Koetsu

[Maril555]

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.

View attachment 126874

 

[Maril555]

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.

View attachment 126874

I cannot comment on the quality of his work, but it’s not going to be a Koetsu

 

[godofwealth]

I cannot comment on the quality of his work, but it’s not going to be a Koetsu

Agreed. A rebuilt cartridge by a 3rd party is not original by any means. Only your ears can tell you if you are happy with the results, compared to the original sound you know. In my case, since this was my original Koetsu, I was very familiar with its sound before Steve rebuilt it. It doesn’t of course sound identical to the original partly because the original cartridge was well past due for a rebuild and started to mistrack rather a lot.. It now has a new second life. As with all rebirths, it’s a different cartridge, but has the same hallmarks of a great Koetsu. I am pleased.

 

[Maril555]

Agreed. A rebuilt cartridge by a 3rd party is not original by any means. Only your ears can tell you if you are happy with the results, compared to the original sound you know. In my case, since this was my original Koetsu, I was very familiar with its sound before Steve rebuilt it. It doesn’t of course sound identical to the original partly because the original cartridge was well past due for a rebuild and started to mistrack rather a lot.. It now has a new second life. As with all rebirths, it’s a different cartridge, but has the same hallmarks of a great Koetsu. I am pleased.

fair enough

 

[godofwealth]

A Koetsu dealer near me in Berkeley is selling a store demo Onyx Platinum, in case anyone here is interested. Looks exactly like mine but of course it’s an original Koetsu, not rebuilt like mine. The price is commensurate.

Koetsu Onyx Platinum Moving Coil Cartridge (Dealer Demo)

Demo Koetsu Onyx Platinum Moving Coil Cartridge for sale-Lightly used in-store only for demonstration-Original box included-Fully tested and working-We are an authorized Koetsu dealer.-California buyers are subject to sales tax.-----The pinnacle of cartridge design can be found in a Koetsu stone...

www.usaudiomart.com

 

[JimmyJet]

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.

Right. And that's why I rushed to buy one in stock in Japan before the supply dried up. However, I do have hope based on this post that perhaps other family members besides the son were taught the skill. I would have to think so, as I find it hard to believe that Sugano, Jr. built all the world's international stock of Koetsu cartridges all by himself. For sure, the family is now in transition, and we can only hope and pray that they are able to regroup and start building cartridges again.

But for the sake of your argument, let's say that the world's stock is finite - I'm still glad to have secured one from the original stock and will enjoy it immensely until that fateful day when it must be retired. 'Tis better to have loved and lost then never to have [owned a Koetsu].

(I'm also scouring the internet to purchase more) --cheers and here's to positive thoughts for the Sugano family and their future business endeavors.

 

[godofwealth]

A lot of famous high end brands are fading away due to their owners demise. It’s sad but inevitable.

 

[Maril555]

Right. And that's why I rushed to buy one in stock in Japan before the supply dried up. However, I do have hope based on this post that perhaps other family members besides the son were taught the skill. I would have to think so, as I find it hard to believe that Sugano, Jr. built all the world's international stock of Koetsu cartridges all by himself. For sure, the family is now in transition, and we can only hope and pray that they are able to regroup and start building cartridges again.

But for the sake of your argument, let's say that the world's stock is finite - I'm still glad to have secured one from the original stock and will enjoy it immensely until that fateful day when it must be retired. 'Tis better to have loved and lost then never to have [owned a Koetsu].

(I'm also scouring the internet to purchase more) --cheers and here's to positive thoughts for the Sugano family and their future business endeavors.

That’s fair enough as well

 

[godofwealth]

I hear van den Hul has stopped making cartridges as well. He was pretty much a one man operation.

 

[Lynnot]

https://fwd.nl/app/uploads/Music2-vdHul_1_Marc-Aalt-Jouk-en-David-van-den-Hul-620x410.jpg

vd Hul and his sons ....

 

[jadis]

A lot of famous high end brands are fading away due to their owners demise. It’s sad but inevitable.

I heard the owner of Transfiguration also passed away a few years ago. Not sure what happened to the company or its production.

