With Göbel using an all-Wadax, Level 8 front-end, including the Reference Server and Transport, we had the opportunity to compare the three different clamps, with a marked (and universal) preference for the lighter, tuneable version, which delivered a significant lift in agility, articulation and flow in the playing, micro-dynamic jump, focus and transparency in the presentation. While Wadax is still experimenting with the various combinations and results will vary with different systems, this looks like a really worthwhile development for Ref Transport owners, allowing on-site/in-system optimisation of optical disc replay.
It seems like playing optical discs and vinyl are getting closer every day – and not just in terms of absolute performance.
The Fink Team Spot Loudspeaker
By Steve Dickinson
I also, er, spotted a new loudspeaker from FinkTeam: the Spot. Yes, really. Named after Lt Data’s pet cat, this follows the FinkTeam tradition of naming its own speakers after Star Trek characters. I’ve used their Kims (Der Prinz… – Gy8) in my own system for a few years now and still love their combination of coherence, cohesiveness, natural timbres and energy; areas where, in my experience, they have few peers at their price. The Spot is somewhat more conventional (and I suspect, to many eyes rather more attractive) in appearance than the Kims, being a modestly-sized 6-inch, 2-way, floor-standing design, still with an AMT tweeter, but all now housed in an attractively curved, wood finish facia which may find more domestic approval than the Kims’ open frame, built-in stand arrangement. Starting at a projected price of less that €10K, they are a little cheaper than the Kims, but still sit above the EPOS range, which FinkTeam also owns and manufactures. Sounding well worthy of further investigation, I’m planning to pursue this as they become available for review. This was another of the smaller systems that was giving a very good account of itself in the ACV rooms, where larger, more ambitious systems seemed to struggle.
The Kuzma ‘One size Fits All’ Armboard
By Roy Gregory
Kuzma’s analogue related products are as numerous as they are long of shelf-life. One implication of the fact that they still offer every tonearm they’ve ever designed is that their range includes arms with effective lengths from 9” to 14”, not to mention a passive parallel tracker!
The arrival of the high-performance/high value Stabi R record deck, with its ability to carry up to four arms on a variety of different armboards/mounts has, in turn multiplied the range of parts that both Kuzma and their dealers and distributors need to carry, if all options and demonstration demands are going to be met. That situation is eased slightly by the fact that all of the ‘arms use the same six-bolt mounting pattern. Exploiting the large footprint of the Stabi M armboard, they already provided a dual mount suitable for both the original 11” and later, 14” 4Point tonearms. But now they’ve gone a step further – and it’s quite a step.
