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Bought this cartridge from my Japanese friend who is a retired Koetsu engineer and cartridge collector.Koetsu Urushi Black MC Moving Coil Stereo Phono Cartridge.This cartridge is in great operational and cosmetic condition, the sound is detailed, fast, and dynamic, stylus still sharp, cantilever and suspension is also in excellent condition. Used under 250 hours, The Urushi Black is also the only cartridge with tapped mounting holes.The Japanese art of Urushi is a tradition dating back 10,000 years. This natural lacquer is sourced from the caustic sap of the indigenous Urushi trees. The Urushi is applied by the hands of select Japanese artisans. Once the lacquer cures it hardens around the natural rosewood body changing its resonant frequency.An Inspired Expression of Japanese Tradition: Unique Koetsu Urushi Black Cartridge Features Gorgeous Urushi Body, Exotic Appearance, and Extremely Detailed, Nuanced SoundNamed after the Asian tree from which the natural paint material of the same name is gathered, the Koetsu Urushi Black cartridge features a gorgeous Urushi body that mirrors the traditional Japanese art of Urushi. Used to coat everything from furniture to tableware and decorations, the liquid material is extremely protective, wondrously shiny, and visually stunning when properly applied to the right medium. Expressive of Japanese heritage, Urushi takes on maybe its most striking guise ever in the form of the Koetsu Urushi Series. On Urushi Black, the finishing process hardens the hand-carved rosewood body and accounts for a much more detailed, nuanced presentation than that which is possible with a non-lacquered rosewood body. It's enough to almost make you forget about the precision-ground and custom-made stylus. Combine these exceptional traits with Koetsu's fabled tonal richness, balanced harmonics, lush midrange, and soothing smoothness, and you have a rare musical instrument that seduces with organic, ultra-precise sound and warm, museum-quality appearance. You'll never grow tired of listening to – or looking at – Urushi Black.Makes Listening To Vinyl Sound Like Listening to Live MusicKoetsu cartridges don't require any fancy promotion or exaggerated typecasting. They stand alone for what they represent: The zenith of analog sound. These reverential musical instruments are all about musical transcendence and transformation. Indeed, while some listeners will inevitably demand how Koetsu justifies its pricing, our reply is simple: Once you listen, you'll hear and understand everything. Questions and doubts immediately melt away. All that's left behind is music distinguished with utmost ease, liquidity, vibrancy, clarity, responsiveness, and focus. The kind that leaves you wondering just how much detail, information, and texture you've missed on records you've heard hundreds of times.Many say the Urushi body Koetsus offer an even more exciting sonic signature compared to the standard Rosewood models."The music was so captivating and involving that time became irrelevant and the music was everything."10Audio.comSpecificationsBody: Rosewood with Urushi LacquerType: Moving CoilCoil Wiring: Silverplated CopperMagnet: Samarium-CobaltCantilever: Boron CantileverOutput Volts: 0.4 mVFrequency Range: 20Hz to 100kHzChannel Sep.: 25db / 1kHzInner Impedance: 5 OhmChannel Balance: 0.5db / 1kHzRecommended Imp. 30 OhmCompliance: 5 x 10-6 cm/dyne at 100 hzRecommended Tracking Force: 1.8-2.0gRecommended Load: 75-1,000 OhmsWeight: 9.37gOriginal price: $8695This cartridge comes with Original wood box, Specifications paper, tool and screwsI have sold a lot of cartridges and got a lot of good feedback, please check them out.And please take a look my other items.Thanks,WayneWayne's Audio
This one’s from an older, still-coveted generation, so timing matters less than condition and provenance; there isn’t really a newer direct replacement that makes it obsolete. At US$4,200, it lands above the 75th percentile of the recent used market at US$4,180, so this is ambitious rather than a bargain.
The appeal is the classic Koetsu house sound: rich mids, beautiful color, and a very natural, immersive presentation that many vinyl fans prize over pure analytical detail. That makes it a worthwhile buy if the stylus, suspension, and body are truly healthy and the seller can document low hours or recent expert inspection. At this level, I’d want confidence in the cantilever and diamond condition, because with a cartridge like this, restoration risk can erase the value quickly.
Independent perspective — not a price guarantee. Always verify condition, accessories and provenance before purchase.
Koetsu traces its origins to Japan in the late 1960s, founded by Yoshiaki Sugano, a remarkable polymath whose background as a boxer, artist, sword maker, and automotive executive fueled his passion for analog audio. Named after the 17th-century artist Honami Koetsu—a distant relative or inspiration—Sugano dissected existing phono cartridges to pioneer high-purity materials like 6N copper coils and rare platinum-iron magnets, driven by his love of Western classical music. He hand-built the first models, such as the Onyx, Rosewood, and Black, retiring from his Toyota/Ford career to perfect their musicality. Sugano passed away in 2002 at age 94, passing the craft to his son Fumihiko, who continued the tradition until his own recent passing, after which the family ceased production.
The brand focuses exclusively on handcrafted moving-coil phono cartridges, blending technical excellence with natural beauty through exotic bodies of stone, rare woods, and Urushi-lacquered finishes. Each cartridge features advanced components like boron cantilevers, line-contact diamond styli, samarium-cobalt magnets, and silver-clad copper windings, all voiced to Sugano's exacting standards on vintage turntables like the Garrard 401. Limited in quantity and available only through select retailers, these sonic masterpieces prioritize vinyl playback refinement over broader categories like amplifiers or speakers.
Koetsu commands reverence in the ultra-high-end market as the pinnacle of cartridge artistry, cult-favored for their poetic tonal delicacy, harmonic resolution, ethereal treble, and authoritative bass—qualities that redefined luxury analog in the 1970s at prices like $800 per unit. Though production has ended, originals remain legendary collector icons, blending generational Japanese craftsmanship with emotional fidelity that divides yet captivates discerning audiophiles.
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