Головки звукоснимателя — Koetsu Urushi Black

The Urushi Black is a moving-coil phono cartridge from Koetsu, built with a lacquered rosewood body rather than the stone bodies used in the brand's Platinum-tier designs. This model represents a different construction approach within Koetsu's broader catalogue, using traditional Japanese urushi lacquer technique applied to a rosewood body rather than a polished stone.

Position in line



Key specs that matter

Output voltage is 0.4 mV, slightly higher than the Onyx and Tigereye Platinum models' 0.3 mV figure. Recommended load is 75-500 ohms, matching the Platinum range. Weight is 9.37 g, notably lighter than the stone-bodied Platinum cartridges, consistent with wood being a lighter material than polished stone.

Sound and use context

As a cartridge, its contribution is in tracing the groove and converting motion to signal - the lacquered wood body here may contribute a subtly different resonance character than Koetsu's stone-bodied designs, with the brand's legendary warm, rich tonal signature likely still coming through as the underlying house sound regardless of the specific body material.

Pairing

The 0.4 mV output needs a phono stage with substantial MC gain or a step-up transformer, slightly less demanding than the Platinum range's lower output given the marginally higher voltage here.

Alternatives

The Rosewood Signature Platinum and Urushi Wajima sit alongside this model in Koetsu's cartridge range as related wood-bodied designs, worth comparing directly with a specialist dealer to understand the specific craft technique and tonal differences between these variants. Given the considerable investment a cartridge at this level represents, professional installation and careful alignment by an experienced turntable technician remain essential. A dealer conversation about the specific differences between Koetsu wood-and-lacquer range and its stone-bodied Platinum range is worth having before choosing between these two distinct product families. Overall this remains a distinctive choice within Koetsu wood-and-lacquer cartridge family.