I have been floored by Kuzma Stabi XL DC with 4 points TA on a recent audition. It was extremely analog sounding, insane details with speed, beat and clarity that made me wonder if I am listening to a live concert, just can’t help my toe tapping. Was comparing the sound to the top of the line Accuphase CD player with the same rest of system and it was no contest.
Switching from Accuphase CD player to Kuzma XL DC was sounding like adding a pair of subwoofer and going up 2-3 levels on the rest of the system. Mind you the rest of the system was Accuphase E-650 class A integrated that should favor the Accuphase same brand CD player but that wasn’t the case. The speaker was Kerr Acoustics K300 under 10K entry level bookshelf and the sound of the entire entry level system armed with Kuzma XL DC beat the hell out of the entire super high end system the dealer has on the other listening room with Avalon PM3 speakers, Accuphase A-250 monos, Audionet Stern Preamp with Accuphase CD player.
However obviously I cannot afford the whole set of Kuzma XL DC considering I am also in the process of upgrading my existing system. What will be the closest contender in the US$30.000 retail price range that has the same sonic signature as Kuzma XL DC?
@rauliruegas , thanks a lot for your take on the Kerr K100. Having heard the K300 a few times I actually thought about what you said, not about the in-depth knowledge you just taught me which obviously I know nothing about, I was simply thought that if I already love K300 so much why take a risk with another more expensive model which I cannot audition before buying anyway. Do you have experience with Kerr Acoustic? It’s very hard to find a post or in depth review about the brand.
When you say to add subwoofer and to cut the K300 at 80hz high pass crossing, it means that I need to have an EQ/Cross such as Accuphase DG-68 correct? I have JL Audio F113 V2 as consideration. I understand that the tables on the pictures are way far from ideal, apologies for the hasty mess but these were temporary. New custom made table with stillpoint should be ready in two weeks or so before I can actually arrange things properly. Room treatment including floor is on my list of priority but not on top of the list. The reason for delaying room treatment is because I had MEN220 before (I returned it a few days ago) and I can never get room correction percentage above 6%, therefore I assume my room acoustics problem is not that severe and treatment can wait. I know I should’ve prioritize room treatment but I like seeing new gears more than seeing new acoustic panels LOL 😆. Thanks so much and please keep it coming.
This thread took a nasty turn however the OP did get a lot of relevant advise. Awesome good deal on the Miyajima cart. I've setup many and they are indeed quite nice. With the 4pt *eventually* you may find other carts give you a little more resolution but at higher costs.
Enjoy the records! Setup and small details matter so please keep posting on the progress!
@uwiikz....Get yourself automatic tonearm lifter so you don’t have to rush over when record ending . https://www.audioadvice.com/integrityhifi-tru-lift.html. also Kansui is low output so figure it out you got to have phono gain least 60db or better 65db . Gong Xi Fa chai my friend and enjoy listening . stay safe
@solypsa thanks for the encouragement, I am enjoying it to the max and can’t stop smiling right now. Just having another thought about just sticking with Kerr K300 and not bother with K100 since the K300 is a proven performer already in my room, as @rauliruegas suggested I probably better off adding a couple of subs than waiting around for 4 months and 4X the cost of K300 with no audition experience on the K100, but I am wondering if A-250 and C-2850 will be overkill for entry level K300. Today I home auditioned the K300 vs my existing SF Guarneri Evo driven by E-650 and Kuzma XL. Not even close, K300 wind hands down.
@honeyooi . Gong Xi Fa Chai my friend, may the year of the Ox bring prosperity and happiness for you and family for the years to come. The automatic tonearm lift is something new to me but it looked like Godsend contraption. Since yesterday I have run over to my LP a few times after I failed to realize the track has ended.
@uwiikz-- couple comments about your room and set up if you don’t mind. First, it looks like you have hard tile floor- those tend to be reflective. A nice rug will change that without absorbing too much energy; Second, speaker placement. I know some people use their stereo for TV viewing, which may explain your set up, but at least cover the screen when you do critical audio listening. The screen is reflective and can mess with the image. I don’t like over damped rooms, but shifted away from having anything between the speakers, including gear rack-- which is on a side wall. (the amps are adjacent to the speakers but sit low and I run long interconnect). Some people disagree that having the equipment rack between the speakers is significant, but at a minimum, I find it to be a distraction. Jim Smith’s Better Sound has a lot of good no cost suggestions for room set up and you should be able to get it via Amazon. Glad you got the table and arm set up. What cartridge did you have installed?
