Koetsu

[Chop]

As others said, a lot of the SUT choice comes down to personal preference and listening habits. I listen quite loud, and my Koetsu are (mostly) the 0.3mV Platinum variety. SUT with a tube MM is my clear choice here. I like to take advantage of the good overload margins of most tube mm stages, and push into higher SUT ratios that usually advised: 20x - 30x (6 mV - 9 mV hitting the MM stage). This yields an extremely dynamic, vivacious sound, with lowest noise floor and a very lifelike sense of fullness to the midrange.

I have an Onyx with samarium-cobalt magnets that has higher output, and its sound is more brash and dynamic than other Koetsus. Here I can see the case for a refined JFET MC stage to temper it a bit.

* Bob's Devices Sky - Big full sound. Brash and dynamic. Not as refined or clean as other top options, but a fun and beautiful sound. Feel like it "colors outside the lines" a little compared to the most refined SUTs. Sonic character is very much in the vein of a vintage tube amp. CineMag 1254 and 1131 are extremely similar but a little less "sweet" and refined. 1254 is a killer value for the money, and should IMO be the built-in of choice by phono stage manufacturers instead of Lundahls.
* CineMag 3440A Red - Ugh, don't even bother. Its time has passed and it should be allowed to die. Get anything other than this.
* Lundahl LL1931 / LL1931Ag - Very clean, crystalline tone. Lots of detail and speed, but too lean in midrange and bass. Not my preference. In fact, I think I like most JFET stages better than this. The Ag version was a big disappointment to me - it went even further in the direction I didn't want it to - and usually I'm a fan of silver wire in analog.
* Lundahl LL9206 - Good tonal balance; think I like it better than LL1931 here. Unfortunately the positives end there as it lags far behind other SUTs in detail & dynamics. A "safe" and affordable choice for a built-in SUT by phono stage manufacturers. It's better than CineMag 3440A at least!
* EAR MC-3 and MC-4 - My longtime references. Just fantastic sound all-around. No weaknesses. Matches beautifully to almost any cart. Different-but-equal to the Koetsu SUT for Koetsu Platinums. A little rich and lush sounding, but great overall balance. More refined than the Bob's Devices Sky.
* Koetsu SUT (last wood version) - My longtime reference with Koetsu Blue Lace (occasionally splitting time with the EAR). Surprisingly detailed SUT. LOTS of detail. A little extra treble energy than most SUTs, a touch bright, but does not suffer from the midrange thinness of Lundahl LL1931. It matches well with non-Koetsus if you can handle the brightness. Air Tight PC-7 made for an exhilarating match - so detailed and dynamic - but ultimately a little fatiguing. People say the new metal box Koetsu SUT is amazing...I have yet to try for myself.
* Quadratic MC-1 - Interesting SUT. Lots of bass output on this one, powerful sound, and it's really clean too. Very nice midrange, clean and detailed but not as tubey sounding here as other SUTs. More refined than Bobs / CineMags. A little recessed / relaxed up top. Requires careful cartridge & system matching, but amazing when you hit it right. I got some amazing sonics combined with the ARC Ref 3SE. The designer advised to raise VTA when I commended on the relaxed treble.
* Hashimoto HM-7 - A bit more neutral sounding than the CineMags and EARs. Good all-around SUT but personally I found it lacking some of the excitement I was seeking.
* Cotter Mk 2L - Still new to me. Very natural, beautiful midrange. Good overall sound. However, despite the legendary reputation, I just can't see this displacing the EAR or Koetsu SUTs as my favorites! Couldn't find specs on this unit, but it's definitely in the range of 24x - 30x. Pairing with VdH Colibri was interesting, because it tried to make this cartridge sound like a Koetsu (lol) and (very) partially succeeded - but the result ended up leaning more towards a "neutered VdH".

I've used a number of JFET stages. They are not usually my preferred approach but there have been times when they provided perfect synergy with cartridges (e.g. the samarium-cobalt Onyx). Generally they do not add the "fullness" to sound of a good SUT. Generally they have noticeable "hissss" noise floor - I know for sure when guys say their MC stage is dead quiet, they do not listen at my SPL levels!

