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Getting The Most Out Of A Koetsu Urushi

Recently acquired a Koetsu Urishi Tsugaru from a known and well trusted source. This cartridge has been refurbished by VDH, and has under 100 hours on it. Mu current cartridges consist of an Ortofon Winfeld, ZYX 4D, and Denon DL 304. 

The Urushi is certainly different than my previous cartridges, and I do hear lots of potential there. Currently have it installed on a DP 75 in a VPI plinth, with an Acos GST 801 arm. Phono stages available are the Liberty B2B-1 and the internal stage on a Musical Fidelity Nu Vista M3. 

The question is system configurations on how to get the Urushi properly sorted out. Are most Koetsu users also SUT users? Is there any upside to running it on this cartridge versus my phono stage in MC trim? Secondly, the output cable on the 801 is not verified as the stock one for the 801, and since the arm is wired internally with silver wire, I have considered the possibility to changing it out to a known cable of good quality. Which that one is to be, I have not made a decision on. 

I do also have a Technics SP 10 MK II in a variable density plinth, and I might consider putting the Urushi on there, although it might necessitate a change in tone arms. I have a 12" Riggle String Theory arm on it, and I suspect the wood arm may fall into the slightly warm camp, which is not what I would suspect this cartridge needs. It does seem that the SME V is a go to choice, but been thinking of other options also. 

Anyone with thoughts and experiences they care to share?
neonknight
neonknight OP
393 posts
 
Well the first step was to order a tone arm cable for the Acos, and make sure everything is up to snuff that way. Have an Analysis Plus Silver Apex cable coming. Apparently they just released it as a phono cable, and the website is not updated for that product, although they have the standard interconnects listed. 

We will see how that works out, then we will decide if a SUT is going to be worth exploring or not. 
handymann
383 posts
 
I have posted and read so many threads, where the response has not much in common, with the actual question-Hope I don't fall in that category. I purchased a Koetsu Urishi Black a few years ago. I added it to a Pioneer Pl-71.  It sounded very tinny and basically like total crap. Thought I'd been ripped off. After much research and talking to Mr , I learned my tonearm had insufficient mass. This may sound kinda ghetto, but I added some black permagum to to tonearm and she'll sounded full and vibrant. The older tonearms just didn't have enough mass. 
neonknight OP
393 posts
 
@handymann 
That is the word about the Urushi. But then it seems Koetsu owners can use them on a SME V with excellent results. And that arm is 10/11 grams in mass. Decidedly in the medium mass camp, right there with a Rega 303. The Zupreme head shell i use on the Acos has more mass than a V. So that must not be an over riding factor in getting the cartridge to perform properly, although having it on a 5 gram arm could certainly be an issue. 
lewm
13,175 posts
 
Dear Neon, If it sounded like I don't like SUTs, that was not intended.  My point is that you don't need one.  While "Bob" and Dertonearm (founder of an audio business in Germany that makes a humongous megabuck turntable, a tonearm, a headshell, and lately a line of phono cartridges starting at ~$9000US and going down from there) are very knowledgeable guys who know more than I do about the why's and wherefore's of using a SUT, I would just point out that there are a slew of experts of equal stature who line up on the other side of the question. In the end, it depends, among other things, upon the phono stage. Some hi-gain phono stages sound better than others.  Same goes for lo-gain phono stages that you might use with a SUT. Same goes for SUTs; some sound better than others.

On the subject of effective mass, my Triplanar has effective mass in the same range as the SME V, about 11g, I think. My Urushi sounded very good in the TP, but I have always wondered whether it will sound better in a heavier tonearm.  Now that I own a few that are heavier, I need to try it myself.  However, I have to wonder whether Handyman's experience (Urushi sounding like "total crap") may have had as much to do with poor alignment as with the medium effective mass of his original tonearm.  
neonknight OP
393 posts
 
Oh sure I understand what you are saying Lew.

The first step in the process is getting the Analysis Plus Apex phono interconnect installed, and making sure there is not a bottleneck there. Then we will evaluate.

I did pick up a used SUT for a modest price, made with Lundahl 9206 transformers. Ideally this works on the Musical Fidelity internal phono stage when set to MM position, and should pair well with the Denon DL 304. The MF/304 combo is for casual vinyl listening, when I want to spin my Culture Club and Wang Chung records!

The Urushi has an internal impedance of 5 ohms, as does the Winfeld, and the ZYX 4D is 4 ohms. This means if I find a SUT for lower internal impedance cartridges, it should work well with all 3 of these, and that has some value to me. So we will experiment with the Lundahl based SUT, and if the results are positive I can consider investing some money for the other 3 cartridges.

Its all a grand experiment! In the end, I might be content with  the Urushi going direct into the Liberty. I am happy with the other two cartridges that way. I need to delve into the manual again and see how it can be set up for 47K , and get a baseline of hearing it that way. 
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