Dear @uwiikz : "
at 80hz high pass crossing, it means that I need to have an EQ/Cross.. ""
Normally today best subwoofers already comes with the high-pass that split the signal that goes to the main speakers and the signal for the subs it self, check very well that the subs you can choose has that high-pass filter to avoid any additional external item. Normally too the subs comes with a DSP control to optimize the subs integration with the speakers and the room at your seat position.
“When you say to add subwoofer and to cut the K300 at 80hz high pass crossing, it means that I need to have an EQ/Cross such as Accuphase DG-68 correct? I have JL Audio F113 V2 as consideration.”
Dear @lalitk : At which frequency are you crossing the Tannoys?, this is: from which frequency ( 70-80-100.etc ). and up are frequencies handled by the Tannoys??
@uwiikz, If you want similar get a Kuzma M and put a 4 Point 11 on it with Lyra Kleos or Ortofon Windfeld Ti. Some people think the M is better than the XL. It is a more traditional design and does not have the "bling" of the XL but you don't buy a turntable to look at. You buy it to listen to.
@whart please no need to say “if you don’t mind” :) I have thick ears, I snapped earlier on this thread because of special case, I don’t normally act like that. I am planning to cover the floor with Parquet/wood floor. Do you think it will help vs rug or perhaps both parquet and rug? Gotcha about TV and table, I will follow your suggestion but no I don’t use my stereo for TV, it’s just that is the only wall in my bedroom that I can use and the TV been sitting there since forever. I am building a mancave downstairs, eventually the Accuphase setup will move downstairs and I’ll get another much cheaper set for my bedroom system. I also need to cover the useless three sets of double wing doors I have on the right side of the room. I will cover the door from inside with acoustic panel, leave the door alone from outside for aesthetic reason and only leave the center door for access to my balcony.
Oh yeah, new update for today 😁😁😁 Ex-demo A-250 monoblocks are coming in 2 hours, the dealer will also bring FM Acoustics FM155 MK II line stage for me to “survive” while waiting for the C-3900, C-47 Phono and DG-68 to arrive. 😁😁😁 Way too happy again today
Which REL you should go for depends on your room size. Two subs are always better than one, we are talking about stereo not Home Theater where typically one sub is more than adequate. If you have room then go for a pair of S/812 or their Carbon Special.
@lalitk thanks, I will check out with the REL dealer on Monday to see if home audition is possible. I originally planned for JL because it has built in room correction. I am concerned if blending the sub perfectly will be tough without built in room correction and I like the idea of cutting the frequency going to main speaker and JL can do that.
Just updated my virtual system. Result after A-250... I am in heaven. It was unbelievable, Yuko Mabuchi’s Piano sounds very very real, Miles Davis too and everything else was magical...I ended up upgrading the cartridge to Miyajima Madake from Kansui, exact same sound just a tad more dynamics
@uwiikz just out of curiosity don't you get footfall issues with the Kuzma just sitting on that table? Looks like you had to use a napkin under one of the table legs so it wouldn't wobble. With such a great turntable you should be looking at some sort of isolation device. Just an opinion. Enjoy
@uwiikz- sounds like you are on the right track in dealing with the room; to me, parquet would be better than tile, but is still a hard surface; I have wooden floors covered with a large old Persian rug. I use bass traps in various corners, have fairly thick cellular or honeycomb type window shades to deal with the glass in the side windows-- the front wall has large windows that are covered first by a thick somewhat absorptive material similar to sail cloth, with several layers of curtains heavily bunched together over them-- it's enough to eliminate that window as a factor. Do read Jim Smith's book- he does in-room set ups at people's homes for a fee and a lot of basics are covered in the book (travel expenses would exceed his fee in your case), but the more familiar you are with your own system in your room, the better you can dial it in; my system took a few years to get right when I lived in NY and when I moved to Texas, and had a new to me room in an old house, I had a pretty good idea of how it would lay out. It still took time to dial it in though-- through measuring, listening and moving the speakers in slight increments. So, by the time you have readied your dedicated room, you'll probably have more experience with the system, what it can do and where its weaknesses are. Small changes can make big differences in set up, particularly with turntables and speaker positioning in the room.
