Kuzma Stabi R turntable

AUTHOR MARTIN BENKOVIČ
PHOTO KUZMA/REDAKCIA

I have been involved in hi-fi and high end for about 30 years. Since I am not a politician or other businessman, these are mostly devices in the commonly available price ranges. Occasionally, however, I am lucky enough to get to test a "hi-fi tower" for a couple of hundred thousand euros. The basis for this was a Kuzma Stabi R turntable from nearby Slovenia.

Kuzma Ltd was founded in 1982 by Franc Kuzma. His interest in music combined with his training as a mechanical engineer, along with his experience working on acoustic transducers, eventually culminated in the production of high quality vinyl record players.

The first product was a turntable of classical design with a traditional belt drive and an emphasis on ease of use. It was named STABI, in recognition of one of its strongest points - stability. Our latest product with a similar name, the Kuzma Stabi R (from 6 100 euros), has found its way into our hi-fi clutches. However, since it has been upgraded with a pair of arm wings (two platforms for near- Hi-fi and high end I have been working with it for about 30 years. Since I am not a politician or other businessman, these are mostly devices in the commonly available price ranges. Occasionally, however, I am lucky enough to get to test a "hi-fi tower" for a couple of hundred thousand euros. The basis of this one was a Kuzma Stabi R turntable from nearby Slovenia. fixing the hangers), the price jumped slightly to 7,900 euros. The power source for the electric motor and the drive itself are hidden unobtrusively in the body of the turntable.

As for the straps, both the Stogi Ref 313 VTA (4,100 euros) and the 4Point 9 Single (6,250 euros) were used. The first one was equipped with an innovative DS Audio DS002 optical transmission with a dedicated equalizer (5 700 euros), the second one with a Kuzma CAR40 transmission (2 500 euros), which will probably be the choice of most owners of the Stabi R turntable. The Chord Huei worked as a phono preamplifier. The rest of the set-up consisted of perfect audio elements from Pilium: Alexander (Preamp), Hercules (Mono amps), Torus AVR2-16 (power filtering), connected to amazing all-aluminum YG Sonja 2.3 speakers (139 000 euros), all connected with Siltech Empress (XLR), Siltech Emperor (speakers), Siltech Emperor (jumpers), Siltech Ruby Mountain II (power cables). This "hi-fi tower" was neatly housed in an Artesania Exoteryc ER33 rack, as well as an Artesania Aire (monoblock base). If you add it all up, you get to the amount of a very nice three-bedroom apartment in our capital, in a new building with a large terrace and maybe even a couple of parking spaces... But that's not essential. We are here now mainly because of the high-end Kuzma turntable. The Stabi R is a surprisingly compact turntable made of a solid aluminium block with internal (built-in) electronic power supply. The drive is provided by a DC motor and a patented inelastic drive belt. The plate has a so-called sandwich design consisting of three layers (aluminum - acrylic - aluminum) to minimize vibration and maximize the damping effect of the plate itself and the LP. The ruby bearing minimizes friction and noise in the thrust bearing and is supported by a special low noise compound material.

One of the decisive design features of the new Stabi R is the unsurpassed level of versatility and flexibility when it comes to installing multiple arms. Up to four (!) arms can be used around the main plate. Furthermore, different colours and finishes are available, even with a wooden frame - completely to suit your taste and preference.

So on the first armwing we had a Stogi Ref 313 fully adjustable height arm attached. It features 4-point anchoring, precision ball bearings, a conical tube and a unique base. It is a very rigid, medium-length arm with precision bearings that can withstand even very heavy loads. It has extremely low friction and noise levels. The main handle and all other parts are made of solid aluminium and brass blocks. Some parts are anodised and some are not, so that the resonance of the arm can be reduced. A removable transmission mount ensures a stable fit, while an internally damped tube connects it to the massive parts of the mount where any vibrations or noise are dissipated. Most parts are glued together for stiffness and damping.

Apropo - removable transmission holder: the electrical connection is secured with standard pins, but the holder can be easily removed by unscrewing it with an Allen key. The bracket is secured with a unique hexagonal locking system that provides the same rigidity as a fixed head to shoulder connection. The tapered arm tube made of solid aluminium rod is internally damped and divided into two parts and also offers the possibility of precise azimuth adjustment. A special mechanism (worm drive) controlled by an Allen key allows the tube to be turned back and forth in minimal steps without any play. This mechanism is immersed in silicone grease, for additional damping. The marker line clearly shows the azimuth position and makes it easy to adjust, while also allowing for repeated adjustments.

A separate brass counterweight serves to balance and adjust the tracking force (optimum needle load), while also dampening vibrations in the tube. The solid arm base offers a firm clamping of the arm to the base. All bearings are preloaded and glued into position to provide long term zero backlash, low friction and low bearing noise while damping vibration.

