20 minutes, I want it to be a joy to use.

For those of us who either don’t have the skills or interest in the intricacies of turntable setup, a guy like Thom is a godsend. There’s a similar fellow in the Greater Toronto Area who offer similar services, including the fabrication of custom carbon fibre armboards. I’m lucky that he’s only 30 minutes from my house, although I must say, moving the Stabi R doesn’t get any easier with age!

 

[No Regrets]

I've had some time with the Kuzma sufficient to form better impressions. I also upgraded the rack from an older Target rack to a new dedicated RigidRack, which has lent some sonic benefit. Here's my current setup:

I finally understand now the references to the Kuzma as being "warmer". It never struck me that turntables had a "sound" but I get it now, especially on the low end.

I'm quite taken with the Kuzma. It's super easy to setup, it is a massive plinth that dispatches any vibrations, and I've caught myself with many "wow" moments listening to records I thought I knew well. Example: I was listening to Creedence's "Born on the Bayou" (the recent remaster) and never noticed the cowbell moving not just left to right during the track, but in a circular motion like someone walking around the recording studio while striking it.

The small details impress me the most. How Kuzma 4Pt 11 makes VTA adjustment, azimuth adjustment, and VTF so simple and easy to dial in. The texture and surface of the "mat". The quickness of how fast the motor comes up to speed. The ease of adjusting platter speed in fine increments. The simplicity of installing the platter and arms, the craftsmanship of the collars and wings. The ease of adjusting the balance of the table via the easy to adjust feet.

The Jelco arm and board are a nice way to experiment with a second arm and cartridge without going too far down the rabbit hole.

I considered various isolation platforms but took the advice to order the Kuzma "feet". They are used in Kuzma's Platis platform system, and consist of machined aluminum around a silicon impregnated puck. The top of the feet have a small indent perfectly designed to accept the "nub" of the Stabi R's feet, plus they raise the table nicely off the rack. While not super cheap, they are a fraction of the cost for a full platis isolation platform. My rack is pretty robust and its on a wood floor coupled to a concrete foundation.

Spending over $20k on a table and arm setup carries high expectations and the Kuzma does not disappoint in the slightest. I had considered a few other tables, including the J.Sikora, the SME 12, and the Feikart, but the build quality and engineering excellence of the Kuzma won me over.

I will give a big shout out again to Thom Mackris of Galibier Design. I spoke with a few dealers in my journey but Thom is in another league when it comes to understanding tables and their setup and quirks. For my Hana, I shipped and he installed and did the setup, and machined an acrylic VTA shim that made installation a breeze. For the Jelco, he machined a special collar and did some cool upgrades to the arm to increase its performance. He sent along an 80!! page setup guide done specifically for my table with pictures and detail, and talked me through several questions. Honestly, after that experience I am spoiled for life, and it was well worth the fretting over shipping and such (he packed the table much better than it comes from Kuzma). I wouldn't hesitate a moment in buying from him, and feel like I formed a friendship along the way (he game me oodles of reference materials in my education on setup and various details). A true mensch and a considerable asset for Kuzma.

Hi Dave,

You have an amazing system there! I love your Stabi R with 4pt, your custom 300B amp looks very nice (can you share more about the details of that?), your Devore O's look gorgeous! I can only imagine the big grin on your face every time you listen!

I'm curious......

1. Did you compare the sound with using the Kuzma "feet" vs not using the "feet"? Did you notice a big difference? What differences did you hear?

2. You mentioned that you had considered J. Sikora when looking for your next turntable. Which J. Sikora model did you consider? What about the J. Sikora did you not like? And/Or, what was it about the Stabi R that you liked better about the J Sikora?

3. When you considered the J. Sikora table... would you have been using the Kuzma arm or the Sikora arm with it?

I'm asking these questions, because I am considering both the Stabi R Wood and the J. Sikora (either the Standard Max or the Reference Line) for my next table. I'm hoping to spend more time with both the Kuzma and the Sikora in a couple of weeks at the AXPONA Show near Chicago, but I still love to hear experiences and thoughts from people like yourself who actually either own or have spent considerable time with these great tables.