I don't like over damped rooms with too much treatment- they sound too dead to me. You'll find a balance, the more you listen the more you become accustomed to what the equipment can do and if you are willing to experiment a little, you can optimize positioning.
The turntable does require something that is not susceptible to footfalls and it is very heavy, as you know. If you look at my system page, you'll see how I have it mounted on an HRS platform, which in turn, sits on a big Minus K isolation platform. Franc sells an active isolation device but it isn't really meant to deal with footfalls- he assumes you'd be on a concrete slab but the active devices are typically used to improve the overall performance of the equipment by isolation. Mike Lavigne, who is probably one of the best known members here, has done a deep dive on these things and would be a good source of information about them if you are curious. Just note that they won't solve a footfall problem; the Minus K will.
@rsf507 sharp eyes in noticing the folded paper on the temporary table leg 😂😂😂....I am waiting for my custom solid teak wood table to be delivered. The table top will be CNC cut to ensure perfect flatness and the legs will have stillpoint spike.
@whart today I plan to whip out my decade old rug from storage and put it on my floor. My wife is finally okay with my “insane to her” audio upgrade plan so now I can do whatever I want to reach my target and yes room treatment is very high on my list. I am procrastinating because I don’t fancy strangers working on my bedroom, sure it will have to happen sooner or later but I prefer to finish my mancave downstairs first before tearing apart my private bedroom where I do a lot of naughty things with my wife 😉
@whart just finished cleaning my rug and laid it out inbetween my sofa and speakers, what a difference! Everything else is the same but bass notes are definitely more authoritative and tight! Thanks a lot for the tips man!
Dear @uwiikz : I know you are really impatient/anxious in this new audio world for you in this new and very long trip full of opportunities and full of obstacles that want it or not you as all of us time to time make not one but several mistakes/falls. All those is part of the day by day learning.
You have a very wise dealer that puts in front of you to many excellent " candies for a child " ( like those A-250. ) that the " child " can’t refuse to eat.
You started this thread less than a week ago and rigth know you already made it your first system up-grade: to Miyajima Madake from Kansui, ", well that’s the way you are and the way audio is.
Now and " looking " of what you want and you are doing your next main action is to choose those 2 subwoofers ( yes always must be 2 and never only one. ). It’s the most critical link in the system chain in the short and long time: we normally make changes in our systems through the years, changes in amps, cartridges, TT, CDP, cables, tonearms but subwoofers where these units normally lives almost for ever with us.
In the other side and I repeat again: we integrate subwoofers in our room/system not mainly to increment the bass low response ( that’s a good side line. ) but to improve the whole QUALITY level performance of that room/system and what we are listening at it.
The best room/systems are those that have the best bass range management/performance. Every thing good or wrong that happens in that frequency range modulates for the good or wrong all the system quality response. Bass range quality is the most important frequency range in any room/system no matters what.
Rel is a bad choice, first because his response is very poor: -6db at 19hz and its THD is over 5% in the other side is a reflex design instead acoustic suspension that’s lower in distortions and with better overall response: tigther bass.
Of course that you have the Rel dealer at your place and knowing you when you can test it you will pull the triger. Do it a favor and don’t do it yet. Listen to it to learn a little about subs. Anyway you can buy it if you want, your choice.
" REL’s does a far better job of ‘disappearing’ and gelling with your main speakers. "
that statement is not only false but shows the low knowledge level that that gentleman has with the subs specific issue.
Look, if we have a good integration subs inside our room/system all subs " disappears ", period .
Years ago and way before in the high end forums audiophiles talked about subwoofers to listen stereo MUSIC ( people think that subs were for HT. ) I learned my first hand experiences and through several tests in my system and other systems till I learned that subwoofers is a true critical necessity in any " decent " stereo MUSIC room/system. In those years I started a thread in Agon here a highlight about that always is of interest for any audiophile that cares about MUSIC and quality reproduction of that MUSIC:
I tested several subs including Rel and finished my " voyage " with a pair of Velodyne HGS-15 self powered subs that still today I’m enjoying and thatI don’t change it for any other in today market.
Velodyne has a patent for the subwoofer ( sealed/acoustic suspension design. ) can performs at below 20hz and over 100db SPL with an outstanding 0.5% THD, not even today any sub can be not even near that figure. Velodyne subs sense over 20K times each second the woofer excursions to impede the THD goes higher than that incredible spec. This spec permits that you have the best quality level bass response coming from the Velodyne and that no other subwoofer design for home system use can shows you.
