Greetings from Devon

Hi, I'm Guy.

I run a UK based business selling valve amps under the brand name Pure Sound. I also distribute (in the UK) Aurorasound electronics from Japan, the STST turntables & tonearms from Germany and the new Etsuro Urushi cartridge also from Japan. I started in the audio business back in the mid 80's manufacturing a turntable called the Voyd. I worked for 10 years with valve amp manufacturer Audio Innovations and a further 10 years working with loudspeakers (Heybrook & JPW) before starting Pure Sound.

I still maintain an interest in DIY, low power amps & high sensitivity speakers & try to get over to the ETF each year wherever it takes place.

Hi Davey,

I got my first Etsuro Urushi in early March, prompted by trying the much cheaper Hana SL (also made by Excel Sound Corp) and having found that particularly even handed & a refreshing alternative to the usual mid price Ortofons, Audio Technicas, Denons etc.

I was intrigued by some of the design features of the EU particularly the sapphire (presumably synthetic) mounting plate and the sapphire cantilever. I asked a few questions of their representative & got the right sorts of answers so decided to try one with a view to eventually buying more. My usual (& favourite) cartridge is the original Japanese version of Kondo's Io Limited which is a field coil design requiring an additional pair of arm wires for the power supply. But these are no longer made in Japan, hard to find, & somewhat awkward to use.

In use here I found the cartridge powerful, refined, very good in the reproduction of tone and extremely quiet. I had been concerned that it might present music in the forensic, almost chrome plated style I hear with the Lyra cartridges but it was nothing like that.

I used the EU here for a week or so before sending it to a dealer friend in London who has the kind of clientele that might consider buying one. He also sells the stone bodied Koetsus, Miyajimas, & various others from the likes of VdH and Clearaudio. It fits in well amongst the other cartridges he does offering a different flavour to each of those but certainly at the same level. It seems to go very well in the SME arms although it has also been on Rockport & Air Tangent linear tracking arms as well.

Here it is on an AF2 at an event we participated in a couple of months back.

There are a few interesting pieces in that top picture if you look closely!

It is one of the Dalby clamps. The dealer friend has sold quite a few of them as I understand it. It certainly altered the presentation of both the Beat & the AF2 on that occasion although I didn't have another weight or clamp on hand to put it in some context. It is a very nicely made item though. If I recall, the wooden parts were made from Lignum Vitae a very tough & dense material used for various things including the manufacture of Crown Green bowling balls. I think Dalby does 2 clamps, the one pictured being the larger one. He also does some isolation feet although I haven't tried them.

I've never seen any of the electronics although I understand he's built & sold a few pieces to customers in Asia.

Dr John - In the right place. A great sounding reissue.