Best wishes,
Don

 

[kozzmo]

Hi Dave,

You have an amazing system there! I love your Stabi R with 4pt, your custom 300B amp looks very nice (can you share more about the details of that?), your Devore O's look gorgeous! I can only imagine the big grin on your face every time you listen!

I'm curious......

1. Did you compare the sound with using the Kuzma "feet" vs not using the "feet"? Did you notice a big difference? What differences did you hear?

2. You mentioned that you had considered J. Sikora when looking for your next turntable. Which J. Sikora model did you consider? What about the J. Sikora did you not like? And/Or, what was it about the Stabi R that you liked better about the J Sikora?

3. When you considered the J. Sikora table... would you have been using the Kuzma arm or the Sikora arm with it?

I'm asking these questions, because I am considering both the Stabi R Wood and the J. Sikora (either the Standard Max or the Reference Line) for my next table. I'm hoping to spend more time with both the Kuzma and the Sikora in a couple of weeks at the AXPONA Show near Chicago, but I still love to hear experiences and thoughts from people like yourself who actually either own or have spent considerable time with these great tables.

Best wishes,
Don

I know these questions are for the other Dave...but I can give my impressions on those feet...

I have my table (stabi r) on a decent enough stand with a concrete floor. In my system I listened to those feet in place and not in place.

In my system they had an immediate effect on the sound. They "cleaned" up the sound and made everything a little tighter but in my system that came at the expense of openess, air and dynamics. They seemed to over dampen things in my system.

A few things I have noticed about those feet, they seem to be have been designed to be used along with Kuzma's isolation platform not necessarily on their own(but I am guessing on this).

They also have been described as a tool for dampening, which is exactly what I heard.

Of note there is a video on youtube of Franc sitting in his own listening room giving an interview and I noticed he did not use those feet under his own Stabi R which is perhaps at least a little bit interesting?

 

[miniguy]

Every tonearm without exception looses some VTF on top of the wave,

This is incorrect. Just the opposite is true since most tonearms are designed with stable balance, which means that the arm CG lies below the vertical pivot point. This causes increased VTF as the stylus height increases. After reading this thread it sounds like the 4Point arm is designed with mild unstable balance, which would cause the VTF to decrease as the stylus height increases. The only arms (and there are very few) that do not change VTF with stylus height are those with neutral balance where the arm CG is coincident with the vertical pivot.

 

[Oracle1974]

Hi Dave,

You have an amazing system there! I love your Stabi R with 4pt, your custom 300B amp looks very nice (can you share more about the details of that?), your Devore O's look gorgeous! I can only imagine the big grin on your face every time you listen!

I'm curious......

1. Did you compare the sound with using the Kuzma "feet" vs not using the "feet"? Did you notice a big difference? What differences did you hear?

2. You mentioned that you had considered J. Sikora when looking for your next turntable. Which J. Sikora model did you consider? What about the J. Sikora did you not like? And/Or, what was it about the Stabi R that you liked better about the J Sikora?

3. When you considered the J. Sikora table... would you have been using the Kuzma arm or the Sikora arm with it?

I'm asking these questions, because I am considering both the Stabi R Wood and the J. Sikora (either the Standard Max or the Reference Line) for my next table. I'm hoping to spend more time with both the Kuzma and the Sikora in a couple of weeks at the AXPONA Show near Chicago, but I still love to hear experiences and thoughts from people like yourself who actually either own or have spent considerable time with these great tables.

Best wishes,
Don

From Thom’s website who is quite revered on this thread:

• Wood plinth. We absolutely advise against this option and we can explain why we consider this to upset the performance of an otherwise solid design.

Kuzma Stabi R - Galibier Design

Kuzma Stabi R(click to visit Kuzma) We’ve had a design for an $8K-$10K turntable on our drawing board for quite some time. The challenge lies in manufacturing costs in the U.S. Local production is key to maintaining quality, so manufacturing offshore is not an option. Enter the Kuzma Stabi R...

galibierdesign.com

You may want to check with Thom on his reservations on the wood plinth.

 

[Davehg]

Hi Dave,

You have an amazing system there! I love your Stabi R with 4pt, your custom 300B amp looks very nice (can you share more about the details of that?), your Devore O's look gorgeous! I can only imagine the big grin on your face every time you listen!

