Matej Isak talks with legendary Slovenian turntable designer Franc Kuzma
How did all started for Franc Kuzma
audio?
My
love for rock music evolved into an appreciation for jazz and classical music
and to listen your favourite records you needed a playback system. Soon I
discovered that on a friend’s system the music sounded fuller, richer, more
realistic than you could even imagine. That is how you get hooked and then you
start exploring why there are these differences. Soon you start realising that
there is more to it.
When did you get “hooked” to the music
and hi-fi?
When
I was about 13-14 I started listening to foreign radio stations, which played
different music to what was then played around us. Records were expensive, so
taping was the cheapest way to build a music library. For the price of one
cassete (1968-1969) you could record two LPs which costs 3-4 times more. But to do this you needed to have a
turntable, amplifiers........ So in 1971-1972 I discovered HIFI.
What made you move into creating fine
machines for vinyl replay?
If
you want to understand why some components sounded better than another you need
to know what affects the differences. To know that you need to know some basic
principles and, together with practical experience and theoretical thinking you
try to get rid of as many compromises as you can in any design. My background
is more mechanical than electrical so for me it was easier to understand
mechanical principles in detail than electrical.
Was that your entry to high-end
industry?
HIFI
in a nutshell is music being reproduced in the best possible way. High-end is
just a level which is trying to be above average HIFI and which became a very
popular phrase in the mid seventies, when quality was defined by measuring,
rather than by listening.
When and how did you present your
turntables abroad?
By
luck and various factors (visiting audio shops abroad, audio shows, knowing some
people in the audio industry, audiophiles community). The tonearm was first
introduced outside Yugoslavia in 1985 when a Stogi tonearm review was published
in HIFI News magazine.
Would you consider yourself as an
audiophile?
Absolutely
and I simply do not understand some people who claim that they do not care
about audio and that only music matters. I am not a musician and music is very
personal. Good reproduction is a technical problem and audiophiles and
designers are there to improve it.
Who were your inspirations, products and
people, which made biggest impact on you (and still are)?
When
you become interested in audio you come across cheaper and then more and more
expensive products - not always in that order.
In
the early 80’s there were a lot of good products around but the magazines, which
started reviewing products by listening and not by measuring, had the greatest
effect. This inspired a lot of good designs and new thinking about how to
improve products or set up audio systems. Of course there were companies that were
(and are) established and you try to measure against them. At that time the
most talked about turntables were Linn and Oracle and when J.R.(the owner of
Oracle) visited me to talk about buying our tonearms for their turntables, we
knew we had proved that our product was good. At that time other good products
were AR, CJ, Quad, ML, VDH,.....
Kindly list all of the present products
from Kuzma?
We
currently make three turntables and 9 tonearms. The turntables vary in mass and
concept. The smallest turntable is Stabi
S, which can be adapted to take two tonearms.
Stabi Reference is a suspended turntable with two motors and is of an
aluminium and acrylic sandwich construction.
Our biggest turntable is Stabi XL with 4 motors, a 24 kg heavy platter
and weighing in total 110 kg.
We
produce standard, ball bearing (ABEC 7) tonearms called Stogi and Stogi Ref,
including a 12 inch version with VTA towers. The cheapest is Stogi S tonearm
with a unipivot bearing and a 12-inch version with optional VTA. Our more expensive tonearms are the 4Point
tonerm with our unique four point bearing and a tangential air bearing tonearm
called Air Line.
Stabi S, Stabi Reference and Stabi XL.
What connects them and how they share the Kuzma DNA?
They
use all the same drive belt and motors with different power supplies.
The
bearings also have similar types of shafts and sliding material combined with the
same finishing touches on the shafts. This gives a smooth uniform drive. The platter
is either a combination of aluminium and acrylic, or aluminium internally
damped with rubber foam. All runouts are below 0.02 mm. They also share the
same mat.
A
rigid connection between the platter bearing and tonearm mount is very
important, altough Stabi XL has none. Here pure mass acts as a rigid fixed non
resonant distance between the record and cartridge.
Insulation
from the floor is minimal on Stabi S but, due its non resonant construction,
the turntable is not sensitive, especially when used with properly constructed
tonearms. The biggest turntable again uses its mass to be stable, while Stabi
Ref uses a low resonance, damped filtering system ( 2.2 Hz), thus avoiding the need
for special insulation platforms.
Please elaborate more on Stabi XL. This
is you premium turntable. What makes it so special?
Beside
the description above, all parts are designed in such way that they are inert,
rigid, have minimal resonance and have a precise drive and bearing. Also its
tonearm VTA tower allows simple but rigid and precise VTA adjustment as well as
being able to accomodate any tonearm. It is possible to fit three towers in
total.
Stabi S is well known turntable among
audiophiles. Please tell us more about it’s unique design?
