Koetsu

[Nemal1]

This is all very sad and also frustrating to a degree.
I was trying to get a stone body from Singapore this December but the imported stopped replying so now looking at an Etsuro burgundy as a possible alternative.
I hope this eventually resolves itself, and koetsu can survive without a Sugano at the helm, and would it still be the same?

 

[jsec]

In Tokyo HiFi Show last weekend, I met Aki san of DS Audio and asked him about the future of Koetsu. He knows the operation has stopped and it is not sure whether it will ever start again.
I suggested to Aki san that he buys the brand and continue the production. He is obviously a correct person to run Koetsu. His optical cartridge is different from Koetsu MC ones, so there is no conflict.
Aki san appeared to be interested but he said he didn’t know anyone in Koetsu. It has always been very secretive and does not socialise with other. But he will try to find out if it is possible to do something about it.

Thanks @TLi, it seems to be a long term solution if it happens. Currently there is no possibility to have Koetsu carts serviced, very unfortunate situation.

 

[apropos]

Tbh, very sad end to things, to go out not with a bang but a whimper.

Ridiculous IMO to not consider a succession plan when you are in your 60s. Shame they were not as good businessmen as they were cartridge makers.

 

[TLi]

Tbh, very sad end to things, to go out not with a bang but a whimper.

Ridiculous IMO to not consider a succession plan when you are in your 60s. Shame they were not as good businessmen as they were cartridge makers.

I was told the youngest member in Koetsu team is in his 70's. It is like an elderly home. Many Japanese companies are like that. It is a real problem. Air Tight and TechDAS have similar problem too.

 

[cuntigh]

Not sure Jack Miura agree...

 

[apropos]

I started my "journey" in my early teens, listening to a HiFi system of a friendly "uncle" (actually a total stranger) who struck up a conversation with a gangly kid who was digging through crates of old vinyl in a flea market in blistering sun. As a parent now, I shudder a little when I realise the risk I took in visiting (without telling my parents) the house of a complete stranger to listen to his HiFi...!

I still remember it vividly, like it was yesterday. The old LP-12 with the red power button, complete with Grace 707 tonearm and a Koetsu Rosewood mounted at the end. And the music that came forth from those old B&Ws floorstanders! Now that I am older, I know better to put a Koetsu on a light tonearm, but still... something shifted in me that day, and I have been chasing it ever since.

I'm just incredibly annoyed that after waiting decades to reach a stage in life when I can finally afford these cartridges, they go belly up. At least now I have four, which should last me a while.

Ageing out was not the problem, IMO it was an unwillingness to face reality and adapt. Which all of Japan is facing to some degree. On one hand you have a cultural predilection to dedication of the pursuit of perfection which makes things like bullet trains that almost perfectly run on time possible, and yet on the other hand an ingrained and total unwillingness to change which means things like fax machines and floppy disks exist along said bullet trains.

Unfortunately, it seems that the Koetsu mystique in this case wasn't a feature, it was a bug.

 

[jadis]

The last Azule bought by a friend from Singapore just a few days ago.

 

[Ron Resnick]

 

[RickS]

View attachment 120467

Hallelujah! Seriously! That just made my day and then some.

By “full retipping service” I do hope they meant full Koetsu rebuild service.

 

[Johan K]

Hallelujah! Seriously! That just made my day and then some.

By “full retipping service” I do hope they meant full Koetsu rebuild service.

Me too… yippi !!! Think I’m in love again.. Best news this year I think !!!

Lately I’ve been playing my BlueLace very sparse… Now I can spinn it up more often again and not worry about anything !

Thank you Ron for this news !

/ Jk

 

[JimmyJet]

I recently heard a Koetsu Black Goldline at an audio club member's home playing some of my own vinyl, and became mesmerized. So now, I've narrowed down the Koetsu I want to purchase between the Rosewood Signature and the Urushi Vermilion thanks to this wonderfully and detailed written blog. (I'm currently leaning towards the Vermilion.)