No, you can’t reach Velodyne because it’s not any more in business but making a little internet research I found out that thi’s an unexpected source for the last and latest Velodyne subwoofer design the DD-15.
""" I am concerned if blending the sub perfectly will be tough without built in room correction and I like the idea of cutting the frequency going to main speaker.. """
good that you are concerned about because that room correction is a must to have in the subs. Well this Velodyne has it and has a high-pass filter too:
are the only units all over the world.I don’t know if the seller/dealer can ship to your country and I don’t know if you can wait for it. It’s worth to have these Velodyne subwoofers, big rewards for you and MUSIC.
Important issue: I think that before you start with the overall room treatment wait till you have in place your subwoofers, the ones you decided to buy: is up to you. Normally the 80% of the room treatment has a direct relationship with the bass range, it’s what it really counts.
Other main subject you have to take in count for optimum subwoofer quality levels is if you will integrate it using the subwoofer crossover to split the signal to the K300 or use an active external crossover for the K300.
If I was you my choice will be to make it through the Bryston ( the Accuphase looks very good too but works in the digital domain. ) external crossover and please let me explain about:
first Bryston is a first grade electronic manufacturer for many years, quality levels of the design is excellent. second is that the Bryston unit has alternatives to choose the best one that fulfill the K300 frequency response needs that can mates the best with the subs you choosed.
You can choose between 6db, 12db or 18db crossover filter slopes where the first order ( 6db. ) is very convenient because you have no phase problems as with the higher slope order ones that are the ones that normally comes in the sub crossover.
It comes with an attenuator for the main speakers/K300 . It’s a dual mono design, all separated for each channel. Has several selectable high-pass frequency of your choice. I think you will need to test between 80hz and 100hz for the K300.
The subwoofers crossovers don’t comes with all those kind of alternatives and the quality electronics of its designs even that is good has not the high quality level like in the Bryston dedicated unit.
In the other side the subs has two options to be connected: one trhough the Bryston and the other is directly from the preamp if this unit comes with two output connectors and this is the best way to connect the subs: directly from the preamp.
Exist the very best way to make the K300 crossover and this way is how I wired/connected my whole system:
I did it with out active external crossover and certainly not using the sub’s crossover. What I did was to make the high-pass filter in passive way at the amplifier ( pair of monobloks. ) input with a first order filter ( 6db. ) using a capacitor and a resistor of the best quality you can find out and that’s it.
Adding nothing to the signal avoiding any signal degradation but this alternative needs of a good technician to make the job inside the amplifier. I can do that because I have the electronic input board diagram of the amplifiers. Not all amplifiers permit to do it.
Btw, FM Acoustics is an excellent phono, preamp and amplifier Swiss manufactured with a quality levels second to none. Wise dealer......
@rauliruegas , thanks so much for taking the time to guide me with your in depth explanation. Although I am not new at all in audio world, I still have so much to learn when it comes to modern home audio (my last foray in home audio was 17 or so years ago), I do however never stop playing with car audio until today. What you explained made so much sense and I will take my time to re read again and again your suggestions to fully digest it.
Yes I am like a kid in candy store everytime I visit that dealer, you are spot on on that, I just do not have the ability to be patient. Right now I am already considering Mola Mola Tambaqui from the same dealer but I am also considering tube DAC because believe it or not I think my system will be perfect if it has some slight tube signature on the sound. Maybe I just have too much time on my hand and need something to keep my mind occupied and busy. Semi retirement at early age seems like a good idea but I can tell you it’s damn boring especially right now with lockdown everywhere.
Back to the topic. I do not want to import my audio gear because it always turned out A LOT more expensive. Local dealers here have excellent discount and due to 0% import tax on electronic price is even more competitive than USA. Plus I also need to support local dealer so they can stay in business better, we have a lot of unemployment in the country and any business will help on that problem. I can find Velodyne DD18 brand new locally not the DD15 though and the DD18 os slightly more expensive than JL F113 V2. I will definitely try it out. The same Velodyne dealer happens to also the dealer for JL audio, so I can try both easily.
