Ed’s System

Here are some more pictures of the room and system;



592f6af4b85361c29ca98a78b179b1a7.jpg


fd4e053095bf4821f68f1e21320b5f28.jpg


32390d9075d42242e4c8807683673d7f.jpg


eab8ce0e0b5501a692ae6d4ff2f16430.jpg
e362329af92fb6c5788bc7763a20c20f.jpg



Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro
 
Ed

Would a simple maple butcher block from Butcher Block Acoustics not serve much of the same purpose as the HRS platform for the Kuzma at a fraction of the cost. I have been using 3" Michigan Maple butcher blocks under TT's for a decade and am happy with the performance. Currently my my 1980 TOTL JVC direct drive TT is sitting on the 3" Maple butcher block separated by Herbie's Big Fat Dots from the 2" Maple shelf of a Timbernation rack. i suspect the whole thing including the rack costs less than the HRS platform alone.
 
Ed

Would a simple maple butcher block from Butcher Block Acoustics not serve much of the same purpose as the HRS platform for the Kuzma at a fraction of the cost. I have been using 3" Michigan Maple butcher blocks under TT's for a decade and am happy with the performance. Currently my my 1980 TOTL JVC direct drive TT is sitting on the 3" Maple butcher block separated by Herbie's Big Fat Dots from the 2" Maple shelf of a Timbernation rack. i suspect the whole thing including the rack costs less than the HRS platform alone.

Jack thanks for the thought and suggestion! This was a struggle because of the location, there was vibration resonating through the cabinets.

I tried the Butcher Block and it too resonated but only when my digital was playing.

The HRS removed all of the vibrations, all like zero. I use HRS under all components recessed in the cabinet - yes, they are not cheap but in my case perform as intended.

However, my concern is null as the interesting thing with the Kuzma is the base itself which contains the motor, drive and platter is cut from a solid piece of billet and with the platter and arm wing comes in at 80 pounds - this pig is it’s own dampening.

My new platform arrives Monday and we will see if it goes under the Kuzma or the U-Turn that will go in the main living room.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro
 
Holy Smokes, I was saving this for my new table, but couldn’t help myself:

UHQR pressing of Jimi Hendrix’s Axis Bold as Love.

Pressed and packaged like no
other that I have seen. It is quality through and through and shows what a good pressing can deliver.

71c7d5dc01eeeac734275cd5819cb0c5.jpg
87446c271c5c4b37e8e1b3db17ce141d.jpg
e978f861d2a25a81a4a333124392ba69.jpg
0b78082e029351762b2f9362ab7b766c.jpg



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

this, in a nutshell explains why many of us still love and enjoy 'physical media' !

It’s hard to pin point any one specific but overall the sound is crazy good

I am over the top fortunate to enjoy what I have put together and welcome all to enjoy!

Here are some photos:

e10211d205ece21fc4724fd9e62916b2.jpg
a69aacff824c39c6e81e95d384573a80.jpg
a7234fed77a67b15d3ec978c808ac236.jpg
ec558033c76c8b66576cd9d7823859a4.jpg
79fe280e0ab5043f98c2e2d86cf825e6.jpg
33569d33fc458440f0cca5ad97e4d018.jpg
b07fbd70b65fa2115a07ddd034338057.jpg







Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro

nicely done Ed .....
 
Well the Kuzma Stabi R arrived today and it was a breeze to setup!

I did a bunch of homework in anticipation of this, and that proved to be a benefit - for me this was a situation I had to read the manual a few times, all on all it took about a hour and a half to setup and tweak. The longest part was watching the drops of oil drip into the ruby bearing sump, 35 in all.

The difference between this table with a MC cartridge and the U Turn Orbit Special with MM cartridge cannot be compared other than from the standpoint, the Orbit was my first love, albeit short lived but will remain serving duty in the main part of the home.

With that being said, the Kuzma seriously opened things up between soundstage, noise floor and dynamics. The cartridge is wired with Nordost cabling to the DIN connector and from there is a Nordost tonearm cable into the phono, then down the line a Nordost branded loom completing the cable package.

The internal motor is direct drive with the ability to adjust the speed, something I have not checked but from what I hear the factory is meticulous about this. Also, I love the ability to adjust the speeds and go between 33s and 45s at the push of a button, this just saves time! Power is fed through an IEC connection, with a mains power switch using a Nordost Blue Heaven power cable, with a 90 degree connector - this allowed it to fit perfectly in the space I have allotted. I chose an entry level cable as I have read some compelling statements why this can contribute points to the game of sound.

Right now the HRS M3X I had slated for the original Stabi S is not deep enough for the Kuzma Stabi R, so I repurposed this under the Boulder 508 Phono and used Stillpoints Ultra 6’s under the Kuzma and Ultra SS under the 508.

