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From my Japanese friend who is a retired Koetsu engineer and cartridge collector.Koetsu Rosewood Signature Platinum MC Moving Coil Stereo Phono Cartridge.This cartridge is in very good 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.For the listener who desires the stone-bodied series but just can't quite swing it, there's an alternative; the Rosewood Signature Platinum. A platinum magnet with silver-clad copper wire and a special rosewood body make this Koetsu highly sought after.For decades, the Koetsu sound has been legend in audiophile lore. But only a proud few have owned and experienced the unequaled magic these hand-built cartridges evoke. Many of the converted search out second and third Koetsus. Why? Maybe it's time you hear for yourself.To fully appreciate Koetsu, we must know Yosiaki Sugano, an artist, musician, swordsman, calligrapher, business executive and creator of the world's most renowned phono cartridges. Certainly a well-rounded man, Sugano rose to prominence in one of Japan's largest industrial companies in the postwar years, yet continued to pursue his passions, now including hi-fi.In the 1970s, Sugano began to experiment with phono cartridges by substituting his own parts in commercially available models. His keen ear and deductive reasoning, combined with an artist's sensibilities, led to the creation of what would become a legend in audio. Sensing the moment, Sugano named his cartridge after his hero, Koetsu.Sugano's quest led him to enlist universities, specialized industries and master craftspeople to create the special parts to go into his masterpieces. One of the first to use 4 nines copper (99.99% pure), curent production uses 6 nines copper (99.9999% pure). Platinum signature models feature silver cladding of the 6 nines copper, a process where a silver sheath is slowly drawn over the copper conductor.Ultra-pure iron square plate formers were sourced for their most predictable magnetic characteristics and lowest oxidation. Pre-aged to the perfect consistency, rubber suspension parts are sourced under license with a rubber damper manufacturer. Special magnetic materials, including Alnico have been featured. Today, samarium-coblalt is used with platinum magnets reserved for the flagship models. Japanese craftsmen carve the rosewood bodies, lacquer coat the Urushi bodies, or cut stone for the onyx Platinum. Styli are specially designed and precision ground for Koetsu.Today, Sugano's sons have revived his art and continue to create musical masterpieces under the watchful eye of the old master. For every music lover, your journey to musical nirvana is incomplete without a Koetsu phono cartridge in your system.Review:“I'd never before had the sense so strongly that I was actually hearing the mike feed. It was truly amazing; I felt like I was right there."Jonathan Scull, Stereophile Magazine November 1998“To me, the Koetsu Rosewood Signature Platinum felt extraordinarily natural, sophisticated, and correct. Most important, Koetsu's best rosewood-bodied cartridge made me feel good about the records I own. Once you go Koetsu . . .”Herb Reichert, Stereophile Magazine December 2018The absolute sound 2010 editors' choice awards!!Specifications:Body: Special Natural RosewoodType: Moving CoilCoil Wiring: Silver plated high purity copperMagnet: PlatinumCantilever: BoronOutput Voltage: 0.3 mVFrequency Range: 20Hz to 100kHzChannel Separation: 25db / 1kHzInner Impedance: 5 OhmChannel Balance: 0.5db / 1kHzRecommended Impedance: 30 OhmRecommended Tracking Force: 1.8 – 2.0gCompliance: 5 X 10-6cm / dyne at 100HzRecommended Load: 80-1,000 ohmsWeight: 12.5gOriginal price: $12495This cartridge comes with Original box, Specifications paper, stylus guard, 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
Compared with the obvious alternative at this price point—another premium moving-coil cartridge—US$4,680 lands above the US$3,980 median and a bit above the US$4,440 75th percentile, so this is ambitious, though not wildly out of line for a sought-after Koetsu. It’s not a steal, but it’s close enough to the upper end that the value rests on condition and whether the setup is complete.
The appeal is real: this is one of Koetsu’s more admired rosewood designs, prized for that dense, natural midrange, refined texture, and the rare platinum-magnet/silver-coil motor parts usually reserved for higher-tier models. At this price, a clean sample with low hours, a recent inspection, and all original packaging or paperwork makes sense; without those, I’d want a firmer discount because cartridge wear is the one risk that actually matters here.
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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