The New Kuzma Safir Tonearm on a Dohmann Helix 2 Turntable

I installed the new Kuzma Safir on a Dohmann Helix 2.

Many thanks to Mark Dohmanm for creating a new armboard to fit the 9” Kuzma Safir.

And a shout out to Franc Kuzma for coming up with the design of this arm.

While setup IMO is a variable in of itself from one change to the next, it is still easy to tell what this arm is contributing in conjunction to the cartridge. Upon dropping the needle it was evident there was more control, definition and overall authority of playback. While I am biased to the Kuzma 4Point series of arms after much experience I was hesitant to go back to a 9”. That hesitation was self inflicted nonsense, the Safir is easily now the new leader of the Kuzma pack.

What makes this arm special is the use of lab grown Sapphire which tackles resonance that I did not know was there to this degree. This in combination with Dohmann incorporating Minus K suspension really gives new meaning to low noise playback.

The Kuzma Safir replaced the Reed 5A, a completely different design. Musically the Reed also is a very good arm, it is accurate, however accuracy that is light and airy if that makes sense. The Kuzma 4Point and now the Kuzma Safir have always been accurate, however, they have more weight and body, which I lean towards, it’s all preference.

Prior to the Safir, I’ve been using Julie London Sings Latin in a Satin Mood 45 rpm as a reference to hear how the CH Precision P1 with the X1 power supply tackles the phono stage and have been quite impressed – now after adding the Kuzma Safir to the Dohmann Helix 2, it really highlights the Ortofon Verismo cartridge even further than I thought possible.

The arms design reminds me of the newer Navy destroyers and frigates with their angled lines to help them appear ghostly on radar against foreign warships. Its almost like the Safir possess that same type of construction where there is no distraction, working together with the cartridge and the table everything gets out of the way, it’s spooky and we are not anywhere near Halloween.

Now back to some extended listening.