About frequency cutting, back in 1999 I used to be extremely fanatical about custom made passive crossover in the car audio scene. The guy who is a real expert in building custom passive with very expensive top grade components can definitely build one for my home audio, back in 2000 he even competed many times in USA with his custom passive and won many trophies. What do you think about that? Speaker output from A-250 to custom passive first to cut at 80-100hz then to speaker cable to continue to the K300. That way everything are still totally analog with zero digital intervention and I don’t need to buy one more set of $10.000 XLR just to cut the frequency via any other more common method.
I plan to visit the dealer for JL and Velodyne today but turned out the shop is closed due to Chinese New Year weekend holiday.
Your further thoughts please and as always, many thanks!
"
I have to admit that I miss a bit of tube sweetness particularly on mid. "
well, yes because you are accustom to. That was my mind too when I switch ( after 10 year I have tube electronics. ) to SS and over time I learned that I was not wrong when I decided to go for SS that by a wide margin puts you or any music lover ( not hardware lovers as the tube audiophiles. ) nearer to the recording, it is way faitfully to that where tubes just can't do it at the same quality levels.
SS electronics in top good designs comes with very wide frequency response at around 1Mhz+ and for very good reasons, are really low noise units and comes with extremely low distortions of any kind. It's a new world just you need time to take in count about, you can't do it in just one week and certainly not in a system that is not the definitive one where almost " day by day " is changing.
When any one want to evaluates the SS against tube kind of sound always wants that the SS electronics comes with at least a little signature of the tube sound they are accustom too and this kind of attitude is totally wrong because both electronic alternatives are way way different ( like digital vs analog. ) and today SS are way superior just because is way better electronic alternative.
If you attend to a MUSIC live event ( example only. ) where you are seated at near field position and listen to put attention that that MUSIC performance at real SPL is: agressive, brigthness, extremely fast transients, full of power, extreme dynamics, transparent with natural color, very well balanced , even some times a horn we can listen its hardness, timing and full of emotions.
Then compare it against a home audio system that the best can shows is to puts us nearer to the recording and SS outperforms easily any tube electronics and believe me I'm not biased through one way or the other I'm biased with the MUSIC and how should be sound/performs at home and nothing else.
FM Acoustics is a name I 'm in love for many many years. As a fact when we were in the design and build of our phonolinepreamp the targets I defined were that our unit could outperform any phonolinepreamp in the market or at least been a serious challenge for any units including FM Acoustics that I tested several times thank's to the dealer here that was my friend ( today he is not dedicated to sale audio any more. ) and I tested several other brands in my system and in other top systems with top analog rigs.
You asked: FM Acoustics or Accuphase? I have not to think about to give you the answer: FM Acoustics with out any doubt.
M. Huber designer and owner of FM just play in a diferent " league ". No single electronic design can beats FM ones, coul be a reference for any audio electronics designers.
In the other side and talking about the crossover several gentlemans think that active electronics is a better option than a passive one and in some ways could be true but depends of the passive design ( that must be extremely " simple " ) and the passive selection parts in the design ( this issue is critical. ).
Now, I did what I dit it at the input of my ampliers do that my monobloks are coupled at the input by one capacitor and thank's to that and after found out how to keep the amp boards diagrams finally I did it just changing that input cap for another cap with a way smaller capacitance value followed by changing a resistor for different value that already been in that board. So, I'm lucky enough to do it but before that I did it through extrenal active crossover as Bryston, Threshold, the one in the Velodynes and other options.
So, in reality I don't did it " nothing " but improved the quality level performance of the monobloks it self with that cap/resistor of very high quality compared with the stock ones ! ! along the desired crossover frequency.
I don't know which could be the kind of passive design your " man " can do it but yes it's an option and you can try it but you need a way for compare against other alternative and the only one could be the one that comes in the subwoofer crossover.
Perhaps the best and only alternative to active crossover than the Bryston is this:
Dear @uwiikz : A mix up from my parte about my " passive " crossover filter inside my amps.
It’s wrong, it’s not passive but an active one. Its operation is inside the input active amp circuits that as all designs use some passive parts and here was my mix up.
As I posted before almost all prefers to go with active crossover designs, me too.
It does not matters which subwoofers you decide to buy my advise is that you put the audio signal in the K300 through the Bryston external active crossover or the one you like it.
