Components Toggle details

    • Dan D'Agostino Momentum HD Preamplifier
    • Dan D'Agostino Momentum MxV Mono Blocks
    • Estelon YB MK2
    • Zesto Audio Andros 1.2
    • Gold Note PH-10 + PSU-10
    • Acoustic Signature Typhoon NEO
    • Kuzma 4Point 11
    • Glanz MH-1200s
    • Lyra Etna Lambda
    • Ortofon Verizmo
    • Benz Micro LPS MR
    • Soundsmith Sussurro Mk. 2 ES
    • Roon Labs Nucleus
    Roon Core and Streamer
    • Holo Audio May DAC KTE
    • PS Audio P-20
    Regenerator
    • Cardas Audio Clear

Comments 3

Owner
Thanks for the comments, sorry for the late reply, I was out of town for a while.  I'm listening to both the Glanz and the Kuzma on the same records right now.  Each sounds quite different, not necessarily better or worse, just different strengths of presentation.  First a little context, hopefully I don't bore you both.

Everything in the analog set up is new except the Andros 1.2, that, I've had for several years.  I love it.

I was moving up from a VPI prime with a single uni-pivot arm.  One primary motivation was to have more than one arm so I could have more than one cartridge mounted and available for play.  I also wanted to have a detachable headshell and the ability to mount an SPU style cart.

After considering other tables I chose the Acoustic Signature.  I wanted the Montana, but after looking closely I didn't think the level of difference with the Typhoon was worth nearly twice the price.  The Typhoon met my needs and the lower price point left more for arms and cartridges.  It is very flexible and can mount up to three arms.

Once again, I considered lots of arms and landed on the Kuzma and the Glanz.  The Kuzma is mid mass (18g I believe) and the Glanz is high mass (33g I believe).  They are also very different designs.  The Kuzma is a very sophisticated version (VTA on the fly, fluid dampening, etc.) of a uni-pivot but without the difficult setup challenges of the VPI arm.  The Glanz is about as simple as an arm can be.  Both have detachable headshells, the difference being the Kuzma's is proprietary and the Glanz's is a standard SPU mount which is more flexible.  Interestingly, the lower mass Kuzma feels "heavier" when you cue it.  The high mass Glanz is as light as a feather, the balance is perfect and the bearings are so frictionless.

I decided on the Ortofon Verismo and the Ortofon Royal GM MK II SPU for cartridges.  I wanted to have different sounding carts.  Unfortunately, the SPU has been backordered for quite a while.  I got impatient and also bought a Benz Micro LPS so I could use both arms as intended.  The LPS and the Verismo have very different presentations.

Last bit.  I wanted to keep the Andros but it only supports one MC input.  The dealer recommended the Gold Note as a second phono pre.  Very well reviewed so I bought it with the outboard power supply.  Lastly, the Kuzma has a captive cable, the Glanz is a din connection.  I didn't have a din cable so I bought a Cardas Clear Beyond din cable to use with the Glanz.

Setup.  The LPS is mounted on the Glanz arm, connected via the Cardas cable to the Andros and to one input of the preamp.  The Verismo is mounted on the Kuzma, connected via its attached cable to the Gold Note and then to a different preamp input.  I can literally lift one arm, lower the other and switch inputs to compare.  That is exactly what I wanted, and very convenient.

That was a long preamble to tell you I can't definitively answer your question about the sound signature for each arm.  The only thing common for them is the table and the preamp, the rest of each chain is all different.  I can tell you both are first class arms that do exactly what I bought them to do.  They both sound wonderful, giving the best of the cartridge they carry.  The Glanz is suited for higher mass carts (LPS is 16g), the Kuzma works with lower mass carts (Verismo is about 9g).  Each works best with low compliance carts.

The Glanz with the LPS is a full rich sound.  Not warm or wooly sounding, all the detail is there, it just emphasizes the richness of the music.  Perfect with acoustic instruments and human voices but also works with taming the shrillness of some poorly recorded rock and pop.  If it were my only arm and cart I'd be very happy.

The Kuzma with the Verismo is more detailed and dynamic.  Not harsh or bright, well balanced and accurate top to bottom.  It is probably more neural that the LPS, but that isn't necessarily better, just a different presentation.  It conveys a sense of richness too, just not as rich.

How much of these differences to attribute to the arms is hard to say.  I can say that well matched to the other components each arm can excel.  Were I forced to choose I would choose the Kuzma arm.  It is a dream to set up and use, is likely more flexible with lighter, higher compliance carts and is very handsome on the silver Typhoon NEO.

A couple of caveats.  I don't like the Glanz headshell, it looks nice but is hard to use.  I don't really like the Gold Note phono pre.  It sounds good (not necessarily great in my opinion) but it has a higher noise floor that the Andros, causing loss of detail.  It staggers me that the solid state unit is noisier than the tube.  I also could never get the LPS/Glanz to play well with the Gold Note.  Noise issues, static and crackly on certain tracks.  Dead quiet with the Andros.  Verismo/Kuzma not an issue for either.  This has forced me to use them differently than I wanted to.  I think I will just upgrade to the top line Zesto with multiple MC inputs and front panel controls and be done with the Gold Note.

Sorry for writing "War And Pease", just tried to give a complete answer with enough detail to make sense.

Excuse any typos, I'll try to post some additional photos.  Thanks for your interest.

Guy

g9taylor

@g9taylor 

We’ll done on component selection 
Yes, more pictures 

So, Glantz vs Kuzuma 
What is you take on the each sound signatures ? 

Jeff 

frozentundra

It reads like a wonderful system. I'd love to see more if it, especially the way you set it up in the room. If you can, please share more images.

dtorc

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