* Sonic Frontiers Phono 1SE+. Not bad for the money. Slightly sweet sounding. GREAT match with my non-platinum Onyx. Falls apart on cartridges below 0.4mV, quickly losing dynamics and punch. Very quiet!
* Herron VTPH-2A - Very clean neutral sound. As quiet as you can get, for a JFET. Very well engineered. But it's not helped by the fact its partnered tube MM stage is ALSO very neutral, clean, and in fact slightly bright sounding. Where will I get my sweetness from?! Both stages are very good, but I'd rather pair one with a warmer partner, than keep them together. I like the Herron MM paired with EAR MC3 or 4.
* Audio Research Reference 3SE - Wow, the tube MM stage ("Low Gain" mode = MM) of this unit was simply stunning! The MC stage was good - but quite alike the Herron in performance and sonics. In fact, I think the Herron's MC stage was quieter. But the Herron's MM stage cannot match the ARC's!
* Hagerman Piccolo / Trumpet / etc - I really like Hagerman's JFETs. They won't fool you into thinking it's a SUT, but they seem a bit more musical and less sterile than other JFETs, somehow. The MC stage of my Hagerman Reference is a particular favorite. It's a little more vivacious and detailed than his other versions; shockingly good with certain cartridges (e.g. Van den Hul Colibri). I also have his older PI-10 standalone unit, that is warmer than most JFETs but also with higher noise - though I like it a lot too. Noise on the Hagermans is a little higher than the above.

What an excellent summary post, thank you Mulveling.

 

[MRubey]

I am watching the Samuari trilogy about the life of Musashi Myamoto.
In the second film he meets Koetsu Honami who is the portrayed as the greatest swordsmith alive. Sugano San named his cartridge company after this legendary artisan.
Interesting.
Its available on Max.

 

[RickS]

I am watching the Samuari trilogy about the life of Musashi Myamoto.
In the second film he meets Koetsu Honami who is the portrayed as the greatest swordsmith alive. Sugano San named his cartridge company after this legendary artisan.
Interesting.
Its available on Max.

Now I have to see what kind of deal I can get for adding Max to my lineup just to watch that! Thanks.
The Seven Samuari is a classic I need to watch again.

 

[MRubey]

Now I have to see what kind of deal I can get for adding Max to my lineup just to watch that! Thanks.
The Seven Samuari is a classic I need to watch again.

Max has Seven Samuari as well.
Im a huge Akira Kurosawa fan.

 

[Johan K]

Did you know guys how hard a Ninja must train just to become worthy?!!

-He has to draw his bow for at least ten years, OR MORE, before he is even allowed to put an arrow in, and learn how to shoot….

MOOHAHAHA !!!

/ Jk

 

[MRubey]

Hilary Hahn, Samuari bearing, commanding space.

 

[JRW1971]

This has been such a fun thread to read. Thanks all, for that. Partially inspired by the comments above, partially inspired by Sugano San, Jr.’s passing, and partially inspired by curiosity … I’ve gone down the Koetsu rabbit hole. I’ve owned a Blue Lace for many years, but it spent more time in my drawer than on an arm. Fast forward to today: I picked up my fourth Koetsu, the Vermillion. Holy smokes, what a groovy cart this is. Super pleasant to my ear; killer soundstage; separation galore; and a tone that’s just a notch warmer than center.

 

[Chop]

Just put my Koetsu Urushi Black up for sale in the classifieds
Koetsu Urushi for sale | What's Best Audio and Video Forum. The Best High End Audio Forum on the planet! (whatsbestforum.com)

 

[Nemal1]

I’ve put my koetsu urushi wajima for sale in hi-fi news, only 35 hours, perfect condition, can demo and photos on request. For sale at £2600 ovno. Anyone here interested is welcome to contact me for more details.

 

[godofwealth]

Just had Steve @ VAS retip my Koetsu Onyx Blue Agate Platinum. It’s sounding better than before. Really magnificent sounding cartridge. For a few hundred dollars, my Koetsu has a new lease on life and should last me a few more years of service.

 

[godofwealth]

Played this lovely recording of Delibes ballet Coppelia this afternoon. Tchaikovsky once remarked that if he had heard Delibes, he would not have bothered writing his Swan Lake! Luxurious strings, drenching ambience, wall-to-wall sound staging, this is a record “to die for”, to borrow a cliche’ from Stereophile. The digital remastering is a horror story, as is the usual typical hatchet job that mass market record companies do so often with their analog treasures. Going back to digital after listening to the Koetsu is like eating fast food after having a Michelin-starred restaurant meaL.

 

[godofwealth]

What I absolutely hate about Roon is its penchant to die if you accidentally click on its “Update me now!” button. At least, with vinyl, your records are physically there! Present. In your hands, not in some cloud halfway across the world, at the mercy of this little bit of software called Roon that can at anytime simply die on you.

 

[JimmyJet]

My first Koetsu!

