Kuzma - Stabi S Turntable

Special Order — expected availability 2–4 weeks.

Kuzma’s plinthless entry turntable — two 50mm solid brass rods clamped in a T — supplied here with the 9-inch Stogi S CE unipivot tonearm.

The Stabi S has been in production since 1998 and Kuzma has never needed to redesign it. The defining decision is what it leaves out: there is no plinth. Two solid brass rods, each 50mm in diameter, are clamped together in a T shape, giving a short rigid path between the bearing, the platter and the arm pillar with no flat plate anywhere to resonate or to carry vibration between them.

The AC synchronous motor lives in its own separate brass tower, isolated from the chassis, and drives a 30mm solid aluminium platter through a ground flat rubber belt onto an aluminium sub-platter. The bearing is a single-point design: a highly polished fine-grain carbon steel shaft of 10mm diameter running in a resin and textile composite sleeve chosen for its damping and sliding properties, filled with oil at assembly. The platter carries a mat with a rubber damping insert underneath, and records can be clamped.

Speed selection on the base deck is mechanical and worth understanding before you buy. To move from 33 to 45 you lift the platter off and slip a black plastic crown ring over the motor pulley, which enlarges its effective diameter. It is not a stepped pulley — the belt stays where it is. The optional Kuzma PS AC outboard supply replaces this with a front-panel button, and adds fine speed trim on each speed set against a strobe disc and stored to non-volatile memory. With that supply fitted the model is properly called Stabi S PS AC.

Kuzma’s own arms bolt directly to the brass pillar with no armboard needed, and VTA is set by releasing a clamping screw with a 3mm Allen key and sliding the pillar up or down — adjustable on any arm mounted, and adjustable while a record plays. Other brands mount on optional pre-cut brass bases. The acrylic lid is standard equipment, not an extra.

The Stogi S supplied here is Kuzma’s 9-inch straight-tube unipivot, in production since 1992. Its pivot runs in an oil well for very low friction, while a separate silicone-filled reservoir around the bearing shaft damps cartridge resonance and stabilises azimuth — the usual weak point of a unipivot design. The headshell is machined from a single block of aluminium and is not detachable; the base is solid brass. Two counterweights do double duty, the thicker one setting tracking force and the thinner one rotating to set azimuth, with a fine azimuth trim screw inside the thicker weight that changes nothing else. The wiring is one uninterrupted run from headshell to plug with no internal break. The CE designation denotes the Cardas copper loom terminated in captured ETI Copper Bullet RCA plugs — the plug design ETI Research took over from Eichmann.

Features

• Plinthless chassis — two 50mm solid brass rods clamped in a T, no flat plate to resonate
• AC synchronous motor in its own isolated brass tower, ground flat rubber belt drive
• 30mm solid aluminium platter on an aluminium sub-platter, with mat and rubber damping insert
• Single-point bearing — polished carbon steel shaft in a resin/textile composite sleeve, oil filled
• 33 and 45 rpm. Base deck changes speed by a slip-over crown pulley ring; the optional PS AC supply adds a front-panel button and storable fine speed trim
• VTA adjustable on any mounted tonearm by sliding the brass arm pillar, 3mm Allen key
• Acrylic lid supplied as standard
• Supplied with the 9-inch Kuzma Stogi S CE unipivot tonearm
• Stogi S: oil-well pivot for low friction plus a separate silicone reservoir for damping
• Stogi S: headshell machined from a single aluminium block, solid brass base, non-detachable
• Stogi S: two counterweights for tracking force and azimuth, with a fine azimuth trim screw
• Stogi S CE: Cardas copper wiring in one uninterrupted run to captured ETI Copper Bullet RCA plugs
• Built in Kranj, Slovenia. Two-year warranty, extendable to five on registration within 30 days

Specifications

• Type: Belt-drive turntable, non-suspended
• Motor: AC synchronous, 24-pole, in a separate isolated brass tower
• Drive: Ground flat rubber belt, motor pulley to aluminium sub-platter
• Speeds: 33 and 45 rpm
• Speed Change: Base deck: slip-over crown pulley ring, fitted with the platter removed. With the optional Kuzma PS AC supply: front-panel button, plus fine trim on each speed stored to memory
• Platter: Solid aluminium, 30mm thick. Kuzma publishes the mass as 4.8 kg (10.6 lbs) in its current manual and 4.3 kg (9.5 lbs) on its website
• Bearing: Single-point contact. Polished fine-grain carbon steel shaft, 10mm diameter, in a resin/textile composite sleeve, oil filled
• Chassis: Two solid brass rods, 50mm diameter, clamped in a T. No plinth
• Finishes: Brass or black. Custom RAL finishes to order
• Tonearm Supplied: Kuzma Stogi S CE, 9 inch
• Tonearm Capacity: One arm up to 10 inch as standard. A second arm and 12 inch arms need optional kits
• Armboard: Not required for Kuzma arms — they fit the brass pillar directly. Pre-cut brass bases available for other brands
• VTA Adjustment: Yes — brass arm pillar raised or lowered after releasing a 3mm Allen clamping screw
• Turntable Dimensions: 400 x 300 mm. Kuzma’s current manuals give the height as 140mm; its website and 2022 catalogue give 170mm
• Turntable Weight: 13 kg (28.7 lbs)
• Power Supply: Mains lead to the motor as standard. The optional Kuzma PS AC outboard supply adds electronic speed selection and fine trim
• Suspension: None
• Levelling Feet: Not fitted
• Tonearm Type: Unipivot, straight tube, non-detachable headshell machined from solid aluminium on a solid brass base
• Effective Length: 229 mm
• Pivot to Spindle: 212 mm
• Offset Angle: 23 degrees
• Effective Mass: 11 g
• Tonearm Mass: 690 g
• Maximum Cartridge Weight: 15 g as standard. Optional light and heavy counterweights extend the range
• Damping: Silicone, in a reservoir around the bearing shaft. Separate oil well at the pivot for low friction
• Azimuth Adjustment: Yes — by rotating the thinner counterweight, with fine trim from a screw in the thicker counterweight
• Anti-Skate: String loop and hanging weight
• Tonearm Wiring: Cardas copper, one uninterrupted run from headshell to plug, terminated in captured ETI Copper Bullet RCA plugs. 58 pF. XLR and 5-pin DIN available to order
• Included: T base with bearing, motor tower, sub-platter, platter, mat, acrylic lid, belt, 45 rpm crown pulley ring, 45 rpm adaptor, bearing oil, 3mm Allen key, manual, and the Stogi S CE tonearm with its counterweights, bias assembly, silicone oil, protractors and non-magnetic mounting screws
• Not Included: Cartridge. The record clamp, PS AC power supply, platforms, second-arm kit and 12 inch beam kit are all separate
• Origin: Made in Kranj, Slovenia
• Warranty: Two years, extendable to five if registered with Kuzma within 30 days of purchase
• Note: Kuzma publishes no speed accuracy, wow and flutter or rumble figures for this turntable