Koetsu

Signed by Sugano doesn’t mean that he was retipping or rebuilding all the cartridges. Maybe he did I don’t know but signature doesn’t guarantee that. IMHO it’s regular for the head of company to check and sign outgoing products. Especially for small and top artisan companies like Koetsu.

jadis said:

The certificates from decades ago said REBUILT all the time.

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That’s what I’m talking about. The certificate says it is rebuilt by Koetsu company. It doesn’t say rebuilt by Sugano San. It is a possibility that the cartridge is built by Sugano himself or maybe by other people working at Koetsu.

All Kondo products are tested and signed by the head of company, Masaki San, but clearly he is not manufacturing them. There are workers doing the job and maybe Masaki -San is involved in only key areas. Manufacturing/rebuilding and testing/signing, two different things.

Good afternoon everyone,

I have been using Koetsu cartridges since 1985. I started with the original Black, then moved up to a Rosewood signature. The cobalt Onyx was gifted to me about 8 years ago. I was planning to get a stone platinum in a few years. I had heart surgery last year, and forgot about everything audio specifically, and most everything generally for a while. Then I heard of the end of Koetsu only last month and went scrambling to find one.

Fate looked down kindly upon me, as I find myself in possession of this lovely Leopard. It came from a dealer in Florida with about 25 hours on it. I have added another 25, so break-in has a way to go. Someone else on this thread has posted a picture of this very same cartridge.

Compared to the Onyx, it is most everything the Onyx is, but faster with remarkably superb punch and detail on the bass end. Voices are "like buttah". It is not quite as airy as the Onyx but it may just need more of the break-in time for that.

I'm hoping that this community can help me with the following:
—This came in its wooden box but without specs. Anyone know? The dealer did not. It is decidedly lower output than the Onyx.
— Everyone tells me that Koetus MUST be matched with a high mass arm. I have been using the Sumiko MMT - a medium to high mass arm - on a VPI HW (now MK IV with SAM) since 1985: the Koetsu Black came as part of that package. I had been getting great results. I am now getting superb results with the Leopard. I will be upgrading the arm to the Jelco SA 750 EB, also a medium to high mass arm. It comes with a heavier weight: I presume that's what makes it high mass, but someone said that the heavier weigh is to be used only to balance heavier cartridges. Is there a science to this, or is it dogma, people's fetiches, or what?

Thanks everyone.
My website btw with a description of my system on the bottom left corner of the about page: theaudioatticvinylsundays.com

Maybe your Onyx does not have platinum magnets (the difference between platinum magnets and samarium cobalt magnets is 0,3mV vs 0,4 mV). The Leopard has platinum magnets.
There is a great Koetsu story:
Btw.: Your Leopard is absolutely gorgeous!

unreceivedogma, that is a phenomenal looking stone for that cartridge!! Congrats!

jadis said:

It would have been more accurate or give owners more confidence had Sugano San listed ALL the names of the workers/craftsmen? Will this new company be listing us the names of the craftsmen then and now with actual proof that they had worked under the Sugano family?

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Look I share your concern. I don’t back or advocate the new company. All I’m saying is the possibility of the Koetsu workers forming new facility to rebuild cartridges which were originally doing the job. It may or may not be as Koetsu does while Sugano San running the company. Don’t make it predetermined as they will fail. It’s highly unlikely but they may succeed doing a rebuild. A rebuild as good as original Koetsu. Wait and see.

The unique regard for the skill of the master craftsman is as old as human history. From swords to violins the hand of the master will always conjure legend, myth, and the desire to posses.

My new collection complete with the elusive Vermilion!

As most of you know, I only discovered Koetsu this past December while listening at an audio club meet and have been all things Koetsu ever since. Then, when "the end" was announced, I frantically grabbed two more to add to my first purchase, a rosewood signature, but the one I most desired was the Vermilion based on Ekki's great write ups as well as many other articles. These past few months I've searched Japanese, Euro, and American stores and websites for a Vermilion but, alas, they were all gone (even if the website said "In stock" or had an "Add to Cart" button").

However, I discovered a small audio store located in Newport Beach, California, Excel Audio, that had an "Add to Cart" button next to the Vermilion, but I knew to call... Long story short, the owner knew he had it, but couldn't find it. He told me would look for it at home because he keeps some stock as his house, and if he found it, he'd call me back. Well, a few days went by, and sure enough, he found it! So, I like to say, I think I got the last Vermilion in the U.S.! -- (ha-ha, I know that's probably not true because I'm sure there are some squirreled away in stock rooms somewhere...)

