Etsuro Gold MC Cartridge in house

[Lagonda]

The cost to retip the Etsuro Gold is 70% or $14,000 assuming it costs $20K retail? Really?

Surely makes you consider a retip from a reputable retipper like VDH or
Soundsmith !

 

[bonzo75]

The cost to retip the Etsuro Gold is 70% or $14,000 assuming it costs $20K retail? Really?

This should go right in the SNL section of Really

 

[spiritofmusic]

I love my Soundsmith Straingauge. Current price $8k w second spare stylus and effectively obviates need for phono. $2k every 4-5 years gets two brand new stylii and updated energiser box. About as great vfm as you can get in the high end.

 

[microstrip]

Surely makes you consider a retip from a reputable retipper like VDH or
Soundsmith !

Yes, but I can imagine you will get a different sounding cartridge. I only have experience of vdH retips of Lyra and an old Koetsu, they sounded very good with great tracking, but I always got the idea they did not sound as full bodied as before re-tipping. Surely I did not have the old cartridge to compare directly ...

 

[PeterA]

This should go right in the SNL section of Really

Good one Bonqo, but didn't Joshua say 70% of retail when someone asked him the cost of a retip? He had originally quoted 75%. That sounds awfully high to me.

 

[bonzo75]

Good one Bonqo, but didn't Joshua say 70% of retail when someone asked him the cost of a retip? He had originally quoted 75%. That sounds awfully high to me.

Yes and in this case it's 70 percent of U.S. Retail, which is then equal to the retail price in EU

 

[bonzo75]

Yes, but I can imagine you will get a different sounding cartridge. I only have experience of vdH retips of Lyra and an old Koetsu, they sounded very good with great tracking, but I always got the idea they did not sound as full bodied as before re-tipping. Surely I did not have the old cartridge to compare directly ...

Which Lyra was this? On paper they have similar characteristics while describing sound to someone, though they sound quite different. Interesting how vdh would have changed the sound

 

[andromedaaudio]

The vdH tip is of a different design .
The diamond has a different shape /angle
It touches the grooves differntly.
I m sure DDK can tell you all about that

 

[fbhifi]

For no apparent reason many high end Japanese cartridges are priced at US dealers at approximately twice the Japanese street and, in some cases, retail price. This practice is all but forcing the fiscally prudent American buyer to shop abroad, particularly when they have no local servicing dealer. Additionally phono cartridges are highly portable little buggers, so overseas shipping is cheap and easy.

Outside of extremely high US import duties on Japanese phono cartridges, which I don’t believe currently are or ever have been in place, I don’t understand this pricing structure.

 

[djsina2]

Outside of extremely high US import duties on Japanese phono cartridges, which I don’t believe currently are or ever have been in place, I don’t understand this pricing structure.

You can look up the US Tariff Schedule online. I believe it’s around 2.5%, which is what I’ve paid on other gear from Japan.

 

[andromedaaudio]

Luckily carts are not made in China

 

[marmota]

What a tasteless discussion, but it kinda completes the picture for me.
Funny how he talks about being fair with distribution networks, grey market, bla bla, but is the very same guy who posted this:
https://www.whatsbestforum.com/threads/is-bob-graham-still-in-business.21776/page-2#post-489075

In the lowest moments of one brand that he does not represent (Graham), he instantly jumps out of nowhere to offer "an upgrade to a Primary Control", which is also embarassing for Primary Control, who seems to be an honest manufacturer, I believe truly uncapable of such a gross statement, so he even doesn't do favors to the brands he represents, he justs searches for an opportunity for a quick sale, zero value right there.

@Believe High Fidelity
You should read what you post and where, this was an incredible thread and you ruined it with your childish, greedy and consipirational theories, you're the only dealer who charges almost 2x for the cartridges, so you're the problem, not the other dealers. You'll have to work harder to achieve your financial goals, life is not that easy.

 

[Barry2013]

I am a great believer in the virtues of tolerance and not over reacting to peoples' faults and idiosyncracies, but frankly the way this thread has been hijacked and diverted from the purposes of the OP is a very sad advert for this forum. The sooner we get back to its original purpose the better it will be.
Sure there are all sorts of problems with the current structure of the audio market which I can well understand people are unhappy with, but the answer is to start a new thread on that topic and not to hijack this one.
I am sure it would be a very interesting thread, but maybe too interesting for some people.

 

[BruceD]

Ok I'll go with the "Keep theThread" momentum--- or possibly delete the "ungentlemanly" Posts--including mine if deemed so !--guess it's gotta end sometime!

