SME 3012R and new Kuzma in the house

[Kcin]

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 .

 

[jeff1225]

That doesn't look like any SME 3012R I've ever seen. The arm mount is different, the arm rest is from a Series I and the counter weight is from a Series I or II.

 

[PeterA]

I agree with Jeff. That arm looks nothing like my SME 3012R. Perhaps @ddk can tell us exactly what it is.

I like the look of the arm boards. Nice work. I'll be interested in your comparisons. I have heard though never tested myself, that the 3012R is superior to all other SME arms and earlier variants.

 

[Kcin]

The arm mount is definitely a donor and I have extra weights here. We will see in terms of what I have here. I have another one coming in as well. Fun experiment.

 

[Direct Drive]

That doesn't look like any SME 3012R I've ever seen. The arm mount is different, the arm rest is from a Series I and the counter weight is from a Series I or II

My thoughts exactly. Not a 3012R.

 

[Robert Young]

I agree with Jeff. That arm looks nothing like my SME 3012R. Perhaps @ddk can tell us exactly what it is.

I like the look of the arm boards. Nice work. I'll be interested in your comparisons. I have heard though never tested myself, that the 3012R is superior to all other SME arms and earlier variants.

It is interestingly different from what I have seen (and used), but the third image is from an SME brochure and looks like what we're seeing here...at least in terms of the bearing.

 

[Direct Drive]

It is interestingly different from what I have seen (and used), but the third image is from an SME brochure and looks like what we're seeing here...at least in terms of the bearing.

The first image is a 3012R. The following images look to me like a 3012 MK1 without the additional anti-skate that folded over the the top of the bearing house.

 

[Robert Young]

The first image is a 3012R. The following images look to me like a 3012 MK1 without the additional anti-skate that folded over the the top of the bearing house.

I agree!

 

[microstrip]

It looks like a very early SME 3012 - the best news is that probably it includes the stainless steel original arm tube, thicker than the one of the 3012R.

 

[Kcin]

The arm tube is definitely SS this is likely a MK1 ... there is no bias set up with this arm. So not exactly as advertised.. my apologies many variants and I am not an expert on SME. The other one I have coming in for compare is definitely a R... we shall see how they all fair in the up coming shoot outs.

 

[microstrip]

The arm tube is definitely SS this is likely a MK1 ... there is no bias set up with this arm. So not exactly as advertised.. my apologies many variants and I am not an expert on SME. The other one I have coming in for compare is definitely a R... we shall see how they all fair in the up coming shoot outs.

See this site http://www.analogue-classics.com/html/sme_3009___3012.html

 

[BruceD]

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

 

[Ovenmitt]

The SME you have there is a 3012 series 1. It’s very rare and IMHO, exceptional. I have both 3012 series 1 and R on my Garrard at the moment.

 

[bazelio]

@Kcin fun! Absolutely remove the 4-point damping troughs as @Vienna and I have done. Do so even before first listen, and don't look back.

 

[Kcin]

@Kcin fun! Absolutely remove the 4-point damping troughs as @Vienna and I have done. Do so even before first listen, and don't look back.

I just planted the the arm and set it up roughly tonight. Best do it now or deal with the mess of the silicone!

 

[Vienna]

I just planted the the arm and set it up roughly tonight. Best do it now or deal with the mess of the silicone!

I have tried silicone in all combinations with both vertical and horizontal troughs. In every case i was getting a negative effect on the sound, so I had left them void, until I finally removed them after reading an article and having contacted Kuzma.

the sound improvement I got with the troughs removed is unbelievable.

 

[bazelio]

 

[kodomo]

@Kcin fun! Absolutely remove the 4-point damping troughs as @Vienna and I have done. Do so even before first listen, and don't look back.

I attest to this. I still can not believe how everything locked into place after this! It was already very good but now it is perfect for me.

 

[Kcin]

You have me convinced on the troughs. I used them filled and unfilled on my previous 4 point to the point of being neurotic assess the value of them. They will come off.

In the meantime. One of my boards has been bored to accommodate the 3012 on my outboard pod and I may get to setting it up along with the Kuzma this weekend.

BTW I contacted one my HK friends and he is quite an SME aficionado and it is confirmed it is a MK1 . This one is pristine and he mentioned that in some circles it is more coveted than the R..... no idea as to the sonics one way of the other just yet in my application. I will find out and compare it to a real R likely before the new year.

 

[advanced101]

I would be super grateful if you provided a comparison of the Kuzma and FR-64S with the Koetsu Jade. I have the 64S but the quality of the Kuzma is excellent. But I wonder if the Kuzma would be too dark.