ZEN cartridge ?

Funny how the Zenn cartridge keeps creeping into this discussion 😉

As for the Sato Musen Zen, my guess is that this was indeed built by Victor, similar or even identical to Kanno’s original design. While the body looks more like the MC-L10, the construction of the coils is as the L1000 (not etched) and the specs are also identical. I don’t know the facts on the Sato Musen brand, but most likely it was a small Japanese operation specialized in audio related products. Apparently they were in the position to request from Victor/Kanno-San a special version with a diamond cantilever, which was never available from Victor.

I have both the MC-L1000 and Sato Musen Zen Diamond and they share the same sonic profile. Both are capable of producing huge dynamic swings that make the soundstage balloon in all directions, seemingly without any limitations. The Zen with diamond cantilever is if anything even more explosive than MC-L1000 with aluminum cantilever. But it also sounds slightly warmer in the midrange, perhaps due to the different body material.

The only other cartridge I know that can manage this sort of dynamics is the original Ikeda 9. This cantileverless design also has the coils directly above the stylus. Reports from other users suggest that the Decca and the Neumann DST, also variations on this ’direct couple’ theme, have the same characteristics. Obviously no coincidence!

@edgewear great story as always, thanks

MC-L1000 with aluminum cantilever.

The cantilever on MC-1 and MC-L10 is Beryllium, I don't have MC-L1000, but don't you think it's beryllium ? 

Maybe Victor was an OEM for Zen?

... or maybe both are OEM from another manufacturer?

the construction of the coils is as the L1000 (not etched)

yes it is exactly as you claim, the coils are of wire and are applied in a plastic support.
A realization "similar" to this one for example.

https://i.postimg.cc/Px2FpnKc/IMG-0502bb-thumb-jpg-91550aeacfcb7271ba5b16a60e18ed7b.jpg

in any case I read the story of Sato Musen many years ago, unfortunately a long time has passed and I don't remember well; I should look in some old Japanese magazine.

@chakster, thanks for pointing this out. The owner’s manual and specs are all in Japanese and I just assumed the cantilever would be aluminum. But upon closer inspection it looks to be a solid rod of a brighter metal. So you could be correct that the MC-L1000 is also beryllium.

@best-groove, I agree that both cartridges may have been OEM from another manufacturer (or an artisan one man operation, as the case might be). JVC Victor may have been a large corporation at the time, but it was not particularly known for phono cartridges.

I don’t have much information on the designer apart from his name, but Kanno San currently does the design work for Phasemation. Perhaps he had and still has his own workshop? Like Takeda San when he was OEM for Levinson, Cello, Krell, MoFi and 47Labs before setting up his own Miyabi brand. Or Matsudaira San as OEM for Air Tight, TechDas, Accuphase, etc. next to his own MSL brand.

Like Takeda San when he was OEM for Levinson, Cello, Krell, MoFi and 47Labs before setting up his own Miyabi brand.

47Labs was last destination of Takeda-San, he retired then.

Miyabi was before 47Labs, luckily I managed to get Standard and MCA models.

JVC Victor may have been a large corporation at the time, but it was not particularly known for phono cartridges.

I think they made millions of MM cartridges (maybe less MC) and Shibata stylus was their patent. Here is a list of Victor products.

Construction of the MC1 printed coil is here.

Construction of MC-L10 coil is here.

And BTW what Audio-Technica made in 21st century ( ART-1000 ) is just Victor MC-L1000 principle. 

"New" is not always new :))