Koetsu Blue Lace Onyx vs. Coralstone

I found the a90 needs a good 100+ hours.

Listening in your own system is the only way to really tell how good something sounds - from my experience - and that's not possible with cartridges, of course,
unless you have friends who have what you're thinking of buying ....and they like you ;)

I'm a serious a90 convert. It's so instantly "dead-right" right out of the box even though it takes time to settle in fully. By "dead right" I mean it's just so obviously "there" (what??).

Oh dear ...words words words...

Ears know nothing about words, that's why I like mine so much.

.... the sound of the Koetsu Blue Lace Onyx is salubrious, exquisite, stunning, glorious and dazzling and the sound of the Koetsu Coralstone is superlative, smashing, magnificent, superb and impeccable...

Syntax - if you have to choose one from the two Koetsu wich one would you choose?

From my experience diamont cantilever takes these stone bodies to another level of performance (and price too).
I auditioned Jade DC and Coralstone DC as well as non DC versions.

Well, honestly, can't decide. They are both great ones. What amazes me all the time is that they are so much better than the wood bodies, it is hard to believe. A total different chapter from sonics. And both demand a serious metal Arm which has excellent energy transfer. When such one is used, they really come to life. When the System can do it, they sound like the real thing, not only with voices, with older classical records they create a holographic soundstage which is really unique. By far the best I ever listened to in the last 15 years. I compared them to the Lyras because I thought, the Lyras have probably a better detail but side by side they showed me that nothing is missing. Good as they are, but both, Blue Lace and Coralstone serve easily the same information AND more. Seriously a more of "being part of the recording", in a way, a superior view into the room (Vienna Sofiensaal for example)...in a way, I can FEEL the Ambience. Staggering.
Did not go for Diamond Cantilever, in a way I do not trust them, maybe others think different, but I prefer in a way "elastic" cantilever. Otherwise I use my cantileverless Ikeda System.

Thank you Syntax for your valuable opinion.

It is possible that I have auditioned Koetsu cartridges with not perfect setup as I was never impressed as much as you.

I have auditioned Koetsu at TW Raven AC and Black Night with SME V and Graham Phantom II and results were medicore to good and with DaVinci Virtu on the same table and results were goog to good plus.

I have also on havd Origin Live Enterprise C 12" tonearm that seems to be the heaviest one with stable dual pivot bearing but not tried Koetsu with them.

For my Koetsu has their own stron points like texture, bloom impresion of reall events at listening places, but at the same time I feel that leading edges are a bit rounded, attack not fast enougs and overall presentation a bit not neutral (house sound).

I wish I will find a good setup for Koetsu as it has nice lone life span, nice blasck background and low noise. Niece cart to own. Hovewer I am a person with only one cart installed and need something more universal.