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The best TT system for under 30K

Hi agoners! 

I have been floored by Kuzma Stabi XL DC with 4 points TA on a recent audition. It was extremely analog sounding, insane details with speed, beat and clarity that made me wonder if I am listening to a live concert, just can’t help my toe tapping. Was comparing the sound to the top of the line Accuphase CD player with the same rest of system and it was no contest. 

Switching from Accuphase CD player to Kuzma XL DC was sounding like adding a pair of subwoofer and going up 2-3 levels on the rest of the system. Mind you the rest of the system was Accuphase E-650 class A integrated that should favor the Accuphase same brand CD player but that wasn’t the case. The speaker was Kerr Acoustics K300 under 10K entry level bookshelf and the sound of the entire entry level system armed with Kuzma XL DC beat the hell out of the entire super high end system the dealer has on the other listening room with Avalon PM3 speakers, Accuphase A-250 monos, Audionet Stern Preamp with Accuphase CD player. 

However obviously I cannot afford the whole set of Kuzma XL DC considering I am also in the process of upgrading my existing system. What will be the closest contender in the US$30.000 retail price range that has the same sonic signature as Kuzma XL DC? 

Thanks in advance for any advices!!
uwiikz
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rauliruegas
12,779 posts
 
uwiikz : I wonder where is your mentor you named?

Please do it a favor ( is up to you. ) and ask your self how camn you truly make an audio item evaluation quality performance levels in that overall set up where still is the TV screen, non adequated room treatment, changing audio items every day evry 2 minutes,. What in reality are you evaluating if any? As I said is up to you but makes no sense to follow that same path/road  full of obstacles ( read mistakes ). You will arrives " no-where ".

R.
lewm
12,453 posts
 
Uwiikz, Your system is “evolving” at a rate only seen in science fiction movies. In those movies, the mutation rate is also high, resulting in some sort of monster that then has to be dealt with by the good guys. I agree with Raul and several others that you would be best served to stop auditioning new equipment and instead to settle down and listen to what you have for at least several months, if not a year or more, before making any further changes. I think you’ll find that your decision making is higher in quality if you do it that way. And without a doubt you will save a great deal of money.
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best-groove
831 posts
 
@lewm the analog is a bad beast if you don’t dominate it like a wild horse in a rodeo risking spending a lot of money before finding the right path; everything is easier with digital where there is nothing to adjust or calibrate because everything is ready as the manufacturer thought.
This is why I argued that personal experience accumulated over the years is needed for the analogic world, an experience that the seller can have but which can never replace the customer’s personal taste.
unfortunately there are people who think that buying the best turntable, the best tonearm, the best cartridge, the best connecting cables will get the best sound ... sorry it doesn't work that way.
tablejockey
3,771 posts
 
"Aries Cerat Talos Signature"
WOW! That's looks pretty serious. $50K phono stage. 

The OP has quite an assortment of hi end gear.  System appears to be in a nice room, but it's not optimizing the potential of that pricey gear. What a shame. Looks like it  may sound "hot"-lots of hard, reflective surface. I could be wrong, just my observation.

If you enjoy it, that's all that matters. I can only dream of owning that level of hifi.
lewm
12,453 posts
 
For what little it's worth, my advice to the OP has nothing to do with analog vs digital.  For whatever source, the best way to figure out what you want from your audio system and how to get there is to take time enough to evaluate what you have and to advance from there in small steps.  I don't think most of us would go about it in any other way, so I don't think my opinion is any sort of revelation to most.  For example, how can you know what to do next, if you buy a new digital source or a new cartridge/tonearm/turntable in the same week that you also buy a new amplifier or speakers? 
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