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About Koetsu Rosewood

Hello,

I was given some days ago a Koetsu rosewood cartridge for a test run

in view to buy it for some 1500 usd.

It was the first time that I could hear such an expensive and highly regarded cartridge.

My system is Marantz sc-9 premp (with its very good mc and mm phono inputs) and Marantz sm-9 amplifier. The TT is a Sony TTS-2510.  (I like vintage)

 

I have also a Phasemation ea-200  phono unit which is very good.  And my LS are Cabasse Brigantin 372 (very very good ls which I am very fond of)

I could compare this Koetsu cartridge with some very good (but  much less expensive) cartridges in my collection such as (MC) sony xl-44L, at33ml, victor mc-1, and (MM)  Pioneer PC-600 and Victor X-1E.

Well, what can I say. I liked Koetsu very much. It is an excellent cartridge indeed. Even it can be called perfect sounding cartridge. I noticed well the difference between Koetsu and the other cartridges.

But all that said, I decided not to buy it. Because I did not find that with Koetsu my system would sound so much better. The test (for me) showed not that Koetsu was much better than the others, but than the others were if not equal (of course not) at least also very good and so much less expensive. In that sense the test was in their favour. I prefer to spent money on records J)

That is what I think.

 

Now, I took the photo of the Koetsu needle, and I would like to ask if it is an original needle or retipped but I did not find how to attach a photo to the message ;((( Could anybody tell me ?

 

Thank you very much

 

Serge

serge8

Showing 1 response by larryi

larryi
4,221 posts
 

I don't know about your table and tonearm, but if it is like most vintage tables, the arm would not be ideal for a Koetsu which prefers a quite heavy arm with very good pivots (meaning low friction but very tight so they don't rattle).  The Koetsu Rosewood would sound very good in any half decent arm, but, it really shows its special qualities when used in the right arm.

Still, if you like what you have already, and the Koetsu does not make enough of a difference, I can see why you would return it.   If you have any concerns about having to re-tip or otherwise service the Koetsu, a reconstituted version of the company is back in business and can service the cartridge and my local dealer has gotten very good, fast, and reasonably priced service from Andy Kim (California) who services cartridges. 

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