Anyone Ever Figure Out Who Really Designs And Build the Kiseki Cartridges?
Does not design and build. When you read the history, Herman sent 6 cartridge bodies out to 3 cartridge makers, and that is all the backstory we get. Happened in a reaction to losing distributorship of the Koetsu line in Europe. http://kiseki-eu.com/how-it-all-started/ |
Levinson discovered Takeda san (Miyabi) ordered the cart and sold under his own name. Krell deed the same by the same Takeda. Marovski ordered by Coral (MC 82) and sold in USA under the name ''MIT''. The difference with Herman van den Dungen was the reason. Herman's was revenge against Sugano's way of doing business.. |
If it were me, I would only wonder whether there are any similarities between an "old" Kiseki Purpleheart and the new revival of the Purpleheart, with respect to construction and performance parameters, before investing. Chances are, the resemblance is limited. So, you would be buying the name only, if you buy a new Purpleheart. (Well, I guess the body of the new one is made of purpleheartwood, like the original. That is something, at least.) I always thought that the KP was made by Sugano before he started up Koetsu. Beyond that, I had no reason to care. The old KP always had a good reputation for sounding good, however. Can you find out about weight, compliance, voltage output, cantilever type, stylus shape, inductance, etc, for old vs new? Did the old KP have such a high internal resistance as you mention for the new one? The high resistance suggests high-ish inductance compared to most LOMCs. |
Well the first review about the first Kiseki (the Blue) used the metaphorical expression ''Koetsu killer'' to describe the cart. The reviewer had no idea that this was the actual intention of Van den Dungen who was back then Koestu importer and very angry at Sugano san because this Japanese ''san'' wanted payment in advance but then forget to deliver the carts... Among different possible inspirations one should also count revenge. Van Dungen thought in terms of ''parts'' and ''wholes'' and decided to design the body in Holland and order the parts (aka the generator) in Japan where also some unknown ''san'' would put them together. The Dutch have an impressive painter tradition so the body got expected color and shape. But after the so called ''CD revolution'' some or many (?) bodies where left in Holland because there was no demand for Kiseki cats. Those ''left overs'' are recently rediscovered so , depending form the amount, two or three so called ''limited editions'' are produced. To use Lew's description in term of ''old'' and ''new'' the real question at present is who has put the parts together by the ''new Kiseki's''? Assuming that the old one has passed away the further question is if the ''new one'' is as capable as the old one? Anyway I share Lew';s skeptical assumption that the new KP sounds as good as the old one. |
