SME 3012R and new Kuzma in the house

Kcin

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I will do the comparison for you.. Lots going on though you may have to be a little patient.

I have a brand new RSP here in a box as well- I would like to try but I can't bring myself to put it on... it may be sold soon.
 

Kcin

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Hmm-- yes it could be a very early ,rare or homogenised version(sorry) -has apparent differences from mine below.
Ah well if it works to spec and pleases--thats all the matters I suppose--good luck
BruceD
View attachment 72327
That is a nice pristine sample you have. Mine is an earlyMk1 after more investigation- not homogenized :)

 

BruceD

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That is a nice pristine sample you have. Mine is an earlyMk1 after more investigation- not homogenized :)

Yes it was a NOS still with original factory wrapping/etc--you seem to have made major score with your series 1 --Kudos!

I have the Kuzma 4point as well- and agree with all remove the trough-while it is a joy to align the Azimuth/etc I just wish Franc would have given

us a little more even area at the head shell to place the bubble;)--minor quibble with a great arm tho!

Enjoy!

BruceD
 
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ddk

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Very grateful to a member in our group who has extended an "extended" loan of the SME 3012R to me. I will trial this in my system over the course of the next few months and let you know if I agree to all the fuss on this arm.

Making a debut as well will be a brand new Kuzma 4 pt with Kondo wire and ruby bearings that just arrived from my analog crack dealer. My previous 4 pt had the steel bearings and I believe discovery wire. I have no idea what to expect other than it should be different. I have burned the wire in with the Audiodarhma and hopefully I will set it up in the Brinkmann Balance now that my arm boards have come back from anodizing. Anyone having an opinion on the ruby bearings vs, old or the Kondo wire option- I would love to hear from you- even though the horse has left the barn.

When I picked up the SME I dropped off my Fidelity Research FR64s as well and it will be rewired with one loom of his proprietary silver litz wire .. I will get rid of the DIN. Very excited about this as well to listen with my Koetsu. Lots of analog changes .
Hi Nick,

Sorry, little late to this thread!

Looking at your pictures you have what I call a Frankenstein SME put together from orphaned and remanufactured parts. I don't know where you bought it from but they lied if they sold it as a 3012-R. Unfortunately you don't have a functioning Series 1 nor an early prototype of any SME tonearm. Looking at your pictures it seems like your rider weight is remanufactured new, the sled base unless mounted backwards is wrong and your arm is definitely rewired and connectors replaced by RCA jacks of unknown origin and quality. You might like something about it but this tonearm will not sound like anything SME designed or intended. From headshell to the phono cable SME designed a complete and in someways closed system, IMO substituting tweaks and other parts results in inferior sound. The only comparison here is between a "parts" tonearm vs your Kuzma.

david
 
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Kcin

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Hi Nick,

Sorry, little late to this thread!

Looking at your pictures you have what I call a Frankenstein SME put together from orphaned and remanufactured parts. I don't know where you bought it from but they lied if they sold it as a 3012-R. Unfortunately you don't have a functioning Series 1 nor an early prototype of any SME tonearm. Looking at your pictures it seems like your rider weight is remanufactured new, the sled base unless mounted backwards is wrong and your arm is definitely rewired and connectors replaced by RCA jacks of unknown origin and quality. You might like something about it but this tonearm will not sound like anything SME designed or intended. From headshell to the phono cable SME designed a complete and in someways closed system, IMO substituting tweaks and other parts results in inferior sound. The only comparison here is between a "parts" tonearm vs your Kuzma.

david
Thanks for the analysis, I did not pay anything for this. That's the point. I will compare it to what I have and a 3012r coming in in a few weeks.
 

BruceD

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Oh dear -Red Faces all round--our Walls of Jericho have come tumbling when ourJoshua Chimed in

At leat I did half think "Homongenised" in an earlier post but kept it to myself.

Brave up anyway KCin--at least you have an arm that may sound Ok-and for nix?--you're winner in my book;)!

Good luck,

BruceD
 
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Kcin

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I personally don't have any trouble with rewire, the bed plate can be reversed and is as good as gold.....I do have the proper rider weight (I mentioned that way up in the thread) no cash outlay on this and it is a full Mk1 with a rewire... good fun all the way around for me!
 

tima

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Mar 3, 2014
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I have the Kuzma 4point as well- and agree with all remove the trough-while it is a joy to align the Azimuth/etc I just wish Franc would have given

us a little more even area at the head shell to place the bubble;)--minor quibble with a great arm tho!

Fwiw, the latest Feickert bubble level works quite well on a 4Point headshell. Feickert uses the 4Point as the example tonearm for instructions in his Adjust+ manual.

Feickert bubble level.jpg

You can buy the level alone on ebay - at an appropriate audiophile price.
 
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