Etsuro Gold MC Cartridge in house
- Thread starter Mike Lavigne
- Start date
Having spent some hours with my Etsuro Gold cartridge, I like to share some experiences and lessons learnt.
The Gold was fitted into the Ikeda 407 (old SS silver mat version) and a MY 2020 Acoustical Systems Axiom Tonearm.
(still fitted in the Axiom)
The Ikeda 407 hosted the Etsuro Urushi Cobalt Blue before, the difference to the Gold was brutal obvious.
(Both connected to 30ohm impedance on my Boulder 2008 Phonostage)
It very difficult to make a fair comparison, if one of the carts is better in every aspect.
So I changed to the Axiom, to replace the Soundsmith Hyperion.
This was more in a similar league. But to my surprise ( I like the Hyperion a lot) the Gold was better as well.
At least the close by Hyperion performance let me begin to fine tune and to understand the Gold better.
D Brakemeier (as myself) prefers Titanium screws to fit the cartridge to the headshell. I am using TechDAS screws with Titanium washers. The Etsuro Cobalt prefers a high torque and becomes more precise, the body and the base plate is A7075 alloy.
Using the similar torque for the Gold ended up in a not "best" performance The Sapphire base plate of the Gold definitely prefers (in the Axiom / Arche headshell) a more soft torque to sound free and with high resolution.
The range you can modify the sound of the Gold with a different headshell torque is higher, than I ever have realized it on another cart. With a too high torque the Gold even can sound dull, slow and with too big voices/instruments.
Now I can understand, that some listeners have heard the Gold in a not satisfying way.
I would assume, that the stability of the headshell will have a similar effect.
The Sapphire seem to be a very special and sensibel base plate material.
Setting up VTA , VTF and Antiskating took longer than expected, the Gold is very responsive to any change, but in a tricky way.
Around the best measure, the Gold starts to sound that kind of really good, that I was very often close to stop the iteration to find the maximum possible performance. In comparison a Colibri needs to be on spot to sound good, the Gold has a much wider area of good performance.
But to get the "over and above" performance of the Gold, the fine tuning work is similar to adjust a Colibri.
But than you can hear all the characteristics, which are already written into this thread, thanks to Mike !
It looks like that I have found my new reference combination, Etsuro Gold plus AS Axiom Tonearm
The Gold was fitted into the Ikeda 407 (old SS silver mat version) and a MY 2020 Acoustical Systems Axiom Tonearm.
(still fitted in the Axiom)
The Ikeda 407 hosted the Etsuro Urushi Cobalt Blue before, the difference to the Gold was brutal obvious.
(Both connected to 30ohm impedance on my Boulder 2008 Phonostage)
It very difficult to make a fair comparison, if one of the carts is better in every aspect.
So I changed to the Axiom, to replace the Soundsmith Hyperion.
This was more in a similar league. But to my surprise ( I like the Hyperion a lot) the Gold was better as well.
At least the close by Hyperion performance let me begin to fine tune and to understand the Gold better.
D Brakemeier (as myself) prefers Titanium screws to fit the cartridge to the headshell. I am using TechDAS screws with Titanium washers. The Etsuro Cobalt prefers a high torque and becomes more precise, the body and the base plate is A7075 alloy.
Using the similar torque for the Gold ended up in a not "best" performance The Sapphire base plate of the Gold definitely prefers (in the Axiom / Arche headshell) a more soft torque to sound free and with high resolution.
The range you can modify the sound of the Gold with a different headshell torque is higher, than I ever have realized it on another cart. With a too high torque the Gold even can sound dull, slow and with too big voices/instruments.
Now I can understand, that some listeners have heard the Gold in a not satisfying way.
I would assume, that the stability of the headshell will have a similar effect.
The Sapphire seem to be a very special and sensibel base plate material.
Setting up VTA , VTF and Antiskating took longer than expected, the Gold is very responsive to any change, but in a tricky way.
Around the best measure, the Gold starts to sound that kind of really good, that I was very often close to stop the iteration to find the maximum possible performance. In comparison a Colibri needs to be on spot to sound good, the Gold has a much wider area of good performance.
But to get the "over and above" performance of the Gold, the fine tuning work is similar to adjust a Colibri.
But than you can hear all the characteristics, which are already written into this thread, thanks to Mike !
It looks like that I have found my new reference combination, Etsuro Gold plus AS Axiom Tonearm
Interesting report Shakti, thanks for posting.
Mike & Mik, would love to hear your thoughts wrt attachment torque, and also any thoughts you have on other fine tuning of setup for the Etsuro. I’ll be setting up my own (used) Gold cart soon after a small issue needed to be resolved for my tonearm.
In replacing my Benz LPS, and using Adjust+ for azimuth, I found the adjustment for azimuth differed slightly—and I’m sorting what may have caused the difference. The AMG arm uses a small plate that is attached to cartridge, and then the plate fits into the arm “headshell” area. I can see that different torque on each screw could account for some of the difference, as well as the way the plate fits into the head-shell.
Do you all use a torque-driver for cartridge screws? What settings?
Mike & Mik, would love to hear your thoughts wrt attachment torque, and also any thoughts you have on other fine tuning of setup for the Etsuro. I’ll be setting up my own (used) Gold cart soon after a small issue needed to be resolved for my tonearm.
In replacing my Benz LPS, and using Adjust+ for azimuth, I found the adjustment for azimuth differed slightly—and I’m sorting what may have caused the difference. The AMG arm uses a small plate that is attached to cartridge, and then the plate fits into the arm “headshell” area. I can see that different torque on each screw could account for some of the difference, as well as the way the plate fits into the head-shell.
