The Best Cartridge You Have Heard/Owned

[malvai]

Best cartridge I have heard : KOETSE Red.

Its was eons ( 25 years ? ) ago ....

You mean Koetsu Red... 25 years ago, you would have heard the original Longbody version made by the legendary Sugano San!

I too have one of his creations: an original Longbody Kotesu Onyx!

I will be setting it up the coming weekend and will keep all of you posted about my experience with this absolute top of the line (of its time) cart!

Its current version sells for USD 8,500 upwards, btw!

 

[omishra]

I think the performance a cartridge is highly dependent on the accompanying tonearm and the phono. I feel it should never be evaluated in isolation. For every cartridge there is possibly one or two combos that work the best for that cartridge. For example, if you put a Decca in my table, its unlikely to sound good. But Decca in the right set up can sound glorious.

One more additional thing, in case of MM cart - its capacitive loading which includes capacitance of cart to phono stage cable and correct resistive loading between cart terminals at phono is also important. This sets how flat and wide frequency response from that cart could be produced. So beyond correct setting and fine tonearm these also matter.

BTW - I used Shure M44-7, Denon DL-110, Shure M97xe, 2 X Denon DL-103R (MC). Now I mainly use Denon DL-103R.

 

[IndianEars]

Yes, malvai. You are correct.

1. My Typo ... KOETSU. I did Mean Koetsu, not Koetse

2. Yes, it was the 'Original' Koetsu Red. Unfortunately the master craftsman .... the Stradivarius of Moving Coil cartridge makers .....is no more. (Even then I think he was in his 70s or early 80s ). He passed away in 1992 I think and stopped hand assembling them himself a couple of year before that.

I had also heard the Koetsu Black on the same system. That too was good, but the Koetsu Red was memorable. I heard it several times over a period of a few months.

The system was an Oracle Turntable with Robertson Arm + Ortofon MC Transformer + Nova Audio Integrated Amp + B&W 801 ( Pre Matrix ) Speakers.

One of those magical and memorable sounds that will always stay as a cherished long term memory.

 

[rohitmusic]

Any idea, where do I get the Nagaoka in Mumbai?

OT, but a coincidental joke actually on a lighter side, this made me smile

There is actually a beach called "Nagaon" in Mumbai

Reading it made a bulb go bright in my head, followed by a smile
Sorry, just could'nt help sharing this coincidental anecdote

Coming on topic, the Denon 103R is indeed a fine cart among the few I have heard.