Koetsu
- Thread starter jadis
- Start date
Syntax,
Very nice shots - and I trust, the SOUND form your KOETSU is equally stunning....
BTW: Which microscope / “macro lens” System are you using ?
Regards
Urs
Very nice shots - and I trust, the SOUND form your KOETSU is equally stunning....
BTW: Which microscope / “macro lens” System are you using ?
Regards
Urs
Saw a picture of a Koetsu WHITE that my Singapore distributor told me about, and I learned from the guy who posted it, that only 3 were made by Sugano San in those days. The Koetsu lore continues.
My friend's Rosewood Signature Platinum, which was known also as the Pro IV in the U.S. Interestingly, the 'ears' where the bolts go into are black plastic instead of silver metal.
I've never seen that before. How old would this cartridge be? I have a RSP it has metal ears but they are not threaded.
I believe around mid 1990s, I have heard or read about the Pro IV, and that was prior to the release on the various stone bodies. This should have been the era of the first Onyx )non long body) and Jade.
First time for me too see this black carton box for a Rose Wood Long Body.
Not sure as my friend bought it from a guy in Australia. For sure the carton was made by the local dealer or distributor, not by Koetsu itself.
What is interesting is that the cartridge weighs 13.5g. Stone bodies today weighs around 12g so it must be the longer magnet that gives it more weight. Also, tracking for this is only 1.5g as opposed to the 1.8 - 2.0g for the new productions.
There is also some variation in the short-body stone weights. I have an early-ish Onyx Platinum P022 that weighs notably more than other stone bodies (even another Onyx). In fact it requires the additional counterweight when mounted to the Graham Phantom. It must be north of 13.5g.
This weekend I re-mounted my Graham Phantom Supreme with Onyx Platinum, for comparison to the FR64S with Blue Lace Diamond (both mounted in parallel). Both using the Koetsu SUT. I was curious, as I'd enjoyed the Graham/Onyx for a few years as my main setup. It was immediately confirmed that the Blue Lace combination is far advanced past the former. It was fairly shocking; I expected things to be closer. My girlfriend immediately said "no way" (to the Onyx) and requested the Blue Lace back.
The Blue Lace w/ FR64S sounds and simply "breathes" more like a real-life performance. The detail and spaciousness of sound are at a full next-level of performance. Bass impact are also close to a full-level better (perhaps handicapped here by my Tannoy Centerbury GR speakers, which are not the best at extension). Clarity is off the charts, as if you removed a dirty window pane imposed over the Onyx's sound. The famous Koetsu midrange is not ruined by the clarity & detail; in fact it's even better as it breathes more like real life.
The only downside here is a little too much presence in the "harshness" region of treble in my system. This sometimes gets problematic with older recordings that don't take care to control this region. Newer recordings/pressings seem to be better balanced, and are typically fine. I'd also attribute this issue more to my speakers, since it can be present with other cartridges too - the Blue Lace just brings it out a bit more than I'd like (it brings out more of EVERYTHING). And I know that the the Tannoys are not quite as clean & flawless as my Stax 009 / T2 system in treble.
I'll continue to experiment with tubes and other things to try and mitigate the harshness issue. But at this point there's no going back to the way things were - the Diamond cantilever is just far too good, and gives so much more of the music off my discs.
Based of memory of the same Onyx previously mounted to the FR64S, I'd say the improvements from this latest comparison would roughly be 70% attributed to the Blue Lace Diamond, and 30% to the FR64S.
The Blue Lace w/ FR64S sounds and simply "breathes" more like a real-life performance. The detail and spaciousness of sound are at a full next-level of performance. Bass impact are also close to a full-level better (perhaps handicapped here by my Tannoy Centerbury GR speakers, which are not the best at extension). Clarity is off the charts, as if you removed a dirty window pane imposed over the Onyx's sound. The famous Koetsu midrange is not ruined by the clarity & detail; in fact it's even better as it breathes more like real life.
The only downside here is a little too much presence in the "harshness" region of treble in my system. This sometimes gets problematic with older recordings that don't take care to control this region. Newer recordings/pressings seem to be better balanced, and are typically fine. I'd also attribute this issue more to my speakers, since it can be present with other cartridges too - the Blue Lace just brings it out a bit more than I'd like (it brings out more of EVERYTHING). And I know that the the Tannoys are not quite as clean & flawless as my Stax 009 / T2 system in treble.
I'll continue to experiment with tubes and other things to try and mitigate the harshness issue. But at this point there's no going back to the way things were - the Diamond cantilever is just far too good, and gives so much more of the music off my discs.
Based of memory of the same Onyx previously mounted to the FR64S, I'd say the improvements from this latest comparison would roughly be 70% attributed to the Blue Lace Diamond, and 30% to the FR64S.
My dad went from an fr64s to a Tom fletcher sumiko and eventually one of herbs mk3 triplanar. This was with an original rosewood onto a long bodied onyx eventually ending up with a short bodied onyx.
I’ve gone a similar path ending with a standard cantilever blue lace which my ex-wife sold without my consent, but presently have a wajima until funds allow a stone body again.
Wonderful cartridges and memories
I’ve gone a similar path ending with a standard cantilever blue lace which my ex-wife sold without my consent, but presently have a wajima until funds allow a stone body again.
Wonderful cartridges and memories
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