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Getting Real

If you: 1) live in an apartment, condo, townhouse, dorm, or share a house or apartment with someone;

2) are going to, have recently graduated from, or have never gone to college and are not working at all, are working a minimum-wage job, or have just gotten your first job but have loans, Visa/MasterCard/American Express bills, a brand-new car payment, and can't afford to eat anything but macaroni and cheese anyway;

3) love music and want to get into hi-fi but can't imagine spending $9000 on a pair of speakers, $2750 on a preamplifier, $7950 for a pair of monoblock power amps, $…

Getting Real Page 2

Later that evening we were sitting listening to music and waiting for the pizza to arrive when I thought I heard a faint knock. I got up quickly—worried that my neighbors had come up to complain—and peered through the peephole: it was the pizza delivery dude. Turns out he'd been knocking throughout the entire run of the Kinks' "Hatred" (Phobia, Columbia CK 48724), but we couldn't hear him because the music was too damn loud, I said! I'm sure my neighbors were loving it—especially with that big-boy sub sitting right on top of their heads.

This room only has two walls!
I kept the…

The July Issue is Here

The July issue—now in mailboxes and on newsstands—features the world's first review of Mark Levinson's fully loaded (and affordable by Levinson standards) No.5805 integrated amplifier, reviews of audio products from CH Precision (a big amplifier), Vanatoo (affordable active speakers), PrimaLuna (a new flagship preamplifier), and Kuzma (their Stabi R turntable). in Analog Corner, Michael Fremer dives deep into Charles Kirmuss's ultrasonic record bath; In Listening, Art Dudley listens to three variations on the BBC minimonitor theme; in Music in the Round, Kal Rubinson auditions what may be…

An Audio/Video Event in Silverdale, Washington

On 26 June at 6pm, Kitsap AV in Silverdale, WA, will be hosting an event at which representatives from several manufacturers—Greg Topp from KLH, Dave Kakenmaster from GoldenEar, Stan Beil from Audioquest, Matt Silberstein from Market Share, and Jordan Gerber from Bob Carver Corporation—will be showing off new products from their lines. Local Rock artist Tony Reed, from Mos Generator and Devils Child Records, will be here as well. Chris Deering, from his new company Deep Dive AV, will be sharing his expertise in audio/video calibration.

Kuzma Stabi R turntable

I've been the proud owner of a Kuzma Stabi S turntable and Stogi S tonearm since 2001. The combination was an impulse purchase, made after seeing and hearing it in action at Stereophile's Home Entertainment Show at the New York Hilton. Even under unruly show conditions, the Kuzma player created rock-solid images and played music with serious jump factor. With its matte brass finish, tubular bell looks, and overtly industrial design, the Slovenian-made Stabi S/Stogi S was steampunk before steampunk. Looking back, it was one of my best-ever audio purchases.

The 29lb belt-driven Stabi S…

Kuzma Stabi R turntable Page 2

I set about navigating the somewhat confusing manual, apparently written for the base Stabi R model and its single detachable aluminum wing. I had to read between the lines to reconcile the instructions with my walnut-framed review sample and its somewhat different armboard arrangement. (Different versions of a new turntable design deserve different, dedicated manuals.)

Once that was sorted, the remaining instructions were clear: Add oil to the bearing well and bearing shaft, and lower the subplatter, with its dunce-hat-shaped hub, onto that shaft; position the belt around the motor…

How Does the Music Make You Feel?

Stereophile's first change in editorial leadership in 33 years calls for a restatement of the magazine's core principles.

Stereophile was founded in 1962 by J. Gordon Holt, on the premise that the best way to review an audio component is to listen to it. Following Holt as editor, John Atkinson turned that premise into a viable concern—a real magazine—and, in 1989, added a regular suite of measurements to Stereophile's otherwise subjective mix.

With his commitment to listening first, JGH created a new genre of audio publications; many others followed in its wake, of which only a…

Kuzma Stabi R turntable Specifications

Sidebar 1: Specifications

Description: Belt-drive, solid-plinth turntable with electronically controlled DC motor. Speeds: 33.33 & 45rpm. Motor type: DC (Pabst). Bearing type: Inverted, ruby thrust ball. Number of tonearm fittings: Up to 4 (additional costs may apply). Dustcover: none. Accessories supplied: bearing oil, Allen wrenches. Power supply: 115/230/50-60Hz.
Dimensions: Basic version: 12.59" (320mm) W by 14.96" (380mm) L by 5.90" (150mm) H. Weight: 66lb (30kg). Wood-framed version: 19.68" (500mm) W by 18.30" (465mm) L by 4" (101mm) H. Weight: 79.2lb (39kg).
Finishes:…

Kuzma Stabi R turntable Associated Equipment

Sidebar 2: Associated Equipment

Analog Sources: Kuzma Stabi S turntable & Stogi S tonearm; Thorens TD 124 Mk.I turntable and Jelco 350S tonearm; Denon DL-103, Hana EL, Ortofon Quintet Bronze cartridges.
Digital Sources: Sony VAIO laptop running Qobuz and Tidal. Tascam CD-200iL CD player. Border Patrol DAC SE, Halide DAC HD, Western Digital T2 Mirror Drives (2).
Preamplification: Auditorium 23 A23 MC step-up transformer, Luxman EQ-500 phono preamplifier, Shindo Laboratory Allegro preamplifier.
Power Amplifier: Shindo Laboratory Haut-Brion.
Integrated Amplifier: Heed…