Anyway, I feel very privileged to own my humble collection of recently acquired Koetsu's, especially this Vermilion, so late in "the final chapter." This Vermilion is everything I expected it to be and more! I've never heard a cart that can play all genres of music equally well - it excels at everything!

From left to right, Black Goldline, Rosewood Signature, Urushi Wajima, and Urushi Vermilion.


Happy listening all -- cheers!

In various comments above, the output voltage of the ONYX (Platinum) cartridge is specified as: 0.3mV.
Interestingly: this value I find also in most English / American internet sites
In my (German) Koetsu manual I read 0.2 mV, which is also stated in other (German) technical data infos/sites

Which is correct ?
OR where there two different models ? (Mine must be around 10 years old or so.)

Thanks & regards
Urs

UEM said:

In various comments above, the output voltage of the ONYX (Platinum) cartridge is specified as: 0.3mV.
Interestingly: this value I find also in most English / American internet sites
In my (German) Koetsu manual I read 0.2 mV, which is also stated in other (German) technical data infos/sites

Which is correct ?
OR where there two different models ? (Mine must be around 10 years old or so.)

Thanks & regards
Urs

Click to expand...

Only the Vermilion has 0,2mV output. The stones has 0,3mV, and the other wood cartridges, with an exception of Rosewood Signature Platinum, has 0,4mV. The RWSP has 0,3mV as well due to the platinum magnets. The Vermilion has the lowest output of all the Koetsu’s due to it’s double coil motor structure. Hope that helps .

/ Jk

I have been trying to figure out what stone the Leopard is made of. Someone suggested the Septarian, attached here. ?

Nerd warning. I went on a bit of a deep dive some time ago. I have no formal mineralogy training, so please point out any mistakes if you do see them.

The leopardstone Koetsu is made of "leopard skin jasper". Jasper and agate (as in blue lace agate) are both forms of chalcedony, which is a microcrystalline silica. The difference is that jasper is opaque, while agate is translucent.

Onyx (as in blood or white onyx) and agate are in turn both translucent and banded - onyx has straighter bands, while they are curved in agate.

So,

- jasper = opaque chalcedony
- agate = curved bands in translucent layered chalcedony
- onyx = parallel bands in translucent layered chalcedony

In other words, for Koetsus,

Jaspers - leopardstone, blue azule, bloodstone models
Agates - blue lace model
Onyx - white onyx and red onyx models
Chalcedony not otherwise classified above - carnelian model
Other non chalcedony mineral types - jade, brown/blue tigers eye, rhodonite and coralstone models

The rare ones that I can't recall ever seeing here outside of publicity shots are the bloodstone and rhodonite models. Anyone got one?

Sonic Youth – Goo - 4LP box set from 2005

XV-1 said:

Sonic Youth – Goo - 4LP box set from 2005

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May be wrong thread here Shane… even though your albums always entertain .. no worries!

/ Jk

apropos said:

Nerd warning. I went on a bit of a deep dive some time ago. I have no formal mineralogy training, so please point out any mistakes if you do see them.

The leopardstone Koetsu is made of "leopard skin jasper". Jasper and agate (as in blue lace agate) are both forms of chalcedony, which is a microcrystalline silica. The difference is that jasper is opaque, while agate is translucent.

Onyx (as in blood or white onyx) and agate are in turn both translucent and banded - onyx has straighter bands, while they are curved in agate.

So,

- jasper = opaque chalcedony
- agate = curved bands in translucent layered chalcedony
- onyx = parallel bands in translucent layered chalcedony

In other words, for Koetsus,

Jaspers - leopardstone, blue azule, bloodstone models
Agates - blue lace model
Onyx - white onyx and red onyx models
Chalcedony not otherwise classified above - carnelian model
Other non chalcedony mineral types - jade, brown/blue tigers eye, rhodonite and coralstone models

Click to expand...

Does this research give you any insight into how the stones affect the sound?

Sadly no Ron - except that their relative densities vary slightly. Given they are all sized the same, this could affect cartridge weight. I did some digging into scientific papers but could not find anything useful with respect to damping characteristics or resonance.

I have no basis/ability to do a comparison as my cartridges all have bodies of different types: Rosewood ALNiCo, Vermillion, Jade (a pyroxene), and Tiger eye (quartz/crocidiolite).

If someone had an onyx and blue lace that would be an interesting comparison!