The
main feature is a very rigid non-resonant connection between the platter
bearing and tonearm support. Most
turntables have a plate of a certain thickness and if you knock on it it will
resonate , thus making unwanted movements between the record and needle. In
Stabi S there is a brass rod of 50 mm - just knock on it - it will not resonate. The
rest is all the same, all parts are made with this aproach in mind. A precise
drive with minimal resonance and disturbance gives tonearms a chance to show
how good they are.
Why do you think Stabi S found so
many happy homes?
It is the simplest
possible, good non-compromise turntable. Its design follows its function and, as
a result, it has even been exhibited in a few shows of industrial design.
Would you say that greatly designed
turntable as Stabi S can perform very well with the state of the art tonearm
and cartridge?
Absolutely,
that is how it was designed and only then can you see how good the turntable
is.
Stabi S and Stabi XL share brass as a
main material for their construction. This is no coincidence right?
Brass is a heavy,
dense low resonant material and although it is easy to machine, it is not easy
to keep a good finish.
High mass in turntable design. Fetish or
working principle?
Mass
must be properly distributed to gain structual rigidity where it is needed. I cannot imagine any precise machine being
flimsily made whether it is a grinding machine, microscope, a high quality
camera or even hand tools.
Did you ever consider any other
principle then belt driven one?
Yes,
but there is always a compromise between bringing uniform momentum onto the
platter from a motor and at the same time avoiding bringing motor vibration onto
the platter. The compromise is to use as rigid
belt as possible with low vibration and low cooging motor. But if you
use a heavy platter, then you need to bring enough momentum onto the platter.
What would be the ultimate dream
turntable design?
It
would be very expensive, but I had a glimpse of what is possible when we try a
very heavy platter (50kg) with no bearing friction and without any drive at all.
Tangential vs regular tonearm?
If the
tangential tonearm compromises bearing and structural rigidity, you are better
off with the best pivoted arms.
A tangential
tonearm’s zero point in flimsy bearings is a compromise and the cartridge
cannot read the grooves properly, especially in heavily modulated grooves,
which is not a problem with best pivoted arms. So it is a matter of design
rather then principle.
Do you think that both designs can be
used in ultimate playback?
Absolutely.
4Point caught a lot of attention.
What sets it apart?
We use a similar
approcah in all our products, but in 4Point we managed to make bearings with very
low friction and noise and, at the same time is this novel bearing system stable
and rigid, giving cartridge to simply be above record and needle can move only
as groove requires.
Any plans to re-introduce Kuzma
cartridges?
Yes,
but it is too soon to elaborate - it might be our own brand made in Japan.
Best cartridges on the market in your
view?
All
the best models from the best cartridge makers.
Best buy regardless the price and budget
ones?
I
don’t have much experience lately in this area.
Many found great synergy with legendary
Denon DL-103 and Stabi S. What do you think about this combination?
I
hear it is very good, but Stabi S &Stogi S would perform even better with
Denon’s best cartridge.
Upcoming Stabi M is another stand out.
What was the goal and inspiration behind this design?
To
make a classic looking turntable with a lid, able to take 12 inch tonearms and
being the best possible turntable. It will weigh 60 kg with a 12 kg heavy
platter and novel drive belt.
Can you kindly tell us more about
benedictions of 12” tone arms?
I
believe that lower tangential distortion is not a main factor. If so, then all
tonearms would play wonderfully at zero points (66 or 110mm), but they do not. The
tonearm behaves with more stability due to a smaller impact of bias forces on the tonearm and lower
resonance frequency. Also bearing
vibrations are further away from the cartridge.
How important is VTA for the ultimate
replay?
Very,
but not always.
It seems there is no universal setting
for VTA. There are so many factors affecting this. Is on the fly adjustment a
must for ultimate reproduction?
I
set up VTA (taking into account that tracking force changes VTA) within less
then 0.1mm and then leave it there for most of the records. If you have an easy
VTA adjustment you can easy change it if, for example the record is screaming at
you, you lower the VTA for few 0.1mm and that makes the sound more pleasant. Of
course VTA and azimuth are both important!
Your view on magnetic bearing, which is
used by some companies?
Most
companies do not use a magnetic bearing, but only magnetic force to minimise
platter trust on the bearing. A passive
magnetic bearing act like a spring and the platter will go up and down. An air bearing is a much better ultimate solution.
I
tried a Furutech demagnetising machine for LPs, which works by eliminating tiny
magnetic forces which are in the vinyl - and the resulting sound is remarkable.
So personally I am trying to avoid any magnetic forces as much as possible.
Kuzma Audio products are well known
worldwide. How does it feel to be an ambassador of high-end society?
When
we discover something which improves the sound from records and knowing that
this will be another step towards our ultimate goal, it does feel good, for a
while.
It must be great feeling to know, that
your creations helped connect so many music lovers to their bellowed artists?