So thanks to the input of members of this thread, I purchased the last Koetsu in stock at Sound Heights - fortunately it was the one of the models I was after, the Rosewood Signature. This is my first Koetsu and allI can say is that I regret not having tried a Koetsu sooner. But I’m grateful to the local audio club I’m in that allowed me to hear a Koetsu Black at a members home which started me on my journey.

This thing is unbelievable - I won’t bore all of you seasoned Koetsu owners that know the virtues of these great carts, but some of the standouts that grabbed me right away:

A) not only a big sound stage, but clear acoustic placement of each instrument within that sound stage
B) with reverb on a voice, it sounds like I’m hearing the voice first without the reverb, then there’s a separate trail of reverb following - with my other carts, each word sang just sounded like one, big smear of reverb
C) the gorgeous, lush, but detailed and holographic center stage of the singer, especially female vocals like Eydie Gorme - I can hear her lips separate as she prepares to sing the chorus
D) big, warm, bass - yet detailed and tight
E) absolutely no inner groove distortion, even in very dense arrangements - my previous cart, ClearAudio Jubilee MC even couldn’t not do this. The Koetsu provides the same separation and clarity on the last track as it does the first - unbelievable!
F) mono magic/alchemy? - I played my 1st pressing, Columbia six-eye, 1959, of Lambert, Hendricks, and Ross - “The Hottest New Group in Jazz” and I swear to you that I was hearing some of the instruments peaking out of the left and right channels as well as being able to place the members in the soundstage (vertically too) - how is this even possible (and yes, my preamp was set to mono) - there is definitely some sort of alchemy going on inside this little rosewood box! Can’t wait to listen to more mono!
G) oh, and how polite she is - makes little to do about pops and clicks - they stay way down in the background with soft attack and low pitch (in contrast to my ClearAudio which magnified every little tick and scratch so that it became the main event and sounded like a shotgun going off!)

Ok, I’ll stop gushing now, but I just can’t get over this cartridge - and here’s the kicker - technically speaking, it shouldn’t sound this great - my ClearAudio 12” Universal tonearm only has an effective mass of 10g. So, I’m thinking, when I get my Groovemaster 12” high-mass tonearm, I’m going to hear even more greatness from my Koetsu - and that blows my mind! I mean, if I’m hearing all these good things from this cart, straight out the box, not even broken in yet, and I’m using it on the wrong tonearm, what in the world am I going to hear when I mount it on a better suited arm??? Really sets my imagination into the stratosphere…

Anyway, I regret now not having also bought the Vermilion as Sound Heights had one of those left when I bought my RWS, and it looks like there’s none to be found. Hopefully, the family will soon be able to start production again.

Thanks all for helping me secure such a great cartridge!

—cheers!

Jimmy

 

[jadis]

My first Koetsu!

So thanks to the input of members of this thread, I purchased the last Koetsu in stock at Sound Heights - fortunately it was the one of the models I was after, the Rosewood Signature. This is my first Koetsu and allI can say is that I regret not having tried a Koetsu sooner. But I’m grateful to the local audio club I’m in that allowed me to hear a Koetsu Black at a members home which started me on my journey.

This thing is unbelievable - I won’t bore all of you seasoned Koetsu owners that know the virtues of these great carts, but some of the standouts that grabbed me right away:

A) not only a big sound stage, but clear acoustic placement of each instrument within that sound stage
B) with reverb on a voice, it sounds like I’m hearing the voice first without the reverb, then there’s a separate trail of reverb following - with my other carts, each word sang just sounded like one, big smear of reverb
C) the gorgeous, lush, but detailed and holographic center stage of the singer, especially female vocals like Eydie Gorme - I can hear her lips separate as she prepares to sing the chorus
D) big, warm, bass - yet detailed and tight
E) absolutely no inner groove distortion, even in very dense arrangements - my previous cart, ClearAudio Jubilee MC even couldn’t not do this. The Koetsu provides the same separation and clarity on the last track as it does the first - unbelievable!
F) mono magic/alchemy? - I played my 1st pressing, Columbia six-eye, 1959, of Lambert, Hendricks, and Ross - “The Hottest New Group in Jazz” and I swear to you that I was hearing some of the instruments peaking out of the left and right channels as well as being able to place the members in the soundstage (vertically too) - how is this even possible (and yes, my preamp was set to mono) - there is definitely some sort of alchemy going on inside this little rosewood box! Can’t wait to listen to more mono!
G) oh, and how polite she is - makes little to do about pops and clicks - they stay way down in the background with soft attack and low pitch (in contrast to my ClearAudio which magnified every little tick and scratch so that it became the main event and sounded like a shotgun going off!)

