Forums - Anyone use a Koetsu cartridge?

pursuitofnow Seasoned Member Posts: 449	Anyone use a Koetsu cartridge? 08/26/23 at 21:11:48 I'm considering a Koetsu rosewood cartridge and wondering if anyone has used or is using one of these cartridges with Decware amps? If so, I'd love to hear what you think.
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CAJames Seasoned Member "I've run every red light on memory lane." Posts: 1684	Re: Anyone use a Koetsu cartridge? Reply #1 - 08/26/23 at 21:55:32 Yes, I had a Koetsu Rosewood for many years. It is an absolutely fantastic cartridge. It is a little bit on the warm and forgiving side, and definitely not a budget option but I wouldn't hesitate.
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pursuitofnow Seasoned Member Posts: 449	Re: Anyone use a Koetsu cartridge? Reply #2 - 08/26/23 at 23:23:14 Thanks, James. Do you prefer the Sumiko Pearwood over the Rosewood?
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CAJames

Seasoned Member

"I've run every
red light on memory
lane."

Posts: 1684

Re: Anyone use a Koetsu cartridge?
Reply #3 - 08/27/23 at 00:18:37

I liked the Rosewood better and it isn't close. I forget the exact details now but when it finally wore out I wasn't listening to as much vinyl and Koetsu didn't have a great situation in the US so it made more (financial) sense to trade it in rather than get it rebuilt. I got a good deal the Pearwood, and it is a nice cartridge, but I would love to have the Rosewood back.

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[FOOBAR2000 | Jay's CDT2 MRK3] -> Denafrips Terminator 2 + Gaia
Sumiko Pearwood -> Mapleknoll Athena -> Luxman SUT -> Maple-tree Phono 3E
Woo WA22 -> 2x UFO25s, balanced monos
Omega SAM , Hifiman Arya, Senn HD-650

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cmdc

Senior Member

Posts: 53

Re: Anyone use a Koetsu cartridge?
Reply #4 - 09/03/23 at 21:03:53

I have a Koetsu Rosewood cart on an SME3009ii tonearm, on a Thorens TD124, that I have used with both the ZMA and the SE84UFO25.

After years of research, I was really excited to get the Koetsu; but if I’m honest, I’ve been pretty underwhelmed by it. Of 4 arm/cart combos currently running in my house, it’s by far the one I use the least, even though it was set up with same care as the others. The Koetsu is running in the same system with two of the other cartridges, meaning the only other differences are the tonearms (and different plinths on the two Thorens). But having tried the Koetsu on both a Kuzma 4 Point and the SME3009ii, it’s pretty clear to me that real differences I’m experiencing are with carts.

I just find it softer, and lacking in energy, speed and dynamics compared to the other carts; and though I don’t consider myself an analytical/ detail Uber alles listener, I don’t feel it does as well with fast transients and fine detail. Knowing how beloved and well regarded Koetsus are, I recognize this may be an unpopular opinion. Just my personal experience from a few years living with the cart.

Carroll

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Main:[[TD124 [Koetsu RWS>SME 3009S2Imp][Aidas Durawood>Moerch DP6]][TD124 [Ortofon A90>Kuzma 4Pt9]]>Ned Clayton Cinemag SUT>Dodd Audio Phono Stage>ZRock2][SonicTransporter i7>Mytek Brooklyn Bridge]>ZSB>ZMA>[Zu Druid Mk V][Caintuck Lii 15 OBs/Bass Baffle]

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pursuitofnow Seasoned Member Posts: 449	Re: Anyone use a Koetsu cartridge? Reply #5 - 09/08/23 at 16:05:48 Thanks for sharing honest thoughts, Carroll. What are your other cartridges and what are their characteristics?
Back to top	VPI Classic Signature \| Koetsu Urushi Black \| Bob's Sky 20 \| ZP3 \| Swiss Digital Fuse Box DirectStream DAC (APS nickel transformers, Vocm mod) ZTPRE \| ZBIT \| ZROCK2 \| SE84UFO3 Omega Super 3 HO XRS \| Deep 8 Zenwave D4 \| PCR-11 \| PI Audio Uberbuss --- ZR 3 IP Logged

HockessinKid

Seasoned Member

Posts: 1096

Re: Anyone use a Koetsu cartridge?
Reply #6 - 09/08/23 at 18:23:28

I have heard a couple different Koetsu MC cartridges on high end systems. They are a very romantic (wam) sounding cartridge with a beautiful midrange rendering. There is definite emphasis of the midrange frequency region to my ears, definitely not analytical sounding.

Might be a good fit if your system is overly analytical, but not a cartridge I would consider for my system.

HK

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Nottingham Interspace TT w/ Audio Technica AT-OC9XML cart + Modwright PH 9.0XT phono OR Modwright modded Cambridge CNX V2 > CSP3-25th Ann. preamp > ZMA-25th Ann. amp > PI Audio UberBUSS > Caintuck Audio Lii15 Magnum speakers > Snake River Audio & ZenWave cables

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cmdc

Senior Member

Posts: 53

Re: Anyone use a Koetsu cartridge
Reply #7 - 09/08/23 at 21:21:55

In the listening room system, alongside the Koetsu, I have an Aidas Durawood Bee and an Ortofon MC Anna Diamond (recently upgraded from the Ortofon MC A90), all mounted on a pair of a Thorens TD124s. In addition to the ZMA in my signature block, I’ve been running an SE84UFO25 in that system for about a year now.

In the second system in my home office, I have a Clearaudio Charisma on an SME3009ii-I running on a Thorens Td125, the latest in a long line of MM and MI carts.

The Aidas Durawood is fast, detailed, and lively. It’s particularly enjoyable with rock, bossa nova, etc., but maybe lacks the bass depth of some of the others. It’s been my go to when I couldn’t use the Ortofons for some reason.

The Ortofon MC A90 was just a terrific all around performer—very fast, extremely detailed, great with subtle transients, a clear and really beautiful midrange and very coherent bass response. It’s just an excellent cart all around—for all kinds of rock, female vocalists, flamenco, classical guitar, Johnny Cash, Nina Simone, blues, funk, Flaming Lips. Pretty much everything shone on it.

The Ortofon MC Anna Diamond is more expensive than the Koetsu RWS,—even if you’re lucky enough (like me) to get a used one—so it’s less of a fair comparison. The Anna Diamond has everything the A90 had, but with this combination of both greater top end extension and much deeper bass response. If there was ever any question of whether the Decware amps could deliver truly deep, powerful bass, the Anna answered that for me. It’s really one of those “I feel like I’ve never really heard this record before” pieces of gear. I may get other carts for the other table, but I can’t see ever wanting to replace the Anna Diamond.

The Clearaudio Charisma runs on my secondary system now, but IIRC, I had it on the 124 before I got the A90, and when I did, I pretty consistently preferred it over the Koetsu. It doesn’t have quite the level of detail as the Ortofons, but it’s a great all-a rounder and a really musical, fluid, engaging cartridge.

The Koetsu is a really beautiful sounding cartridge . I just don’t find it as engaging as the others. Perhaps most saliently for this conversation, everything but the Anna Diamond is less expensive than the Koetsu.

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Main:[[TD124 [Koetsu RWS>SME 3009S2Imp][Aidas Durawood>Moerch DP6]][TD124 [Ortofon A90>Kuzma 4Pt9]]>Ned Clayton Cinemag SUT>Dodd Audio Phono Stage>ZRock2][SonicTransporter i7>Mytek Brooklyn Bridge]>ZSB>ZMA>[Zu Druid Mk V][Caintuck Lii 15 OBs/Bass Baffle]

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