I
do got a lot of thank you letters (emails) from satisfied customers who
appreciate what we do.
What product of yours you’re most proud
of?
It
is always the latest. Along with those which we’ve produce the longest.
Do you produce everything in house?
Yes, but of
course machining, anodising and painting parts are done by our contractors with
whom we have a close relationship. For
example, just for the 4Point tonearm we need to have 200 parts.
What would you say is specific about
stand out reproduction signature quality of your turntables?
Hopefully
nothing! They let the records speak for themselves.
You don’t hide anything as far as I
know. Just honest and clever engineering?
Most
of our designs are open – you can see how is everything made- they do look
simple.
Tubes vs Transistors?
I will ask
this: What is better: a good tube vs a bad
transistor or a bad tube vs. good transistor.
It is a matter of execution - personally I use tubes at preamp level and
transistors with a lot of quality power.
What would you say that sets Franc Kuzma
turntables above other manufacturers?
What
sets us above I do not know, but we do try to make the best, honest, reliable
and simple as possible products.
Would you say, that ones love for music
reflects in his product?
Love
for music? I do not believe that a great composer or musician can make the best
possible musical instruments because of a love for music. You do need to
understand everything that affects the products
and have the skills to make it better. But a combination of both can be
beneficial.
Prices can go quite high within
high-end. Where is the borderline between luxury and real high-end?
If
all the expensive parts built into a product justify the quality of sound why
not, if someone is prepared to buy it. It shows what is possible and usually
trickles down to cheaper products. But
today’s products seem to emphasise aesthetics. How it will look in the room is
more important than how it performs. So there is more compromise on sound than
on the looks.
There is the high-end and ultra
high-end. What is the difference in you view?
None,
but I presume that price is not the only criteria to be ultra! But there are
always products, which move the boundaries of possible reproduction forwards.
That we could call ultra.
Are high prices a must for some of
the top class products?
Depends on
what is built into it. But customers do not see all the cost involved in making
a product ie research, tools, materials, small quantities of parts, expensive
materials..... For example if you buy a tweeter which is mass produced for 10 EUR
and build it into cheap speaker and another company spends 300 EUR on tweeter
and the product is expensive and they look simliar. Maybe later company sells
their speaker still too cheap despite high price to pay all the costs. But of
course market will soon have final word if company stays in business over
longer period of time.
How important is power supply in your
view?
With
turntable motors - very. Because a good PS gives the motor a chance to perfom
with less vibration and a more uniform rotation. This gives the platter a more
stable, quiet drive.
Speed stability seems of great
importance. Do you constantly refine this part of turntable or you find a
stable solution?
All
electrical motors have vibration and rotate in pulses - yes I am constantly
looking for a better drive.
How would you comment on direct drive
turntables like legendary P3 from Pioneer?
To
me Technics SP 10 is the legendary DD turntable.
Direct Drive vs belt driven?
DD brings smaller pulses on platter and electronic
speed correction always corrects platter
rotation.
Belt
drive has another problem. Motor pulses are filtered via the belt and if there
is not enough power and a heavy platter, there could be a delay in speed
correction, especially with DC motors. But again - how matters are executed in practise
matters more than just theorectical aspects.
Some say that pitch stability is non-existent
with belt driven turntables?
Yes,
hearsay. My friend (a musician) with perfect pitch hears this problem
frequently, independent of the type of turntable - but he uses Stabi S without
any problem.
Resonances. What is you view and
approach in dealing with them?
Resonance
is worst if it is single and very strong. In most cases it is better if it is
broken (or damped) into more weak
resonances . But that depends where, in what system, etc....... But this is a too simplistic view.
What importance do you give to the use
built in elements? Is there a need of exotics parts?
We
always try to use the best possible parts for price range in which the products
will be placed. Another questions is exotic parts - are they just expensive
because they are made in small quantities - like many audio products. If so,
they are not exotic - the problem is that when built into a product they raise
the end price a lot.
Form follows function in Kuzma audio?
I
believe that good design must have all material used where it is mandatory and to
avoid unnecessary parts which can only cause problems - so yes form does follow
function.
Is classic music the top most test
material for state of the art turntable design?
For
me yes, but a Hendrix record can also tell you a lot about the sound. Maybe not
the ultimate about how strings should be heard, but how the music flows
definitively or what you hear in the music itself.
What is your opinion on digital music revolution
and the birth of mp3?
In
the past there were common cheap portable radios and cassettes to listen to
music, now everything is digital and easily available - so more people can now
listen to more music everywhere. But is there more, better music?
How to draw the line between,
resolution, transparency and musicality when building the system?
You
dont! But if you go to listen to few
audio systems with your music, then you should decide for yourselves what is
best for you.
Some
people want to sit in the first row to “see the trees” and some people want to
sit at the back to “see the forest” and they are both right.