Ok, I’ll stop gushing now, but I just can’t get over this cartridge - and here’s the kicker - technically speaking, it shouldn’t sound this great - my ClearAudio 12” Universal tonearm only has an effective mass of 10g. So, I’m thinking, when I get my Groovemaster 12” high-mass tonearm, I’m going to hear even more greatness from my Koetsu - and that blows my mind! I mean, if I’m hearing all these good things from this cart, straight out the box, not even broken in yet, and I’m using it on the wrong tonearm, what in the world am I going to hear when I mount it on a better suited arm??? Really sets my imagination into the stratosphere…

Anyway, I regret now not having also bought the Vermilion as Sound Heights had one of those left when I bought my RWS, and it looks like there’s none to be found. Hopefully, the family will soon be able to start production again.

Thanks all for helping me secure such a great cartridge!

—cheers!

Jimmy

Great report, Jimmy. Koetsu is always 'magic'. First time or many times as you climb up the model ladder. Welcome to the club.

 

[RickS]

My first Koetsu!

So thanks to the input of members of this thread, I purchased the last Koetsu in stock at Sound Heights - fortunately it was the one of the models I was after, the Rosewood Signature. This is my first Koetsu and allI can say is that I regret not having tried a Koetsu sooner. But I’m grateful to the local audio club I’m in that allowed me to hear a Koetsu Black at a members home which started me on my journey.

This thing is unbelievable - I won’t bore all of you seasoned Koetsu owners that know the virtues of these great carts, but some of the standouts that grabbed me right away:

A) not only a big sound stage, but clear acoustic placement of each instrument within that sound stage
B) with reverb on a voice, it sounds like I’m hearing the voice first without the reverb, then there’s a separate trail of reverb following - with my other carts, each word sang just sounded like one, big smear of reverb
C) the gorgeous, lush, but detailed and holographic center stage of the singer, especially female vocals like Eydie Gorme - I can hear her lips separate as she prepares to sing the chorus
D) big, warm, bass - yet detailed and tight
E) absolutely no inner groove distortion, even in very dense arrangements - my previous cart, ClearAudio Jubilee MC even couldn’t not do this. The Koetsu provides the same separation and clarity on the last track as it does the first - unbelievable!
F) mono magic/alchemy? - I played my 1st pressing, Columbia six-eye, 1959, of Lambert, Hendricks, and Ross - “The Hottest New Group in Jazz” and I swear to you that I was hearing some of the instruments peaking out of the left and right channels as well as being able to place the members in the soundstage (vertically too) - how is this even possible (and yes, my preamp was set to mono) - there is definitely some sort of alchemy going on inside this little rosewood box! Can’t wait to listen to more mono!
G) oh, and how polite she is - makes little to do about pops and clicks - they stay way down in the background with soft attack and low pitch (in contrast to my ClearAudio which magnified every little tick and scratch so that it became the main event and sounded like a shotgun going off!)

Ok, I’ll stop gushing now, but I just can’t get over this cartridge - and here’s the kicker - technically speaking, it shouldn’t sound this great - my ClearAudio 12” Universal tonearm only has an effective mass of 10g. So, I’m thinking, when I get my Groovemaster 12” high-mass tonearm, I’m going to hear even more greatness from my Koetsu - and that blows my mind! I mean, if I’m hearing all these good things from this cart, straight out the box, not even broken in yet, and I’m using it on the wrong tonearm, what in the world am I going to hear when I mount it on a better suited arm??? Really sets my imagination into the stratosphere…

Anyway, I regret now not having also bought the Vermilion as Sound Heights had one of those left when I bought my RWS, and it looks like there’s none to be found. Hopefully, the family will soon be able to start production again.

Thanks all for helping me secure such a great cartridge!

—cheers!

Jimmy

Excellent review. Mirrors my own Koetsu experience, in better words than I used, and serves as a reminder of why I plan on staying with Koetsus going forward.

 

[sbo6]

26dB of gain with my Allnic H7000V & Urushi. This sounds more alive than the 20dB setting and brings instruments and voices into the room more.

Thank you! I just purchased a H7000 and was hoping to get base settings, can you let me know what you set your impedance at?

 

[Chop]

From memory, 75 ohms. Below 100 anyway. I'm away for a few days so I'll check at the weekend. BUT YMMV - 75 ohm is in my system with my speakers.

 

[Maril555]

My first Koetsu!

So thanks to the input of members of this thread, I purchased the last Koetsu in stock at Sound Heights - fortunately it was the one of the models I was after, the Rosewood Signature. This is my first Koetsu and allI can say is that I regret not having tried a Koetsu sooner. But I’m grateful to the local audio club I’m in that allowed me to hear a Koetsu Black at a members home which started me on my journey.

