RADAR is a price search engine. We link to the original listing — we never sell direct. Transactions happen on the source site.
Offered is „Blue Lace“ by Koetsu as second-hand device from the category „Pick-up MC“ on audio-markt.de - the online market place for high-end. The advert with the number 5175022392 ends on 22.10.2026 at 14:38 o'clock.
Good condition at €7,900 puts this above the €6,034 75th percentile for recent EUR comparables, so it reads as ambitious rather than outright crazy. It’s not a bargain on price alone; the ask is for a buyer who specifically wants this cartridge and is comfortable paying for selectivity.
That said, Koetsu moving coils are prized for dense tone, color saturation, and that relaxed-but-saturated presentation that flatters vocals and acoustic music. At this level, the real value is in how carefully it has been used and whether the stylus, suspension, and original packaging are intact, since those details matter more than cosmetics for long-term satisfaction.
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.
See all Koetsu listings on RADAR.
audio-markt.de
New
audio-markt.de
New
Reverb
Reverb
audio-markt.de
Good
audio-markt.de
Good
DE
