Let's Say A Guy Wanted To Chose Between A Koetsu Jade and

Dear @mulveling  : "  most dynamic Koetsu but still sweet " , that speaks a lot of a way cartridge signature quality level performance.

Koetsu maybe is the LOMC cartridge more over-rated in history due that from its start was surrounded by on purpose manufacturer " mistery halo ". In those times audiophiles not even know where to buy it and when finally they got it they do not knew nothing of the cartridge specs not even its cartridge VTF or output level that was " mouth to mouth " the way they finally know it. The underground magasines helped to that " halo " and almost all those reviewer (tas/STHP. ) loved in the same way they loved tubes.

I began with through Japanese Stereo in CA for 600.00 that was to way expensive for its really poor quality performance. In those times in the magasines as Audio, Stereo Review or HiFi never found out a Koetsu review and certainly never listed in their Year " bibles ". Always a mistery.

With that poor performance the cartridge still sold my dozens and price till today goes up and up and up. I owned several samples and was with the RSP the very first time that the cartridge can be listen it with a little better frequency extremes but even the Blue Lace is nothing to " die for ".

For me really poor performance with a " monstrous " price tag. Not for me any more, I learned in the hard way spending money for it. Yes, exist audiophiles that can live very happy with as you and nothing wrong with that.

Regards and enjoy the MUSIC NOT DISTORTIONS,

R.

@rauliruegas Interesting post. Do you think that today the house sound of a Koetsu is easily bettered? As they are known for ’warmth’ , perhaps this is their strength. Not appealing to some, but also maybe required depending on set-up. I do think that all of the Lyra’s that I have heard are far more resolving than the Koetsu’s I have heard ( and I have heard most of them, including the Blue Lace etc.,), but is this sound more musical??

Dear @daveyf  : Sorry, but Koetsu has no single " strength " as a top cartridges.

" more musical?? "  : well that depends the kind of audiophile first hand experiences with MUSIC/sound and his priorities.

For me musical is a " word/term " in audiophiles that normally has no real/true experiences very often with live MUSIC seated at nearfield position but " musical " could be anything in LP reproduction even for experimented audiophiles. A way to controversial " word " . I prefer to talk of what is rigth or wrong instead " musical ".

R.

@rauliruegas  One thing, as an ex-pro musician, I can tell you with some confidence, that there are no two people who will tell you that one person's sound is 100% 'right' and another's is 100% 'wrong'...per your supposition. Just like what is musical to one is not necessarily to another, however, I think we can say that most folks will enjoy a certain musical 'experience' in the same way that most (not all) others do.

@daveyf  : Agree, I was something " extreme " about. The issue is that musical almost means different " things " to audiophiles is a to " wide " word and that's why I usually do not use it.

R.