This thing is unbelievable - I won’t bore all of you seasoned Koetsu owners that know the virtues of these great carts, but some of the standouts that grabbed me right away:

A) not only a big sound stage, but clear acoustic placement of each instrument within that sound stage
B) with reverb on a voice, it sounds like I’m hearing the voice first without the reverb, then there’s a separate trail of reverb following - with my other carts, each word sang just sounded like one, big smear of reverb
C) the gorgeous, lush, but detailed and holographic center stage of the singer, especially female vocals like Eydie Gorme - I can hear her lips separate as she prepares to sing the chorus
D) big, warm, bass - yet detailed and tight
E) absolutely no inner groove distortion, even in very dense arrangements - my previous cart, ClearAudio Jubilee MC even couldn’t not do this. The Koetsu provides the same separation and clarity on the last track as it does the first - unbelievable!
F) mono magic/alchemy? - I played my 1st pressing, Columbia six-eye, 1959, of Lambert, Hendricks, and Ross - “The Hottest New Group in Jazz” and I swear to you that I was hearing some of the instruments peaking out of the left and right channels as well as being able to place the members in the soundstage (vertically too) - how is this even possible (and yes, my preamp was set to mono) - there is definitely some sort of alchemy going on inside this little rosewood box! Can’t wait to listen to more mono!
G) oh, and how polite she is - makes little to do about pops and clicks - they stay way down in the background with soft attack and low pitch (in contrast to my ClearAudio which magnified every little tick and scratch so that it became the main event and sounded like a shotgun going off!)

Ok, I’ll stop gushing now, but I just can’t get over this cartridge - and here’s the kicker - technically speaking, it shouldn’t sound this great - my ClearAudio 12” Universal tonearm only has an effective mass of 10g. So, I’m thinking, when I get my Groovemaster 12” high-mass tonearm, I’m going to hear even more greatness from my Koetsu - and that blows my mind! I mean, if I’m hearing all these good things from this cart, straight out the box, not even broken in yet, and I’m using it on the wrong tonearm, what in the world am I going to hear when I mount it on a better suited arm??? Really sets my imagination into the stratosphere…

Anyway, I regret now not having also bought the Vermilion as Sound Heights had one of those left when I bought my RWS, and it looks like there’s none to be found. Hopefully, the family will soon be able to start production again.

Thanks all for helping me secure such a great cartridge!

—cheers!

Jimmy

All of this is fine, but the big NO is the future prospects of owning Koetsu, with the company being defunct, buying a new cartrige means a finite ownership span with no prospects of a rebuild.
With the factory rebuild being offered when the company was functioning meant almost indefinite ownership with some periodic $$ outlay for the rebuild.
Now I'm not so sure.

 

[Johan K]

I go 50 ohms on my BlueLace with recommendation from Dan D’Agostino him self. Ofcourse that is together with his amplification, which I use. Works perfect!

/ Jk

 

[godofwealth]

All of this is fine, but the big NO is the future prospects of owning Koetsu, with the company being defunct, buying a new cartrige means a finite ownership span with no prospects of a rebuild.
With the factory rebuild being offered when the company was functioning meant almost indefinite ownership with some periodic $$ outlay for the rebuild.
Now I'm not so sure.

I don’t think the situation is as dire as you make it out to be. I just had my Onyx Platinum Blue Agate rebuilt by Steve @ VAS. For a relatively small sum of money compared to the cost of buying a new Onyx Platinum, I am delighted by the results. It sounds just as great, and one of the great virtues of the Platinum Stone Body Koetsu‘s lies not just in the diamond (which is not that exotic), but in the stone body and the platinum magnets. When Steve rebuilds a Koetsu, he changes the line contact stylus for essentially the same type that Koetsu uses (these are mass produced by companies other than Koetsu). The magic of a Koetsu is the body and magnets. The rest is pretty standard. So, a relatively inexpensive way to get into the higher end of Koetsu’s is to find someone discarding a used stone body Koetsu, and have Steve rebuild it for you. He‘s a very busy man, and meticulous. You’ll have to wait several months. Once he rebuilds it, he tests it extensively as well, and I think he’s done a fabulous job with mine.

As I type this, I am listening to the marvelous Jazz at the Pawnshop on the original Proprius release, and transported to a noisy boisterous Swedish jazz cafe with people drinking, clapping, glasses clinking, and wonderful jazz. The rest of the system is as shown. Speakers as La Scalas.