It’s hard to pin point any one specific but overall the sound is crazy good, and I am pretty proud getting this all together.

Playing Dean Martins, I dream of Dean makes one feel to pour a bourbon for two waiting for him to come off stage and join you for a drink, and this is after 2 hours of settling.

I am over the top fortunate to enjoy what I have put together and welcome all to enjoy!

Here are some photos:

e10211d205ece21fc4724fd9e62916b2.jpg
a69aacff824c39c6e81e95d384573a80.jpg
a7234fed77a67b15d3ec978c808ac236.jpg
ec558033c76c8b66576cd9d7823859a4.jpg
79fe280e0ab5043f98c2e2d86cf825e6.jpg
33569d33fc458440f0cca5ad97e4d018.jpg
b07fbd70b65fa2115a07ddd034338057.jpg



Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro

Congrats Ed, now we’re talking. Direct drive and all, very impressive.

Enjoy the pleasures of vinyl playback. For me it has something calming to it.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
 
Congrats Ed, now we’re talking. Direct drive and all, very impressive.

Enjoy the pleasures of vinyl playback. For me it has something calming to it.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Thank you, and I fully agree with the pleasure and calming affect!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro
 
this, in a nutshell explains why many of us still love and enjoy 'physical media' !



nicely done Ed .....

Dave, you can’t beat the physical media aspect, and I’m ok with handling and closing it as still - thank you for the compliment!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro
 
Brief update;

This weekend Rex (Kingrex) and our friend Joe, a long-term Analog guy came by for an early on critical listen to the new Kuzma Stabi R, and it’s associated components. Also to hear the benefit of the updated dedicated circuit that now has all Furutech cable from the breaker to the receptacle supporting the digital front end.

We listened to several records and streaming from the Aurender and I chose The Rolling Stones, Sticky Fingers and one Rex brought over from a punk band named, National Wake and their album, A walk in Africa, both not your typical audiophile recordings - and that was precisely the point, if it’s good on good, then better will be excellent.

Sticky Fingers, with an almost working zipper, is an original period album;

99fece4d169188e2249c98fdb194b04a.jpg


Digital for Sticky Fingers was streamed over Qobuz 44.1 khz and remastered in 2009.

National Wake may be from 1979 if the album title says anything, I don’t know how it was pressed and it came as a green colored vinyl, first I heard of them but would listen again.

Digital was streamed over Qobuz 44.1 khz and remastered in 2009.

Comparison was easy jumping between sources on the preamp by simply clicking the remote options of DAC and Phono.

Playing the Stones it was easy to pick out the two playback sources and not because one was necessarily better than the other, both played well and each has advantages over the other.

In full disclosure there was about 12 hours on the stylus, wire and cable, and 75 hours on the other cables and the phono.

My comment was the analog sound stage was smaller and focused, sounding natural, raw and good. Rex indicated the soundstage was smaller, but imaged well. Joe’s critical comment was the sound will open up more as hours accumulate, and agreed on all else.

Rex and I believe Joe now has a full appreciation and understanding of what digital can be, showing him it done right, anyway;

We all agreed the Digital is fluently dynamic, quiet and with a well defined wide sound stage.

While hearing National Wake, it was next to impossible picking the two sources apart and I found that odd. Each of us struggled as the album was quiet, other than a beginning scratch making it essentially equal in playback and virtually identical to digital in 44.1

My view point was the album must have been recorded as digital. If I’m right, it may be a reason why the gap is so wide for some, and it doesn’t have to be, and getting the most of digital is talked about in other threads I created.

It was a fun comparison, and talking Hi Fi with like minded people in person is always a fun event.

cbafbfb6933e8379b0c3e5764b03ab9d.jpg



Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro
 
Thanks Ed. Fun visit. The National Wake album was an ear opener. Amazing it was virtually impossible to tell the digital from vinyl. In my mind, it really drives home the importance of source material. Not whether it's vinyl, digital or tape, but how it's mastered.

It is also surprising how quiet vinyl can be. Many times the digital sounds darker, but I question if that is not just a product of how is engineered. FWIW, dark is not necessarily good to me. Quiet and dark are 2 different things. Quiet is the absences on noise. Dark ia almost an imparted sound, or lack of sound. Like something was removed.
 
Well the Kuzma Stabi R arrived today and it was a breeze to setup!

I did a bunch of homework in anticipation of this, and that proved to be a benefit - for me this was a situation I had to read the manual a few times, all on all it took about a hour and a half to setup and tweak. The longest part was watching the drops of oil drip into the ruby bearing sump, 35 in all.

The difference between this table with a MC cartridge and the U Turn Orbit Special with MM cartridge cannot be compared other than from the standpoint, the Orbit was my first love, albeit short lived but will remain serving duty in the main part of the home.

