Cartridges — Koetsu Urushi Vermilion

Koetsu of Japan builds the Urushi Vermilion as a moving-coil phono cartridge, one of several Urushi editions whose rosewood bodies are coated in traditional urushi lacquer, here in a reddish vermilion shade. Within the Urushi family, it differs in its generator. Instead of the silver-plated copper winding used elsewhere in the range, it combines silver and copper wire in a double coil with fewer turns, which lowers moving mass and also lowers output. The result is the lowest output of any current Koetsu, half that of the other Urushi models.

Key specs that matter

Rated output is 0.2 mV at 5 cm/sec, drawn from coils with an internal impedance of just 2.5 ohms. Koetsu suggests a load between 50 and 500 ohms and a vertical tracking force of 1.8 to 2.0 g. The stated frequency range runs from 20 Hz to 100 kHz, channel separation is 25 dB at 1 kHz, and the two channels match to within 0.5 dB there. Compliance is quoted at 5 x 10-6 cm/dyne measured at 100 Hz, and net mass comes to 9 g.

Engineering and use context

The cantilever is boron and the motor uses a Permendur magnet. Urushi lacquer is a natural resin applied by hand in several coats. Once cured it hardens around the wooden body and alters its resonant behaviour, so the lacquer is part of the mechanical design rather than a purely cosmetic layer. With a moderate compliance figure and a light body, the Vermilion is aimed at medium-mass tonearms of the kind usually fitted to serious belt-drive and idler turntables. Because the reduced winding count is the only architectural change against its siblings, the Vermilion is the variant to pick when a lighter coil assembly matters more than signal level.

Pairing

Such a low signal leaves little margin, so the phono stage needs generous moving-coil gain with a low noise floor, or alternatively an SUT driving a moving-magnet stage. The very low source impedance suits step-up transformers with high ratios, and an active stage offering load settings inside the recommended window keeps the cartridge within its intended electrical conditions.

Alternatives

Within the same Urushi family, the Koetsu Urushi Sky Blue retains a lacquered rosewood body but uses the conventional silver-plated copper coils and a higher output.