On the phono stage here what Valin " the analog man/reviewer " in TAS think about FM Acoustics:
Thanks for all the excellent suggestions. I will be away from the forum and won’t respond for a while. My dad just had a emergency heart bypass surgery and I have to help my mom takes care of him.
I am blessed. My dad is very stable. Now let’s get back to Analog 😂. I just bought Mola Mola Tambaqui to replace my Cary. WOW what a difference. Now the dang thing is with the ultra high end setup my Kerr K300 started to be the weak link. I will be auditioning Ktema on Thursday
""
If you attend to a MUSIC live event ( example only. ) where you are seated at near field position and listen to put attention that that MUSIC performance at real SPL is: agressive, brigthness, extremely fast transients, full of power, extreme dynamics, transparent with natural color, very well balanced , even some times a horn we can listen its hardness, timing and full of emotions. "
I posted that because at " near field " position is whre recording microphones are seated and that kind of sound is what pick-up and in our room/system listening to the digital or analog alternative our main target should be to stay nearer to the recording, that's what even far away is the only way to approach live MUSIC.
That's is my room/system target but almost any single audiophile has his own targets.
Hi all, I am back! My dad condition dropped for a couple of days then getting better again. He is very stable already for the past week or so and we are not worried at all. I have to admit to overcome my stresses I tend to go wild on upgrades and while taking care of my dad I also managed to stole some times and got some more upgrades: custom teak cabinet and full teak furniture upgrades, big rug on floor both combined made a huge difference on acoustic, Franco Serblin Ktema speakers I fell in love on first audition in my room so it stays. Almost full Siltech Signature line cables everywhere (the rest are Shunyata Sigma, Acrolink Mexcell but will be replaced by Siltech in steps) thanks to @bvdiman a fellow member here from same city as me whom I chat with daily now, Jadis DPMC Phono stage (demo will be replaced by Jadis JPS3 today), Miyajima Step Up Transformer, Torus AVR16 power conditioner. The problem now is, after I put my Kuzma on steroids with the addition of external Phono and SUT my digital front end with Mola Mola Tambaqui sounds like mini compo radio compared to the Kuzma. What to do oh what to do 😅
Thanks for the compliment, I finally am on the right track. @bvdiman has been a great mentor and has helped me many times in avoiding costly mistakes. It’s time to attack my digital front end now. Ktema is not bi-wire able, I bypassed the power on the E-650. It is so freaking amazing, I can make it sterile or romantic depending on setup, very very transparent but retains old SF signature. I love it but I am still eager to listen to Kerr K100 if the dealer finally decides to stock one.
Considering Lampizator GG2 for DAC and Aries Cerat Talos Signature for phono. Home auditioning Jadis JS3 phono right now, it very nice but too revealing and unforgiving for me, all the imperfections on my vinyl pressing are being voiced loudly, I now really have to choose my Vinyl carefully because what sounded good before using JS3 is now sounding dirty on JS 3 (only on certain less than perfect recordings). Paying slightly more than Jadis JS3 I can get Aries Cerat Talos Signature.... make sense?
Dear @uwiikz : I already posted something I will post again. With all respect you are a " panacea " / " crowns jewel " for any audio distributor because you are an analog new comer with $$$ and nothing else, your analog knowledge levels is poor because you did not have enough time ( years. ) to learn so you are making mistake after mistakes: your mistakes and your money too.
Do you know why exist a phono stage?, I will repeat again:
first than all to MIMIC the RIAA eq. curve used in the recording LP process. This is the main and more critical an important reason why exist phono stages units.
MIMIC means that the inverse heavy RIAA eq. in any phono stage must and should be permiting that the after the RIAA inside the phono stage the cartridge signal be accurately FLAT with both channels ( L/R. ) doing the same and with the same level of inverse RIAA eq. deviation.
The analog manufacturers and the true audiophiles and music lovers know very well those issue and today that inverse RIAA eq. deviation can’t be hiogher than 0.1db.
Things are that Jadis alond the Aries has a swing over 0.4db ! ! Truly bad, even Parasound 3k price unit outperform it and with lower noise levels . The FM 223 only 0.03db, that’s engeenering to the MUSIC/sounds service home reproduction.