With that being said, the Kuzma seriously opened things up between soundstage, noise floor and dynamics. The cartridge is wired with Nordost cabling to the DIN connector and from there is a Nordost tonearm cable into the phono, then down the line a Nordost branded loom completing the cable package.

The internal motor is direct drive with the ability to adjust the speed, something I have not checked but from what I hear the factory is meticulous about this. Also, I love the ability to adjust the speeds and go between 33s and 45s at the push of a button, this just saves time! Power is fed through an IEC connection, with a mains power switch using a Nordost Blue Heaven power cable, with a 90 degree connector - this allowed it to fit perfectly in the space I have allotted. I chose an entry level cable as I have read some compelling statements why this can contribute points to the game of sound.

Right now the HRS M3X I had slated for the original Stabi S is not deep enough for the Kuzma Stabi R, so I repurposed this under the Boulder 508 Phono and used Stillpoints Ultra 6’s under the Kuzma and Ultra SS under the 508.

It’s hard to pin point any one specific but overall the sound is crazy good, and I am pretty proud getting this all together.

Playing Dean Martins, I dream of Dean makes one feel to pour a bourbon for two waiting for him to come off stage and join you for a drink, and this is after 2 hours of settling.

I am over the top fortunate to enjoy what I have put together and welcome all to enjoy!

great pics Ed, and a hearty congrats for this big step!

looks like a great set-up, Kuzma is top stuff.

this is a big boy rig you got and take your time getting a grip on what it can do.

i am excited for you and look forward to your feedback as you go along!

cheers,

Mike
 
great pics Ed, and a hearty congrats for this big step!

looks like a great set-up, Kuzma is top stuff.

this is a big boy rig you got and take your time getting a grip on what it can do.

i am excited for you and look forward to your feedback as you go along!

cheers,

Mike

Thanks Mike, and note I would not be in this mess if you did not push me over the edge [emoji851]


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro
 
Yep Ultra, like I said to you, it's your fault I went and put an offer on the STST Motus and bought all my new vinyl. You have cost me thousands.

Of course afrer out listening session last night I do wonder if I need a new table. My Rex rigged pile of Groove Tracer, Rega and chemically bonded corian and acrylic do sound pretty damb good. I wonder if high end tone arm wire in my Vertere arm and a better cartridge might not be a big move.

It shocks me to how good my digital is compared to vinyl. They are a little different but both very listenable. If you were herem no one would say the digital sounds digital. It's very fliwing, clean and rich with tone. Natural timber and tonal accuracy are as good as vinyl if not better.

Also surprised how good the UTurn is. I have 2 good copies of A Charlie Brown Christmas. Ed and I were able to put both player into my phono pre and bounce back and forth. UTurn was very quiet. Has decent speed stability. Conpared to my table, it has a little less mid range body. Less harmonic richness. It's a littke more airy, almost bright, but not to fatigue. I still remember Ed playing his Kuzma and thinking how rock solid the pitch, pace and timing were. That high mass direct drive really controls the speed. Has it's own presentation. It's pretty well beyond my table in that regard.

Wizard was tougher for me to hear. My only perception was once again, I was able to play just a little louder. Maybe 1.5 to 3 db per my preamp volume knob. It was also a touch more clean and at ease. Easier to close your eyes and enjoy. I still maintain everyone should try an Electraclear and Symphony. It you have the cash, the Wizard over Symphony is going to be a touch more refined. IMO. Ed may have more to say. He hears pretty good. He sat at my place one day and directed me on speaker positioning. When he was done pointing his finger and giving orders :) it did sound better.
 
I agree with both Ed and Rex, my digital sounds darn good, and I am also enjoying playing with vinyl. The U-Turn is amazingly good for for how little one can be had for. I agree with Rex that it might be a very little on the bright side, however I know that it is still breaking in, and especially the Blue upgrade and the SimAudio phono stage are very much still running in. My experience has taught me that gear smooths out dramatically after some time. Initially most every new piece I have had sound a tad harsh, bright, etc., but do smooth out. I think the vinyl setup is still in this phase.

As Rex stated, and I concur, the digital and the vinyl both sound excellent. Different from each other but both are really good and enjoyable. I guess they both offer something that make them worthy. Obviously I have not jumped off the deep end like Ed has in vinyl :D, but I am enjoying it immensely!

Talk about cost... I blame Ed directly... 30 albums already (with the ones arriving from Acoustic Sound today)... many higher end remasters, five 45 RPM remasters... grrrr, this shit gets expensive :D... not even mentioning record cleaning machine :).
 
Wait a minute, how can Randy and Rex blame me, when I’m blaming Lavigne and now AudioShark.

I’m innocent!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro
 
Back
Top