Koetsu surprise


I have to hand it to my wife.  Like many of us, I have always plotted and schemed my own system upgrades based on my interests and perceived best bang for the buck.  I have been concentrating on the analog front end for the past 4 years and have been listening to a lot more music.  I had been enjoying a Lyra Delos for its detail and upper register energy, a SoundSmith Zephyr Star for its amazing instrumental separation and full frequency balance and an Ortofon MC A90, that I purchased used of Agon.  Thought I was done with cartridges for a long time.
So when on the eve of our 20th wedding anniversary I received a little square box from her, I had no clue that she would gift me something for the stereo.  But there in front of me is a pretty little Koetsu Rosewood Signature Platinum!  
Its hard to describe the disbelief.  I had never considered a Koetsu.  My impression of them was that they were rolled off, romantic, old school cartridges that had been bettered long ago by the likes of Ortofon, Lyra and SoundSmith.  Never really read up on their cartridges given that their cheapest models were about as much as I would ever consider spending.  
Fast forward one month and I have put about 40 hours on the RSP.  From the first needle drop I was very impressed with the midrange presence and the utter ease and extension into the very highest frequencies. The bass did sound a little soft in the first several hours but has tightened up considerably.  It sounded its best loaded with 100 Ohms and mounted on my Mørch DP-6 with heavy brass headshell screws from SoundSmith.  I currently have it on my Jelco 750D with a Jelco Rosewood headshell.  
I don't think any of these arms are the best match but the RSP does sound quite special on all of them.  Just purchased a 40 year old Fidelity Research FR-64S.  Can't wait to listen to the RSP on this arm.  Any recommendations on the FR-64S/RSP combo are welcome.

This whole experience has taught me an interesting lesson about assumptions in our little hobby.  You just have to listen before you judge.  This is a quantum leap in musical enjoyment that would never have happened if left to my own devices. Anyone else have this type of experience?  First time you heard something that changed your mind about what you thought you knew about audio?

I married up!

128x128karl_desch
Dear @terry9 : """   even if that remark were incontrovertibly true, which it certainly is not, it was churlish . """

Please don't feel ofended because a true and real fact can't ofend any one by the contrary: a lie is an ofense always.

You said that that fact " certainly it's not " but you give no single facts as foundation for your statement.

In the other side in many many threads I posted several facts ( I'm sure you read it at least one of my posts about. ), that no one and I'm meaning it repeat no one posted true facts that proved that  what I posted is totally wrong, why tubes and non-damped tonearms can't honor what's in the recording. If nyou have those facts please share with us, every single day is a leraning day and I'm always willing to.

As I said every one has his own audio system reproduction quality level targets and mine is to mimic what's in the recording that you can't have it with your system.

Yes you like what you listen but is far away from what's in the recording and the same for all users of non-damped tonearms.
We can't close the sun with a finger.

You like ( as many other gentlemans. ) what for many years you learnend through the corrupted AHEE ( where we all belongs. ) that still today push you and to all audiophiles to live listening as if you were living and listening a 40's audio system. You are in that jail and the AHEE has not the key to let you out, only you can do it changing your targets.

Btw, the KRSP is not a low compliance cartridge but belong to the medium range compliance.

@karl_desch , everything the same what defines that a cartridge can pick up more information ( tha's what you think against the A90. ), only one characteristic: cartridge tracking abilities and in this regards the A90 is superior to the KRSP.
Sometimes that " added information " ,  you posted , is only added distortions and not necessary true recorded information. A lower tracking level means higher distortions and less recorded information.

That we like it the sound with added distortions is a totally different issue.

As I posted, everything depends on each one of us targets.


Regards and enjoy the Music Not Distortions,
R.

Thanks Bruce looking forward to listening with you!

As far as distortions...Since there is no way of knowing what is actually on the recording, I will go with what I hear as more realistic, more information about the tone and timbre of an instrument.  This is informed by my years as a musician before I went to medical school and my continued enjoyment of live music.  The KRSP sounds a lot like real music in my system.  This was unexpected given what I assumed about Koetsu being romantic. Not a matter of true and false or enjoyable distortions or not.  This is simply opinion based on listening.  

Enjoy the music not the recording.


Just curious Raul, what equipment have you found meets your criteria?  Is there a particular piece you own that you are very fond of?  Not baiting you, just wondering .
I bought a Koetsu Urishi Black a few years ago. I mounted it on a Pioneer PL-71, I had bought, back in ’74. At first, it sound very tinny and I was very disappointed in it’s performance. I spoke with Koetsu and they informed me my tonearm, may not have enough mass. I experimented and finally got excellent results, by adding a very thin strip of Dynamat to the full length of the tonearm. Man-the difference was like day and night. I had only been back into vinyl a short time and was still "Living In The Past." The Dynamat, not only gave me the mass I needed, but also acts as a vibration absorber too. I find the Urishi Black, plays my older LPs better, such as Sgt Pepper’s Lonely... The White Album and LPs like that. Anyway, to get the sound you’re looking for, try, as stated in the responses above, to increase the tonearm’s mass. It really does not have to be complicated, as I found out using the dynamat. I know-sounds ghetto, but it worked!