 

[jadis]

I really understand the concern of not having the original company rebuild their cartridges. And I understand too the 2 sides, one will always want to have a broken cartridge done by the original company, and another would prefer to have it done by an outside party, mostly due to economic concerns. Both are very valid and it all boils down to which you decide to use. Going back to the 80s where the original Koetsu was already reclusive , specially in giving technical info, I have no idea if there were any rebuild services provided by the founder Yoshiaki Sugano. In those days, when my elder friends had broken Koetsus, it was considered 'gone', and mostly just set aside. Which was why they had spare brand new Koetsus beside their turntables, still boxed. Fast track to the mid 2000s, and I guess due to the internet, customers begin to hear about a rebuilding service, ie from Acoustic Sounds and Koetsu South East Asia. That was the Fumihiko era, and he only does a complete rebuild, with only the old shell/body retained. Price was very high, and most turned to other companies like Sound Smith and VDH for 'retipping'. Today it is obvious that the latter is the only choice. I admire those who still buy old stocks of Koetsu models while fully knowing the consequences in case of an accident or 'old age'. That period of usage translates to heavenly bliss for the user, as a lot of first time users feel about the Koetsu experience. I have mentioned here that I had used a Black for 8 years and a RS for 12 years, the latter saw a lot of action because at that time I imported lots of vinyl from the world to sell here locally and some (expensive ones) needed to be play-graded to ensure customer satisfaction. This much I can say, I have not heard anyone who reported to me that his Koetsu simply died with normal usage. All cases for rebuilding in my dealership tenure were due to accidents and they are not nice stories to hear. So a lot of care in usage, as all cartridges are by nature delicate and fragile objects, will go a long long way.

 

[jadis]

I was chatting with the local distributor of Transfiguration cartridges and he said since the passing of its owner and designer Seiji Yoshiyoka a few years ago, production has stopped , and goes with it, the inability for service from the company. He presently has a Proteus that as a channel signal problem and he is looking to send it overseas to a third party serviceman. I guess the main thing now is to find a reputable and skillful serviceman with good feedback.

 

[AudioAbe]

I was chatting with the local distributor of Transfiguration cartridges and he said since the passing of its owner and designer Seiji Yoshiyoka a few years ago, production has stopped , and goes with it, the inability for service from the company. He presently has a Proteus that as a channel signal problem and he is looking to send it overseas to a third party serviceman. I guess the main thing now is to find a reputable and skillful serviceman with good feedback.

I think that Ana Mighty would be the place to go. From @dcc posts they serviced/overhauled his Transfiguration cartridge

 

[jadis]

I think that Ana Mighty would be the place to go. From @dcc posts they serviced/overhauled his Transfiguration cartridge

Thanks for the info, Abe.

 

[christensenleif@msn.com]

I sent my NOS longbody Kiseki Blue to Aidas in Lithuania and the result with new boron cantilever and Namiki Microridge was spectacular....could have gotten Shibata or ruby cantilever as well
highly recommended
he also has an interesting range of his own designs

 

[JimmyJet]

Hi all - have any of you had any experience with AudioCubes.com?

Seems like they're a US company in NYC with strong ties in Japan as their About page says, "our warehouse in Osaka Japan and a liaison office in Taipei Taiwan. Orders are shipped out from our warehouse in Osaka Japan directly to you."

Their prices are much higher than ordering directly from a Japanese retailer, but are lower than the typical US Koetsu distributers. I was a tad suspicious that they seem to have almost the full line of Koetsu's available, including a Jade. Anyway, given the uncertain future of Koetsu, I was toying with the idea of maybe purchasing from them, but wanted to ask here if any of you have any info about them? -thanks

 

[jadis]

Hi all - have any of you had any experience with AudioCubes.com?

Seems like they're a US company in NYC with strong ties in Japan as their About page says, "our warehouse in Osaka Japan and a liaison office in Taipei Taiwan. Orders are shipped out from our warehouse in Osaka Japan directly to you."

Their prices are much higher than ordering directly from a Japanese retailer, but are lower than the typical US Koetsu distributers. I was a tad suspicious that they seem to have almost the full line of Koetsu's available, including a Jade. Anyway, given the uncertain future of Koetsu, I was toying with the idea of maybe purchasing from them, but wanted to ask here if any of you have any info about them? -thanks

Haven't heard of this store till you mentioned it. I guess the best way to to email them and ask for quotes and stocks available, then proceed from there. They shouldn't be any different from US distributors like Acoustic Sounds or Music Direct. Last I checked, AS has only 4 models of Koetsu listed in the price list.

 

[peelaaa]

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 write up there.
My experience at Soundheights back in 2021 was an unforgettable one. I have no Japanese, Hiroomi the owner and his dad have very little english. But we got by. An outstanding collection of exotica could be found in their shop. Koetsu were barely mid range in cost compared to some equipment they had for sale.

 

[jadis]

While I, and many Koetsu owners, had hoped that Koetsu the company will still one day come back, there is a post by a founder of the Koetsu group in Facebook that paints a very sad picture on this matter. His information came from the long time UK DEALER Absolute Sounds. The Koetsu Epoch has come to be end.