Do you all use a torque-driver for cartridge screws? What settings?
hi Bob,
i do not use a torque measuring screwdriver for my cartridge mounting. i am careful not to over tighten. obviously you observed one such mounting sequence.
and then i think we both enjoyed the result. all three of my Etsuro Golds are singling sweetly as they are.
i purchased a Wiha #28550 TorqueVario Handle a few years back with the intention to go down this road to measure mounting torque and see if i could not find more performance, but need to purchase the torque blade inserts (just ordered 8 inserts) to use with the Handle. reading the above i suppose i should do that and see what i might learn. maybe Mik has something about this?
i really agree with Juergen (Shakti) about the Etsuro Gold being forgiving (having a wide 'set-up' band of good sound) so you can think you are 'there'......but.....there is more 'there' to go.
Last edited:
One thing I like about Analogmagik (as opposed to Adjust+) is that you can "see" the affect of different torque settings in the measurements that it provides, and then determine whether or not you "should" reasonably be able to hear them. Essentially, you can simply make torque values another variable that you sweep using all test tracks (if so inclined) and record any deviations. There's quite a lot of functionality hidden in Analogmagik as well, that is quite useful. And, incidentally, Richard Mak does provide a torque driver for headshell screws, but it's not the variable type. He has determined through measurements what a supposed ideal for most cartridges should be. I prefer more flexibility, so I do use a variable driver, FWIW.
My Etsuro Urushi Cobalt Blue was connected to 30 ohm (3ohm DC resistance), so the 30ohm were the starting point.
I asked Mik regarding the 30ohms and he convinced me to give the 30 ohm a try. (the Gold has 4ohm DC resistance)
As Mike agreed to, the Gold is a very forgiving cartridge with a wide range of good performance.
I will solder a 40ohm and a 60ohm impedance soon.
(Boulder 2008 has no switch, my other Phono cards do have currently 20ohm for the Hayabusa and 500ohm for the Hyperion)
But at the moment I am just enjoying
If you you are playing around with different torques, please have in mind, that not only the screws (different materials) will have different max torque specs, but also the washers. Mostly in Hifi soft plastic washers are used. Hard plastic washers or metal washers are needed to apply the torque, which is possible with titanium screws.
(Always think about the cartridge baseplate, you even can destroy a Gran Cru woodbody with a too high torque.)
I have been playing around with torque for years every cartridge is different and it vastly depends on the material of the screws I have had many custom made screws made, washer material also has a vast impact as does further tuning with plates between cartridge and head-shel. l remember in early days of vdh clear perspex bodies like grasshopper iv and earliest colibris would would quite often actually all the time see cartridges with huge cracks as too much torque applied and users gluing back bodies. All I can say be careful when applying Torque
Last edited:
I find this discussion very interesting because I was about to make myself a couple of headshell spacers (different woods) to give me a little more flexibility for VTA adjustment but knowing that the wood choice will also adjust the resonance profile of the cartridge / headshell / arm interface. Torque of screws will have a similar effect with higher torque moving the resonance band higher. Doesn’t surprise me that screw materials and washers will have their own sound. When you think about the tiny voltage outputs of our carts acting like seismographs, every aspect of the resonance profile at the cart / arm interface will be magnified.
Best.
Best.
Different materials of spacer have huge impact on the sound for one the materials used and secondly the mathematics involved. I have boxes of spacers and have some specifically tuned for various cartridges. Its a minefield definitely a mind bender.
Hi Mark
I have used one its ok certainly has a trait which is a little forward, I find any damper or interface has to be specific to ones system so not just as simple as buying a after marker solution better would be to get various materials and have a go at making something to suit the system and arm and cartridge.
Metal / Metal situations, like Atlas or AT or MSL Cartridges with Magnesium or Titanium headshells do like very often the thin
Dereneville Headshell mat.
Dereneville Headshell mat.
I have used titanium dampers and spacers with Msl cartridges to great affect in some systems the difference in thickness makes a huge impact for obvious reasons.
Sure Mik. A mate of mine in US using identical tt/arm to me, although DS Optical cart over my Straingauge, loves the result in his system.
I read Mik and Shakti and cannot help wonder why going into vinyl and not doing simpler digital instead.
Is digital simpler? Really?
I am going to get an Antipodes K50 soon and expect a similar journey to the "best" result
Managing resonances and "Energy" in an audiophile System is vital for a live like reproduction of music,
independent, if analog or digital sources are involved.
Just compare Matsudaira's cartridges, from MSL Gold to Platinum to Sumile to Opus it is all about energy management, different Cardridge body and base plate materials combined with different cantilever materials result in a significant sound difference .
The difference in engineering approach behind the named carts should be continued in the connection to the headshell/tonearm/tonearmbase assembly to get the best out of the individual cartridge.
Same for Etsuro, Cobalt has an Alloy 7075 baseplate, Bordeaux and Gold a Sapphire one,
so a different "best" headshell match will apply.
I am going to get an Antipodes K50 soon and expect a similar journey to the "best" result
Managing resonances and "Energy" in an audiophile System is vital for a live like reproduction of music,
independent, if analog or digital sources are involved.
Just compare Matsudaira's cartridges, from MSL Gold to Platinum to Sumile to Opus it is all about energy management, different Cardridge body and base plate materials combined with different cantilever materials result in a significant sound difference .
The difference in engineering approach behind the named carts should be continued in the connection to the headshell/tonearm/tonearmbase assembly to get the best out of the individual cartridge.
Same for Etsuro, Cobalt has an Alloy 7075 baseplate, Bordeaux and Gold a Sapphire one,
so a different "best" headshell match will apply.
My tonearm makes it a little easier (harder) in that it does not have removable headshell, so no option to worry about.
Similar threads
