Koetsu black, lacking bass

You really don't know how it sounds....give it a few weeks at least

That doesn’t sound right for a Koetsu, even fresh out of the box. I personally didn’t have stellar results with the Clearaudio pivoted arms and Koetsu (Jade on a Universal 12” arm), but I’d still suspect something else going on, like the phono stage and its loading (besides the usual suspects of alignment, VTA, VTF, etc). What is your loading? Koetsu tends to like 50-100 ohms into active MC stages, or a SUT with 20x - 30x ratio into a typical 47K MM input. Also, I’ve experienced bass lightness when using an MC stage with too little gain (60 dB or less for the Platinum models @ 0.3mV output). You might try a SUT like the Bob’s Devices Sky 20 or 1131, with your phono in MM mode, which will solve your gain and loading issues, and will certainly get near the very best bass impact a Koetsu is capable of.

My Koetsu Black Goldline was awesome top to bottom and right out of the box. It improved of course, everything does, but it never ever sounded light, not in the bass, not anywhere else. If there was even any inkling of that from reviews believe me, never woulda gone near it. Last thing I can stand, lean hifi presentation. Guys are ga ga for it. Not me.

Got it a year ago, added 4 subs several months later, so can't say for sure it had the same subterranean bass then as now, but no way would I call it light then or now. Certainly not now! That thing goes low! I'm sure it went just as low right out of the box, just didn't have the subs to hear the last few hertz.

It went low with the ARC PH3SE and it goes low now with the Herron. Its on my Miller Carbon table and Origin Live Conqueror so that don't hurt. It has performed so flawlessly and consistently with different gear I find it hard to believe its the Koetsu. Even with whack alignment. Which I doubt- alignment cannot be off, or you would not be hearing greater clarity than the old Lyra. Clarity is the first thing to go when you are off. All your associated gear is hifi, the Koetsu is your one really good sounding component. Well okay, the Mac. Possibly. Main point, of all the equipment you listed including the Lyra the only one definitely NOT guilty of being light in the bass is the Koetsu. The Mac, probably, is fine. All the rest, lean.

So what I'm reading, you added a bona fide high end and pretty much irreproachable $2500 cartridge and iffy entry level $150 outlet at the same time, and for some reason decided to blame the cartridge. 

I would send it back if you can. Gear that sounds that bad out of the box ain't gonna magically transform a week or month or year from now. Don't take my word for it though. Get one from Synergistic Research, find out for yourself. Right outta the box. You will see.

Compared to a Lyra Kleos, the Koetsu Black is going to sound less resolving in the bass...and frankly IMO every else in the frequency spectrum as well. The Black will sound warmer than the Kleos. 
I suspect what you are thinking is clarity is in fact loss of resolution and transparency to source vs. the Lyra Kleos. The Koetsu is basically a very dated design compared to the new angle design from Jonathan Carr.

I agree with daveyf about the basic sound character of the Kleos vs. the Koetsu Black.  Something is odd about the setup if the Black sounds more clear but lacking in bass (it could be the original setup with the Kleos was off).

As to which cartridge should sound better, that is a matter of taste.  I don't think modern vs. old design is as much an issue, given that basic design of MC cartridges has not changed much.