Koetsu
- Thread starter jadis
- Start date
That is the general understanding as well as my own. To my knowledge I've yet to see that confirmed or denied. The theory is that the different models sound different because of the differing densities of the bodies given the same innards.
Hmmm. Jade is the most dense of the stone bodies, I wonder what would happen if .........
Which would lead me to question when are they bringing out the ultimate body...a diamond body? Can we say 200 carats or more? Price...who cares, LOL.
While I do agree that the bodies of these cartridges are some of the nicest looking around, I do question the pricing structure by the US distributor ( is it Music Direct??) particularly considering what these models can be sourced for in Japan!
( Although this is also true for so many other Japanese cartridges as well...the My Sonic Labs being another example! In their case, I believe the distribution was being handled in the past by AJ Conti, now upon his death, it is being taken over by Music Direct ( they are apparently contemplating a new pricing structure for the line; let's hope they wake up and get reality, LOL).
Totally hearsay, but I remember on another forum (Agon, I think) a poster claiming that there were two types of platinum magnets used by Koetsu, and that the top stone models (e.g. Coralstone, Blue Lace) used a different type (Type "II"). Possible, I suppose, given that Koetsu does not divulge much technical information. Among the stone models I have alnico Onyx, platinum (possible Type I) Onyx, and Platinum (possible type II) Coralstone; there are sonic differences, but they are relatively subtle/nuanced (the biggest difference is that the alnico has 2x the output level). The sonic differences could be as much from the stones as the magnets; even same-stone examples can have differences in wall thickness and mass. I will say that the Coralstone is my favorite overall, but not by a huge amount.
The large pricing jump for the top Coralstone/Blue Lace seems to be mostly an artifact of the US distributors (perhaps to further inflate sense of "prestige"). Price differentials for the various stone models appears to be much reduced in Japan/Asia.
The large pricing jump for the top Coralstone/Blue Lace seems to be mostly an artifact of the US distributors (perhaps to further inflate sense of "prestige"). Price differentials for the various stone models appears to be much reduced in Japan/Asia.
a diamond cut to the size of a koetsu cart body would not be that expensive as you would not be using a gem quality "clear" D diamond....
In the mid 2000s, the retail price of Koetsu was mostly based on Acoustic Sounds. They set prices of the Blue Lace at $20k, Tiger Eye at $13k, and the Coralstone at $15k, all with diamond cantilevers. In S.E. Asia, we would be able to give big discounts off those SRPs. Over the past few years, Koetsu Japan seemed to have gone the way of full blast world wide marketing, with so many sellers all over, including eBay, where most sellers are from Japan and prices are lower than those of AS, and some even furnish a very hearty specs sheet. And just now I checked, the most expensive model in AS is not the Blue Lace anymore, it is the Rhodonite Platinum Diamond at $18,490 while the Blue Lace Platinum is $14,995.
No, Jack. Yours was this:
Urushi Wajima (Gold) It was pretty and was had an aromatic smell).
That went to Sam with a Jade trade, and then it went to the late Atty. Jun with that famous line 'Pay the man' after first laying eyes on the box with the Wajima Urushi.
With all the e-commerce going now these days, we can never tell which is which. A rebuilt Koetsu is technically new inside except for the body. Mostly it is in the real net stores like Acoustic Sounds or Music Direct or Needle Doctor which will be more reliable, and provide warranties as sell.
A friend of mine who bought a Coralstone Platinum from me, loved it so much that he searched for a real coralstone stone on ebay and actually bought it.
Not that contented, he went on to purchase a Tiger Eye stone.
Before I knew it, he proceeded to buy so many other rare stones and when I visited him one day, found out that he has built a 20' long glass cabinet, with 3 shelves, completely full of stones and he told me that he is on hiatus as far as collecting records is concerned as he is now into stone collecting. I then realized I created a 'stone-collecting' monster, from a single Coralstone sale.
Not that contented, he went on to purchase a Tiger Eye stone.
Before I knew it, he proceeded to buy so many other rare stones and when I visited him one day, found out that he has built a 20' long glass cabinet, with 3 shelves, completely full of stones and he told me that he is on hiatus as far as collecting records is concerned as he is now into stone collecting. I then realized I created a 'stone-collecting' monster, from a single Coralstone sale.
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