The entire structure is mounted on a fixed tower that allows for VTA (vertical viewing angle) adjustment, even during playback. Of course, without loss of rigidity, yet with an accuracy of up to 0.01 mm, zero backlash and easy handling. The cabling is in one length - from the transmission pins to the RCA connectors. High quality wires are incorporated into the cable itself, but it is also possible to use the arm in a balanced (XLR) version or 5-pin configuration.

The DS Audio DS002 is actually the spiritual successor to the DS001, which we have already tested in our magazine. The DS002 also has a hanging mechanism of the same design as the high-end DS Master 1 and DS-W 2 models. Its implementation achieved a high level of channel separation as well as stability of music playback. Moreover, by arranging the position of the slit in a position close to the needle point, it was possible to obtain sound information with even higher precision. Like DS Audio's more expensive transmissions, the DS 002's body is made of aluminium and reflects a distinctive design created for the best performance. The DS 002 features an aluminum needle bracket and classic Shibata grinding that accurately reproduces music recorded on vinyl.

Ten 33,000 μF capacitors are used to provide a high-quality power source for the preamp/equalizer, providing effortless energy for the highest level of sound quality. For excellent signal-to-noise ratio, a special shielding structure has been incorporated into the design of the DS 002 preamplifier/equalizer. This shield isolates internal noise from the power supply while blocking external RF and other environmental noise. The shield is 1.5mm thick and covers the entire transformer, ensuring the best signal-to-noise performance of the DS 002 preamplifier/equalizer.

So much for the theory. A massive metal turntable with a slightly military look, reminiscent of an invisible F-117 Nighthawk fighter jet, it has received vinyl of diverse genres under its massive clamp during our session. The DS optical transmission with its soft light illuminated the delicate grooves in the darkness of the comfortable listening room of the boys from Dream Audio. From the elegant YG loudspeakers, milled from solid blocks of aluminium that perhaps even World War III could not shake, the highest quality tones rolled out at us from complete silence. As I would put it, with a hi-fi tower worth several hundred thousand euros, it is probably not even appropriate to criticise it, it's downright unacceptable. This lineup just accurately and uncompromisingly reflects the quality of the music source. If the record or digital sound source is of poor quality, all this will be transferred to the listener's ear without hesitation or redness. But if the source is of the highest quality, it will reward you with an incredible musical experience. Details such as the sound of the musician's lips on the horn's mouthpiece, the blending of metal brushes and mallets gently striking the beat, the plastic head on the drum's mud, the finger plucking the string, the proximity of the vocalist to the microphone - all of these are accentuated through the Kuzma combination. Even ambient sounds I hadn't even been aware of before became clearly evident as illuminated brushstrokes in a familiar painting.

If you think the price of our turntable is too high, know that it is actually just one of the basic models of the Kuzma brand. Any lucky person who can afford this turntable (as well as the rest of our reference lineup), I can only be sincerely envious. And I take it as another reason to think about a career as a politician or other businessman...

Miroslav Maglen's second ear

We played a few songs from digital to start. In the newly darkened listening room, the equipment had moved forward several classes sonically, and we could know what to expect from it. Then we finally switched to gramec. We played a variety of genres from pop to jazz to classical. With each song, the picture was shaping up more and more. Even in the challenging pieces, the gramophone player retained plenty of detail, which he delivered with great airiness and ease. The sound was neither soft nor too dry, which was then confirmed by a separate test of the Kuzma CAR 40. In this line-up, these attributes were complemented by dense and precise dynamics. The bass didn't get muddy, so we could reach out to the big symphonic ensembles in peace. As they say, what plays well in classical and "symphonic" music has no problems with any other genre.

KLADY

• quality of workmanship
• sound talent
• built for ages of ages

RESPONSIBILITIES

• the need for a quality rack that can hold something
• higher price

KUZMA STABI R
Weight: 36 kg
Plate weight: 8 kg
Plate material: aluminium & acrylic
Bearing type: inverted (ruby ball)
Shaft diameter: 16 mm
Chassis/adjustable: aluminium/yellow (4 adjustable legs)
Drive: single DC motor
Shoulder strap: patented inflexible belt
Speeds: 33, 45, (fine speed adjustment)
Number of hangers: 1 (+ up to 3 optional)
Dimensions: 480 x 380 x 150 mm
Base only: 320 x 380 x 150 mm (30 kg)
Dimensions with two bases: 600 x 380 x 150 mm (38 kg)
Surface colour: black or silver (RAL 9006)
Price: from 6 100 €
www.dreamaudio.eu