""" The problem now is, after I put my Kuzma on steroids with the addition of external Phono and SUT my digital front end with Mola Mola Tambaqui sounds like mini compo radio compared to the Kuzma. What to do oh what to do . """
Nothing wrong with digital the problem is your analog electronics that are developing extremely high distortions ( every kind. ) levels that digital does not but seems to me that you like those kind of distortions that kind of fake sound so stay with, is your privilege. Btw,those " all imperfections "# with your LPs are " voiced loudly " because what I’m posting here.
If you don’t stop with your attitude of an " alone child in a full candies store " you can’t learn ever. This is not my opinion but a fact.
Btw, """
beautiful analog setup.. """, really?. Your analog set up is terrible when the TT is not in the rigth platform need it and is side by side to the speaker back and side vents bass woofers sound/Power. Just terrible contamination/degradation.
Dear @uwiikz : I already posted something I will post again. With all respect you are a " panacea " / " crowns jewel " for any audio distributor because you are an analog new comer with $$$ and nothing else, your analog knowledge levels is poor because you did not have enough time ( years. ) to learn so you are making mistake after mistakes: your mistakes and your money too.
what a combination! You have perfectly interpreted my thought expressed a few pages back only that your opinion was expressed in a more diplomatic way.
Please do it a favor ( is up to you. ) and ask your self how camn you truly make an audio item evaluation quality performance levels in that overall set up where still is the TV screen, non adequated room treatment, changing audio items every day evry 2 minutes,. What in reality are you evaluating if any? As I said is up to you but makes no sense to follow that same path/road full of obstacles ( read mistakes ). You will arrives " no-where ".
Uwiikz, Your system is “evolving” at a rate only seen in science fiction movies. In those movies, the mutation rate is also high, resulting in some sort of monster that then has to be dealt with by the good guys. I agree with Raul and several others that you would be best served to stop auditioning new equipment and instead to settle down and listen to what you have for at least several months, if not a year or more, before making any further changes. I think you’ll find that your decision making is higher in quality if you do it that way. And without a doubt you will save a great deal of money.
@lewm the analog is a bad beast if you don’t dominate it like a wild horse in a rodeo risking spending a lot of money before finding the right path; everything is easier with digital where there is nothing to adjust or calibrate because everything is ready as the manufacturer thought. This is why I argued that personal experience accumulated over the years is needed for the analogic world, an experience that the seller can have but which can never replace the customer’s personal taste. unfortunately there are people who think that buying the best turntable, the best tonearm, the best cartridge, the best connecting cables will get the best sound ... sorry it doesn't work that way.
The OP has quite an assortment of hi end gear. System appears to be in a nice room, but it's not optimizing the potential of that pricey gear. What a shame. Looks like it may sound "hot"-lots of hard, reflective surface. I could be wrong, just my observation.
If you enjoy it, that's all that matters. I can only dream of owning that level of hifi.
For what little it's worth, my advice to the OP has nothing to do with analog vs digital. For whatever source, the best way to figure out what you want from your audio system and how to get there is to take time enough to evaluate what you have and to advance from there in small steps. I don't think most of us would go about it in any other way, so I don't think my opinion is any sort of revelation to most. For example, how can you know what to do next, if you buy a new digital source or a new cartridge/tonearm/turntable in the same week that you also buy a new amplifier or speakers?
This topic going crazy... Not pretending for "the best", but would like to share " my moderate priced system " (this is what i am using today).
Minor rearrangement at my Lab. Find the difference... AT-616 Pneumatic insulators from Audio-Technica are great under Tannoy System 15 mk2 monitors (not designed stands yet). Zu Audio Druid speakers moved backwards and connected as a separate solid state system now. Tannoy 15 inch is my main tube system. Hello from the low level knowledge amateur. Life is good (I think I paid less than $30k for everything step by step on used market).
First Watt passive preamp Pass Labs Aleph L (passive/active pream) Fist Watt F2J current source power amp Yamamoto A-08s 45 tube power amp with NOS tubes from the 1930s
2 x Luxman PD-444 direct drive turntables Micro Seiki CU-180 copper mat Sakura Systems Graphite Mat FR-64s with B-60 + FR7fz cartridge FR-64fx with N-60 without cartridge now :) Lustre GST-801 + Miyabi MCA cartridge Denon DA-401 with Pickering XSV/5000 MM
Custom racks (my own design). Acoustic room treatment from Vicoustic (Portugal).
More great turntables, rare tonearms and cartridges in the vault. Many original records from the 50s, 60’s, 70’s, early 80’s.
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