I'm curious......

1. Did you compare the sound with using the Kuzma "feet" vs not using the "feet"? Did you notice a big difference? What differences did you hear?

2. You mentioned that you had considered J. Sikora when looking for your next turntable. Which J. Sikora model did you consider? What about the J. Sikora did you not like? And/Or, what was it about the Stabi R that you liked better about the J Sikora?

3. When you considered the J. Sikora table... would you have been using the Kuzma arm or the Sikora arm with it?

I'm asking these questions, because I am considering both the Stabi R Wood and the J. Sikora (either the Standard Max or the Reference Line) for my next table. I'm hoping to spend more time with both the Kuzma and the Sikora in a couple of weeks at the AXPONA Show near Chicago, but I still love to hear experiences and thoughts from people like yourself who actually either own or have spent considerable time with these great tables.

Best wishes,
Don

In order:

1. I did not experiment in detail with the feet before and after mostly because the table weighs so much it is no small effort to get them on the feet centered. I did switch racks too and the combo seems to have cleaned the sound up.

2. I investigated the J.Sikora Initial series. it was really not about any issues with the Sikora, more about the clean lines and simplicity of the Kuzma, coupled with good dealer support and Kuzma’s sterling reputation for responsiveness. I really loved the look of the wood base but in doing research, I felt the arm wing was much more stout and inert than the wood plinth and arm board.

3. I was sold on the four point so it was always going to be that arm. I paused at paying the premium for the VTA tower on the 11 vs the 9, but quite glad I chose the 11. The convenience is desirable.

The Standard Max looks quite impressive though a bit busy in comparison to the Stabi R. I was trying to keep my budget close to $21k and still wanted the choice of a second tone arm for fun. I like how clean and uncluttered the Stabi R is on my rack.

My amp and preamp are built by Paul Birkeland, a designer and master tech for Bottlehead, and a close friend. I’ve always wanted to try a 300b preamp and Paul designed this lovely version using NOS Magnaquest nickel transformers. I tried many 300b and 2A3 amps before settling on these mono build that use Magnaquest nickel iron, and large Mundorf silver/gold foil oil caps. They work so well with the Devore. Paul has brought many exotic amps over, more than 12 different designs, and these work the best. I prefer them over the usual name brands, though I did hear a pair of Airtight 211 mono amps that sounded terrific. Paul is working on an 833 design and nearly done and I suspect those will be impressive.

 

[kozzmo]

In order:

1. I did not experiment in detail with the feet before and after mostly because the table weighs so much it is no small effort to get them on the feet centered. I did switch racks too and the combo seems to have cleaned the sound up.

2. I investigated the J.Sikora Initial series. it was really not about any issues with the Sikora, more about the clean lines and simplicity of the Kuzma, coupled with good dealer support and Kuzma’s sterling reputation for responsiveness. I really loved the look of the wood base but in doing research, I felt the arm wing was much more stout and inert than the wood plinth and arm board.

3. I was sold on the four point so it was always going to be that arm. I paused at paying the premium for the VTA tower on the 11 vs the 9, but quite glad I chose the 11. The convenience is desirable.

The Standard Max looks quite impressive though a bit busy in comparison to the Stabi R. I was trying to keep my budget close to $21k and still wanted the choice of a second tone arm for fun. I like how clean and uncluttered the Stabi R is on my rack.

My amp and preamp are built by Paul Birkeland, a designer and master tech for Bottlehead, and a close friend. I’ve always wanted to try a 300b preamp and Paul designed this lovely version using NOS Magnaquest nickel transformers. I tried many 300b and 2A3 amps before settling on these mono build that use Magnaquest nickel iron, and large Mundorf silver/gold foil oil caps. They work so well with the Devore. Paul has brought many exotic amps over, more than 12 different designs, and these work the best. I prefer them over the usual name brands, though I did hear a pair of Airtight 211 mono amps that sounded terrific. Paul is working on an 833 design and nearly done and I suspect those will be impressive.

very tempted to try a 300b on my O's as well....I love magnaquest iron, am patiently waiting for something to pop up with MQ iron....one day!!