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About Koetsu Rosewood

Hello,

I was given some days ago a Koetsu rosewood cartridge for a test run

in view to buy it for some 1500 usd.

It was the first time that I could hear such an expensive and highly regarded cartridge.

My system is Marantz sc-9 premp (with its very good mc and mm phono inputs) and Marantz sm-9 amplifier. The TT is a Sony TTS-2510.  (I like vintage)

 

I have also a Phasemation ea-200  phono unit which is very good.  And my LS are Cabasse Brigantin 372 (very very good ls which I am very fond of)

I could compare this Koetsu cartridge with some very good (but  much less expensive) cartridges in my collection such as (MC) sony xl-44L, at33ml, victor mc-1, and (MM)  Pioneer PC-600 and Victor X-1E.

Well, what can I say. I liked Koetsu very much. It is an excellent cartridge indeed. Even it can be called perfect sounding cartridge. I noticed well the difference between Koetsu and the other cartridges.

But all that said, I decided not to buy it. Because I did not find that with Koetsu my system would sound so much better. The test (for me) showed not that Koetsu was much better than the others, but than the others were if not equal (of course not) at least also very good and so much less expensive. In that sense the test was in their favour. I prefer to spent money on records J)

That is what I think.

 

Now, I took the photo of the Koetsu needle, and I would like to ask if it is an original needle or retipped but I did not find how to attach a photo to the message ;((( Could anybody tell me ?

 

Thank you very much

 

Serge

serge8
viridian's avatar
viridian
5,257 posts
 

Koetsus are a bit of a specialist cartridge, although they will mechanically plug into any record player, their best performance is obtained only by matching them to the proper tonearm. IMHO the Denon 103 presents a similar situation. Both will show a hint of what they can do in the wrong tonearm, and many like them, but they require arms with specific characteristics to really shine. 

Something like a Fidelity Research FR66Ss, or Glanz. If there're financial constraints maybe an Audio Technica ATP12 or 16. I think that most would find the Rosewood quite compelling in the correct system.

 

 

ghdprentice
7,780 posts
 

The Rosewood is a very good cartridge. To get the most out of it you need very good equipment and sometimes having one component much better than the others just does not get the most out of it 

I have a Koetsu Rosewood Signature cartridge. My phonostage is an Audio Research Reference 3... ~ $17K phonostage, and a top end Linn turntable. It sounds great.  I upgraded phono stages multiple times, finding them standing in the way of the performance of my turntable many times. So, your phonostage, and perhaps other components stand in the way of getting the sound of which the Koetsu is capable. 

jasonbourne71's avatar
jasonbourne71
1,392 posts
 

How many here are going to spend $17K on a phono stage? I don't see many hands going up. Even a $160 Schiit Mani 2 will show off the Koetsu's positive attributes!

stereo5's avatar
stereo5
6,552 posts
 

@jasonbourne71 , +1

whart's avatar
whart
3,168 posts
 

I wouldn’t begrudge @ghdprentice for his choice of phono stage or its price, we all have different approaches and budgets. The better question to me is what arm is being used with the Koetsu given the low compliance of the cartridge. You are going to have more energy coming back up the arm from such a cartridge; I gather some folks have fudged by using damping. In my case, it’s horizontal mass on a linear tracker and you could bust me for a spendy arm (but fact is, I’ve had it for years, and us geezers benefit from having bought in early). 

I also didn’t realize that there were multiple Jason Bournes- but I guess in the spy racket, you gotta have a cover. My comment about the tracking test record was directed to @jasonbourne71, not his "double" a/k/a ’Agent 52. 

If you can’t have fun with this, why bother? :)

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