RossB
Former Member
Very nice photos - and equally nice kit Mr B
Is the arm a Kuzma?
Thanks, yes the arm is a Stogi Ref.
Very nice photos - and equally nice kit Mr B
Is the arm a Kuzma?
Gromit's photos have inspired me to post some recent cartridge shots.
Gromit, can you please come over and take some pics of my gear? I'm not joking, please PM me if there is the vaguest likelihood.
Amazing pictures,,, what's the last one...a Colibri ?
May I ask an opinion about how the Linn arm (Ittok or Ekos, don't see it properly) is doing against the cardanic Kuzma ?
Is it they suit different carts better due compliance, or do you see one of them as clearly superior in total..?
Very nice hifi playground & tasteful pick in the furniture, too btw..
The last one is a VDH Black Beauty. I debated whether to get the Colibri or the Black Beauty, but chose the latter based on comments that it was a little richer in the midrange and fuller-bodied, and also less temperamental about set up and unflattering recordings. I have never heard the Colibri, but so far - and I only received it yesterday - I am extremely impressed with the Black Beauty.
You must have very good eyesight (or telepathy), since the second arm which is barely visible in the third photo is not a Linn arm, but used to be. Or perhaps you were looking at this photo ...
It is an Ittok LVIII which I bought some time ago, intending to build up another LP12, but I abandoned that project, after getting the Stabi S, which I have been very happy with. I prefer it to both the LP12/Radikal/Keel/Ekos SE and AMG Viella which preceded it, although it is significantly less expensive than either. The Ittok went onto the Stabi S only briefly, with the Cadenza Black, just so I could give it a listen before I sold it. As I used it only briefly and with a different phono stage, I don't think I can provide a meaningful comparison with the Kuzma arm, although I can say that both sounded very good. The Kuzma arm I have been very impressed with. I have previously owned an SME IV, Moerch DP-6, Ekos 2, Ekos SE and a few others and this has to be my favourite so far. It is built like a tank, is easy to set up, excellent adjustability of every parameter (including a brilliant azimuth adjust mechanism) and has a big, solid sound, just a touch warmer than neutral.
The original plan for the second arm was to have a mono cartridge or a different flavour of MC in the second position. I currently have a Jelco 750D (with a Shelter 501 Mono) as a stop-gap while I wait for an Audio Origami PU7 which will replace it in that position. (I thought about getting the Stogi 313 Ref VTA or even the 4 Point, but decided to try something different.) I will try my Benz LP-S on the PU7 and compare it with the BB on the Stogi Ref, but in the longer term the Shelter 501 Mono will be on the PU7. I have also ordered a Tron Convergence mono phono stage to match the mono cartridge.
That's a difficult topic..
First of all Ross took the time to answer my questions in detail & friendly manner, which I find rather nice.
2nd..it is true not all of us can afford such, incl. me, but even then I'm quite happy if I can have an experience from comparison of various expensive items,
IF I can afford to get merely ONE of those.
So, in short, without the XP I'm dependend on educated guess, and here I have to say I do prefer an experience and am happy if somone is willing to share.
A hobby where a certain amount of money is involved always is at risk of getting some emotional echo, that's human nature.
The counterside is, if someone just has the means, no matter why, as a fact,
why should he not be able to share with the same passion like the rest of us ?
Generally I try to keep the level and the passion apart from another & even if I can 'only' use a Logic DM 101 table and a Mission 774 arm,
I find certain experiences about higher class MCs simply interesting, or, for that matter how a Kuzma cardanic compares to an Ekos...how should I compare all this myself ?
The inverted role would be: 'I don't talk to poor guys like you' , bzw..
And as long as such attitude is not the case I don't think it is adequate to put fences up from a certain level on.
Where should those fences be ? A Benz LP ? Simon has one, too...
A PU7..? I'm happy someone is buying handcrafted things from a nice one-man manufacturer like J7.
Great to have his XP around, but I'm not sure he could make it from guys like me alone who need an Ekos rewired once in a decade..?
A little tolerance is necessary I think..
We share a passion, let's simply keep it like that.
Here's my office Planar 3, on Rega wall support, complete with genuine anaglypta wall paper
Assuming it goes round at the right speed, which is far from a given with a DM101, it is a very good deck indeed aside from the paint falling off. Yours looks like a late one with the electronic speed control (I think Les may have designed that), my experience is with the earlier model with the red switch. Does yours have the big centre mass spring?
I had a DM101 with the red button for several years with the original Ittock tonearm I eventually swopped the motor for an Origin Live DC motor the combination was quite good.
It was a fun comment wasn't it? Didn't the suggestion of a collection to help out the needy mean it was a bit of fun?