Kuzma Stogi tonearm:

The Kuzma Stogi Tonearm is a very rigid medium mass tonearm with precision ball bearings which, while withstanding very heavy loads, displays extremely low starting and running friction and noise levels. The main frame and all other parts are machined from solid aluminium blocks. Some parts are anodised and some are not, in order to help control tonearm resonance. Kuzma Stogi headshell provides a stable cartridge mounting, while the internally damped tube connects this to the massive bearing parts where any vibration or noise is dispersed.

The Stogi Reference is a well made but heavy tonearm. All the parameters necessary for optimising a cartridges geometry are adjustable and in all cases it is easy to produce repeatable settings. This has made a real difference to the overall sound I have been able to achieve and facilitates more experimentation than I may previously have undertaken. The arm is supplied with an alignment protractor and all the allen keys required to adjust it.
VTF. Gone is the irritation of being unable to easily adjust the VTF without the use of a tracking force gauge. The counterweight is threaded on to the stub and has five red dots screen-printed on it to indicate where you are in relative terms. Kuzma Stogi Initial VTF is set as normal using a tracking force gauge, but subsequent adjustments can be made with reference to the dots. By rotating the counterweight through one entire revolution you vary the tracking force by 0.5g ie each dot corresponds to 0.1g
VTA. This is adjusted by use of an allen key to release the arm from the sleeve that secures it in the arm board, an arrangement that all Linn owners will be familiar with.
Azimuth. There are two hexagonal nuts located on the top of the arm-tube that are unlocked to free up the mechanism which allows adjustment. A third hex nut, located on the side of the arm-tube, is then used to rotate the forward portion of the tube to achieve the desired orientation of the cartridge. The quality of machining is superb and it is difficult to see where the tube is divided, the only giveaway is the mark engraved across the division, it is this which allows repeatable settings
Anti-skate. Is the hanging weight variety and is simply adjusted by use of the supplied Kuzma Stogi allen key (Frank Kuzma loves these things). The instructions contain a table, which correlate the distance the weight is positioned at to the anti-skate applied.
Sound Quality I have always been able to discern the differences that VTF, VTA and anti-skate made when I was using my previous tone-arm, an OL250, however, differences in all of the above are much greater when using the Kuzma Stogi. I find the most useful analogy to be the fine focus of a camera, the Kuzma producing a far more focussed picture of the recording. It manages this without distracting from the overall musical performance, which it conveys with real authority. The bass is much more solid sounding than the OL, the mid range less coloured and the treble brighter without being overly lit (this was one area of concern as I have read that it can sound a bit bright in some situations). The Kuzma Stogi soundstage is more solid and larger than it was with the OL. In fact I would go as far as to say that every aspect of the musical performance is enhanced over that I was able to obtain using my previous arm. This is a view shared by all who were familiar with the old arm and have subsequently heard the Stogi Reference in my system. I had been told by someone I trust, who has pretty broad experience of the world of vinyl and the various products out there that I would have to go a long way to get a significant improvement over the silver wired OL. He might be right but, if he is, then the Stogi Reference is a long way from an OL 250. I am as you can no doubt tell extremely pleased with the arm and would recommend it highly to anyone with a deck that can support its weight and provide it with a quiet enough environment to allow its virtues to shine through. The Kuzma Stogi arm is a significantly more expensive product than the OL 250 but the performance and convenience justifies the investment IME if you have the cash.