So, with all the Koetsu experience here in this thread, I figured I'd ask here if any of you have any favorite non-US based retailers that you've used to purchase your Koetsu's to avoid the US distributer markups? (As a rule, I generally tend to buy from the same country or continent of manufacture - a lot of my gear has been purchased from the EU at 30 - 40% cheaper than buying in the US). However, I don't have any experience buying from Asia except for a few carts from 2juki on eBay. I have found the carts I'm interested in on eBay from sellers in Japan, some at substantial discounts, and while there feedback is very high, I just have second thoughts about how old it is, legitimacy, etc.

Anyway, let me know if you have retailers in Asia or elsewhere that you'd recommend. -cheers!

 

[Be Quiet...Listen]

I recently heard a Koetsu Black Goldline at an audio club member's home playing some of my own vinyl, and became mesmerized. So now, I've narrowed down the Koetsu I want to purchase between the Rosewood Signature and the Urushi Vermilion thanks to this wonderfully and detailed written blog. (I'm currently leaning towards the Vermilion.)

So, with all the Koetsu experience here in this thread, I figured I'd ask here if any of you have any favorite non-US based retailers that you've used to purchase your Koetsu's to avoid the US distributer markups? (As a rule, I generally tend to buy from the same country or continent of manufacture - a lot of my gear has been purchased from the EU at 30 - 40% cheaper than buying in the US). However, I don't have any experience buying from Asia except for a few carts from 2juki on eBay. I have found the carts I'm interested in on eBay from sellers in Japan, some at substantial discounts, and while there feedback is very high, I just have second thoughts about how old it is, legitimacy, etc.

Anyway, let me know if you have retailers in Asia or elsewhere that you'd recommend. -cheers!

If your front end is able to accomodate a Vermilion then go for it. Absolutely.
Soundheights in Japan is my go to

 

[jadis]

I recently heard a Koetsu Black Goldline at an audio club member's home playing some of my own vinyl, and became mesmerized. So now, I've narrowed down the Koetsu I want to purchase between the Rosewood Signature and the Urushi Vermilion thanks to this wonderfully and detailed written blog. (I'm currently leaning towards the Vermilion.)

So, with all the Koetsu experience here in this thread, I figured I'd ask here if any of you have any favorite non-US based retailers that you've used to purchase your Koetsu's to avoid the US distributer markups? (As a rule, I generally tend to buy from the same country or continent of manufacture - a lot of my gear has been purchased from the EU at 30 - 40% cheaper than buying in the US). However, I don't have any experience buying from Asia except for a few carts from 2juki on eBay. I have found the carts I'm interested in on eBay from sellers in Japan, some at substantial discounts, and while there feedback is very high, I just have second thoughts about how old it is, legitimacy, etc.

Anyway, let me know if you have retailers in Asia or elsewhere that you'd recommend. -cheers!

Email KOETSU SE ASIA. Just Google it.

 

[apropos]

Email KOETSU SE ASIA. Just Google it.

Yeah, I'd recommend Melvin as well. As long as you don't "tyre kick" with him, he should be able to help you with what you are after.

I've also bought from Soundheights - and they appear to have one Vermillion left in stock!

https://www.soundheights.jp/SHOP/g16826/list.html

 

[JimmyJet]

Thanks very much all!

 

[apropos]

Let's revive this thread proper.

I would be curious in knowing what SUTs members here are working with their Koetsus. What ratio with what Koetsu cartridge, and why?

 

[Johan K]

No SUT for my BlueLace… it goes directly in to my balanced input on my D’Agostino Momentum phonostage at 73dB gain… Works with a monsterous drive throughout the whole spectrum - could not be happier..

Merry Christmas to you all ??!

/ Jk

 

[JimmyJet]

Let's revive this thread proper.

I would be curious in knowing what SUTs members here are working with their Koetsus. What ratio with what Koetsu cartridge, and why?

Ekke recommends 1:20 ratio and the Michael Ulbrich “Monster Can”. He advises against using any ratio higher than 1:20 because of over dampening the cart. A lot of good points to be learned in his Koetsu blog - he‘s a recording engineer and really knows this stuff from a technical perspective as well as having a good ear.

 

[jadis]

Merry 'Koetsu' Christmas, everyone.

 

[Chop]

26dB of gain with my Allnic H7000V & Urushi. This sounds more alive than the 20dB setting and brings instruments and voices into the room more.