BruceD

 

[spiritofmusic]

Ok I'll go with the "Keep theThread" momentum--- or possibly delete the "ungentlemanly" Posts--including mine if deemed so !--guess it's gotta end sometime!

BruceD

Nothing ever ends on some WBF threads, Bruce. Tetchiness rears it's ugly head like endless counterproductive system upgrades.

There have been lines I considered investing in, but when I heard what the markup on pieces of gear was, w the distributor being in effect the sole dealer in UK, working from home having no more expenses other than a posh coffee machine or a nice armchair for potential customers, I passed. On principle, I don't care how good the gear sounds, I refuse to be gouged. And I've REALLY been tempted by some gear that I could JUST ABOUT afford, but will not subsidise the practice.

 

[Bobvin]

</end-thread-jack>

I too vote we get back to discussing this cartridge and its virtues, hopefully more sonic comparisons to other top cartridges. Before the <start-thread-jack> happened it sounded like Mike was totally gobsmacked with what he was hearing, as was the Positive Feedback reviewer.

Sad that cartridge setup requires the time and effort that it does, I'd love to hear Mike's impressions of the cartridge on his other tables.

 

[Mike Lavigne]

ok; please let's move on (for the second time) from this price/distribution/re-tipping subject matter. it's depressing. we have all made our points. and this product deserves better. if you just cannot help yourself please go to the 'other' Etsuro Gold thread and dump on that one. i promise a listening perception post later tonight when i get home and can listen to my fabulous Etsuro Gold cartridge.

which i love to do!!!!

 

[Mike Lavigne]

Sad that cartridge setup requires the time and effort that it does, I'd love to hear Mike's impressions of the cartridge on his other tables.

there will be a point at which i will move the Etsuro Gold to my Saskia model two, and maybe to the NVS too. right now i'm in the middle of playing around with various cable choices and might even be trying an SUT of some sort. these things will take time to get through. so it likely will be a month or two before i am thinking about moving the Etsuro Gold. but i do expect to do it at some point in the not too distant future.

 

[Believe High Fidelity]

Wow! It isn't often I get to see such a display of self righteous hogwash. Taking two sentences and turning into some gross display of disrespect is one thing, but this takes the cake. Even the retipping, good Lord!

It is laughable, really. I have to admit I have enjoyed the childish attempts to jab me, pricing, and business practices. Defending people you never met even with made up scenarios! Some of the same people who have barraged me with compatibility, loading, and other questions have tried to make manufacturer trips in order to bypass to buy factory direct.

Regardless if I use a dealer network or go direct like my peers to commensurate pricing there would still be those attempts made to go grey market. Everyone wants hifi at Audiogon/commodity prices. Anyone that has been in the business for more than 5 minutes knows this. And nothing in my portfolio is commodity.

Take one look at the Etsuro product review site. 95% of the publicity and accolades are in the USA because we invest heavily on promotion and building relationships with reviewers that have a sea of choices to choose from and keep coming back to BHF because of who we are and what value we provide. To do all that work.....soooo much work and sooo much money and then have people make every excuse in the book to circumvent the people bringing this to market. Just unbelievable.

Using a dealer network and giving them margin to pay their bills doesn't mean anything but that. I guarantee if I received permission for Akiyama san to create a group buy for this forum at a significant discount that even at that price there might be one or two who would actually pull the trigger. Ill drop all of my dealers and lower all of prices and then what happens? My first email will be to lowball that price.

I don't need to comment on this thread further as no matter what I have to say when the agenda is pretty clear and there is only one of me and many of ya'll to create whatever narrative you guys want and this will just go round and round.

 

[Mike Lavigne]

tonight i've been listening to the CS Port tt/Etsuro Gold; nothing particularly unusual. using some cables here and there that are place-holders......so expectations were muted. and i've had a "suspension of disbelief" high point in my music reproduction listening experience. maybe just a case of the media rising above all else. i don't know. i know i've played this pressing before and liked it.

The L.A.4, Concord Jazz CJ-18, 1976 pressing. don't think it's direct to disc....but sounds like it......it's a mid 70's quasi-fusion record that just is very real sounding.

the (kettle?) drum solo on 'St. Thomas' cut one on side 2 is epic. the whole album is remarkable. the Etsuro Gold just digs deeper and deeper and i was stunned. it starts innocently enough, but then something spooky starts going on and these guys just rock. and 'these guys' are pretty good.

https://www.discogs.com/LA4-The-LA4/master/420365