Головки звукоснимателя — Koetsu Urushi Wajima

Built by Koetsu in Japan, the Urushi Wajima moving-coil cartridge is the gold edition of the Urushi series. Its natural rosewood body is coated in traditional urushi lacquer and the whole surface is encrusted with gold flakes in the Wajima manner, named after the lacquerware centre on the Noto peninsula. The gold treatment is what separates the Wajima from its lacquered siblings, which share the same basic generator.

Key specs that matter

Output is 0.4 mV at 5 cm/sec, a common figure for the Urushi range and twice that of the low-output Vermilion variant. The recommended load spans 75 to 500 ohms, and Koetsu advises a vertical tracking force between 1.8 and 2.0 g. Silver-plated copper forms the coil winding, while a boron rod carries the stylus. The complete cartridge weighs 9.37 g, slightly more than the lighter Urushi editions, a difference that comes from the added gold decoration.

Engineering and use context

Urushi is a natural tree resin applied in many thin coats using centuries-old Japanese lacquer methods. As it cures it hardens around the rosewood, changing the resonant frequency of the body, so the finish has a mechanical role and is not only decorative. In the Wajima the gold inlay adds a further layer to that shell. Koetsu names a Permendur magnet for the current production. Every Urushi body is hand-finished, so small visual differences between samples are part of the product. A mass of more than 9 g places the Wajima best on medium-mass tonearms, and the arm counterweight should reach far enough to set the stated force without extra weights.

Pairing

The Wajima still counts as a low-output design, so it calls for a phono preamplifier with ample MC amplification, or a step-up device ahead of an MM stage. Its output gives somewhat more headroom against hum and hiss than the Vermilion, which widens the choice of partnering stages. A stage with switchable loading that covers the recommended load window allows the cartridge to run within the maker's electrical guidance, and a tonearm with a suitable effective mass complements the moderate weight.

Alternatives

For the same generator in a less costly finish, Koetsu offers the Urushi Tsugaru, whose multi-layered lacquer replaces the gold flake work of the Wajima.