What is the reference for your when
designing any products?
Trying
to avoid the shortcomings of previous designs or trying to find new solutions.
Would you say that master tape quality
is possible with turntable?
Yes,
very close I was told. It is even possible to hear more from an LP than from a tape.
Who knows what signal is on a tape which goes into lathe and does not come to
us via tape playback?
Is there a need for a high prices in
high-end?
Need?
If you look our best turntable Stabi XL it costs as much as a car. If it was
produced by the car industry in a milion pieces it would probaby cost 10%. But are there millions of buyers to justify
such high production?
Who is exactly an audiophile?
A
person who likes music and cares to recreate musical events in his living room,
especially of those musicians who cannot perform live anymore. Or is simply
just another hobby.
What is a true meaning of high-end audio
through the eyes of Franc Kuzma?
Two
goals: trying to have musicians in my room and hear my choice of music at that
time which suits me best.
Digital audio era is here and ever
changing. How far did we come with it?
For most
people it has been here for a long time and it sounds good. Only those who are
not satisfied with digital sound will know how far we have got. I do not have
much experience.
Do you think digital will ever come
close to analog?
As with
everything, there are always compromises in both technologies, which are
improving all the time.
Best system ever heard in you life?
It is not
simple to answer. It is how you measure the best. Do I talk of 30 years ago
when a decent system sounded the best for me or today when I am more critical?
What do you think about products coming
from East (China)?
The
Quad ESL speaker is made in China and it is better than in the past. This says
a lot. But in the long term, production costs there will go up. In practise High
end is an individual approach to good sound and that is not for mass
production.
Did you ever think to bring other
components besides turntable oriented one?
Yes,
but nothing has materialised yet.
Do you still believe in European
quality and how world responds to this?
People’s approach
to products makes high quality possible everywhere.
How important are the room acoustics
in high-end audio set-up?
Minimal
standards are mandatory; afterwards this depends on how problematic the room is
and the system or, for example how to deal with too big speaker in a small
room.
Einstein talked about simple, but not
over simplified. When is it simple enough for you?
If
you would understand everything ( but nowbody does) then it would be simple. But
then it does not mean that you will find a simple solution to a specific
problem.
What would you say, that is the secret
of continuing presence in high-end audio society?
Whose? Mine? Just to make the best possible products
and, at the same time, not getting lost in the search for good sound.
Does traditional High-end magazines
still holds the value?
We
have now two ways for reviewers to judge components. Via printed magazines and
via the web. It is much cheaper and easier to have a web magazine - there are
plenty of them. Today there are more companies than ever before and they find
it easier to appear on the web than in print. But a lot of reviews - does this
makes it easier for readers? A lot of new companies appear every year in mags
and shows and they last usually few years. When the initial fun of having an
audio company hits reality some customers are then left with “fantastic
products” and no support behind.
I
believe that traditional mags are here more selective.
How important is advertising?
The
bigger the company the more important. But only if you can afford it. Short
term advertising is not the way to achieve much.
Would you say that high quality is more
affordable today or you have to pay premium price for best components and
sound?
If
you look at non-expensive speakers I believe here was made the biggest
improvement. The best cone speakers can today compete with the virtues of ELS.
What do you see the future of audio and
Franc Kuzma in it?
We
will stay in a small niche in vinyl replay and we will see what the future will
bring.
It seems those physical mediums are not
obsolete at all?
Probaby
LPs and files will stay for now.
What is your opinion on rising sales of
vinyl?
This
can be due to the quality of sound, everchanging digital formats and nostalgia,
at least for our generation. Let me give you an example. Imagine that you have
a pill with the perfect taste of steak. Would you prefer to eat that or
actually eat steak and risk eating poorly each time? What would you chose?
Do you think analog master tape
quality can be matched withing digital domain?
The problem
is that analogue tape is not evolving anymore, while Digital is.
Digital recording vs analogue masters.
What are your experiences after all those years?
I
would not know, because I do not buy those LPs. But once I was pleasantly
surprised that an LP was originally made from a digital tape - or was it just a sticker to help sales in the mid
80ties?
Is it possible to achieve concert
feeling with high-end audio?
I would say that
with best systems, yes you could get such feeling.
Is there a place for mystics in audio or
simply good and great engineering?
Well
we still do not know why Stradivarius violins sound superb - is that mysticism
or just forgotten great engineering.
What is your reference when designing
and testing new products?
My
growing knowledge and growing experience together with new technologies.
What is your opinion on SACD audio
quality vs vinyl?
No
experience.
Who
would you say typical Kuzma audio customers are?
I hope as varied as possible who
appreciate good sound from LPs.
Any last thoughts for our readers?
Enjoy
your music in the comfort of your home.
Thank you.
Matej Isak
Mono and Stereo ultra high end audio magazine
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