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Offered is „Urushi Vermilion“ by Koetsu as new device from the category „Pick-up MC“ on audio-markt.de - the online market place for high-end. The advert with the number 8515170332 ends on 25.12.2026 at 12:16 o'clock.
At €5,000, this is a fair price—very close to the €5,086 median for recent comparable listings, while remaining below the €5,403 upper quartile. It is neither a bargain nor an ambitious ask, but it sits in the normal market window; the €4,514 lower quartile shows that patient buyers may find a sharper deal.
The Vermilion remains a compelling Koetsu for its rich, tactile midrange, generous bass, spacious presentation, and distinctive Urushi-finished rosewood body. Its silver-and-copper coils give it a particularly expressive, open character, making vocals, acoustic music, and jazz especially engaging. The low-output moving-coil design needs a suitably quiet step-up or phono stage, and the cartridge’s age, stylus wear, cantilever condition, and any original packaging or service documentation matter greatly at this price.
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.
