Nature of Koetsu carts


I’ve been considering an Urushi Vermilion but from many reviews of Koetsu
carts in general, I’m left with the impression that each one has a midrange
sound that would make all your records present with a ‘samey’, boring
midrange.

what is your experience?
128x128rpm33
I doubt that Koetsu MC's would have remained popular if they had "boring" midrange sound! You can't really go wrong with any of them!
@rpm33: I have a Urushi Black and I love it.  The warning I will give, is your tonearm has to have sufficient mass, for the Koetsu’s to properly perform.  When I first mounted mine, it sounded very hollow.  At the suggestion of Koetsu, I increased my tonearm’s mass.  It was only then, that It started to sing.
rpm33

imo your description is just about perfect.  I had a Rosewood a few years back.  I preferred my Denon 103R.

  If you play lite jazz and female vocals, it might be good - but for dynamic music - no thanks.

  Apparently the Stone Koetsu's are better.
 The Rosewood line of Koetsu cartridges was always known to have a mid range prominent sound. So in my opinion all the responses above are correct. The other models of Koetsu cartridge that are in the same price range or more expensive than the Rosewood are exceptional and offer very good bass response and very decent treble extension. They are great sounding cartridges. Even the Rosewood platinum version outshines the base Rosewood model. In my opinion, the best bang for the buck among Koetsu cartridges is the Urushi. The stone bodied models are probably even better. Heavy tonearm is a must.