I recently upgraded from a Benz Micro Glider II to a Koetsu Black. (Not that I really wanted to upgrade, but my friends children bent the cantilever on the my Glider (Warning to Glider owners!!), so I had to replace it anyway).
The Glider sounded very good. It was very analytical, perhaps too much so. It sounded a bit like a CD, in as that it retreived a good amount of detail, with little colorations. It had much more HF than the Black. (I think it is worth the money ($800), and therefore a good value).
The Koetsu Black sounds more musical (like a really good tube amp). It, surprisingly, has a better bass response. It also has a very, very nice mid-range, better than the Benz. The HF are definetly rolled off though, compared to the Benz. (However, this works out fine with my Revel Studios which has HF to spare!) I have only had the Black a week or so, so hopefully it will only get better when it is broken in. As far as value, at $1500, it seems a little expensive, but from what I have heard and read, once it is broken in, there is no going back once you have experienced the "Koetsu" magic. (Oh yeah, it comes with a removable stylus guard!)
My two cents anyway.
