My kiseki Blackheart nightmare.


First, I want to disclose I’m not a dealer or in any other way affiliated with any company related to audio. I’m just a life long Audiophile that has traveled many roads good and bad. I highly recommend when buying a delicate component like a phono cartridge buy from a dealer that will standby you so when issues like I had with the Kiseki Blackheart arise, so they will be there for you like mine was.
I purchased my Blackheart after owning the Purpleheart for approximately 6 months without any issues. I liked the performance so much the Audiophile in me decided I needed to see what the new Blackheart was all about. After receiving my first Blackheart about 5 hours into the break-in period I started hearing a tinkling noise in the left channel. I check all my settings and they were fine. Even checked phono stage. Called my dealer and he advised me to bring my table in to see if we could replicate the noise. I did and the issue was the same; thank god they heard it. My dealer called the distributor and they wanted it sent to them so they could test it. It took over 2 weeks after they received it to confirm the cartridge was defective. They immediately sent a replacement (Blackheart) cartridge. I was very positive the issue was with just that cartridge. Unfortunately the same issue again. Dealer notified the distributor again they advised I try one more Blackheart. I unwilling accepted the idea not having any confidence a third one would not have the same issue. After receiving the new cartridge the issue was still present and it also was returned. I’m not sure if it was just a bad batch of Purplehearts that were defective, but at $4200. this type of quality control is un acceptable. Thank god my dealer was there for me it could have been much worse. I’ve since moved on the a Hana UmamI Red; which smokes the Blackheart in every way. And yes, the Hana has no issues.
hiendmmoe

Showing 4 responses by nandric

eBay as reference. One can read philosophical disputes ''on
referring'' but what we all expect is that a name should name
someone. When I noticed ''to many Van den Hul's'' on , say,
second hand market in combination with the fact that Mr.
Van den Hul spend much time in Ukraine where he sells his
cables I pronounced my own ''Heureka'' : Van den Hul's are not
(all) Van den Hul's. Aka: ''the misleiding reference''. The same
was the case with ''repair service '' by Soundsmith in the sense
of ''who deed the repair'' but I was nearly killed by Peter lovers
for such ''insulting assumption''. The ''inventor'' of Kiseki Van den
Dungen deed not only invented ''Kiseki name'' but also the
person who made Kiseki cartrdiges and even polished the
style with human hair. His name was Mr. Fukadu. An curious
name without an bearer because nobody know who this Mr.
was. TILL TODAY. Even more curious is the fact that ''THOSE
Kiseki's made in the 80 is sound much better than the new one.
Should we then conclude with ,uh, Shakespeare ''what is in
a name''? Well there are Ikedas, Takedas, Allaerts and some
''one man persons'' with the right reference. It is not the name
of the cartridge that counts but the name of the the real person
 who made it. 






Quality control relates to possible defects. But sound quality 
relates to the ''master'' who make the cartridge. Van den
Dungen obviously deed not find the ''right master'' as (alias)
Mr. Fukadu who made all ''old Kisekie's'' which were in high
esteem. This explains so many new Kisekie's offered second
hand. Try to find ''old'' Black heart , Gold spot or ''stone kinds''
as Agaat and Lapis Lazuli. Those who own them are not
willing to part from them.  

Dear Lew, Fukadu is also invented by Van den Dungen. Nobody
 knows who made those ''old Kiseki's'' . My guess was Kondo
san because he made SUT's for Kiseki but other think that Dynavector made them. 
Dear dover, You of course know that M. Levinson discovered
Takeda san. I am not sure about ''Krell'' in the sense of ''before''
or ''later''.  However Krell mentioned Takeda on the back side
of his metal box while Levinson pretended that those were his
own. My guess because Van den Dungen and Kondo san were
good friends is that this misterious ''Fukuda'' may be advised
to Van Dungen by Kondo san. Van den Dungen  was not familiar
with Japan but shared ''obsession '' with tubes with Kondo san.
This explains their friendship as well the fact that Kondo san
designed 3 SUT's for Kiseki. BTW this ''secret'' may result in
''bargain Kondo '' if one can find ''the silver Kiseki SUT''. 
I own the whole Blue series with Gold spot as latest design.
In addition the (stone) Agaat and Black heart. The latest
Kiseki meant as ''poor man Lapis Lazuli''. I like  Agaat the
most.