Koetsu Urushi Black Cartridge at Vinyl Sound Buffalo NY USA

The Koetsu Urushi Black is a handcrafted moving coil phono cartridge from Koetsu (Kanazawa, Japan), available at Vinyl Sound in Buffalo, NY, USA. Its rosewood body is finished in a deep, unadorned black Urushi lacquer, presenting the most visually austere expression of the Urushi series while sharing the same fundamental acoustic and engineering pedigree. The Urushi Black features silver-plated copper coil winding, a Samarium Cobalt magnet, and a boron cantilever, with a 0.4mV output and a frequency response extending from 20Hz to 100kHz. Yoshiaki Sugano founded Koetsu on the conviction that analog reproduction should feel as natural as live performance, and the Urushi Black pursues that goal with a restraint that makes its sonic capability all the more striking.

Black Urushi: Restraint as a Design Principle

Among the Urushi series lacquer variants, the Black is the most severe in its visual presentation. Where the Wajima glitters with gold flake and the Tsugaru patterns its sides with gold speckle, the Urushi Black presents a single, deep, uninterrupted black lacquer over the rosewood body. This is not absence of craft but a deliberate aesthetic choice rooted in the Japanese design philosophy of restraint and simplicity. The Urushi lacquer itself is a natural resin, sourced from the sap of Urushi trees in Japan and applied by skilled artisans. As it cures, it hardens around the wood and modifies the body's resonant characteristics. The black finish achieves the same acoustic benefit as the more elaborate Urushi variants, delivered in a form that prioritizes the music over the object.

Engineering: From Coil to Cantilever

The Urushi Black employs the standard Urushi series internal architecture: silver-plated ultra-high-purity copper coils, wound with a drawn silver sheath over the copper conductor, provide optimized signal conductivity. The Samarium Cobalt magnet system delivers a rare-earth magnetic field calibrated for 25dB channel separation at 1kHz and 0.5dB channel balance, ensuring accurate stereo imaging across the full soundstage. An inner impedance of 5 Ohm and a 0.4mV output voltage place the Urushi Black within reach of a broad range of MC phono stages. The boron cantilever maintains stylus tracking fidelity at frequencies well above the audible range, contributing to the cartridge's coherent, unsmeared high-frequency reproduction.

Key Features

• Black Urushi Lacquer Body: Deep, unadorned black Urushi lacquer over rosewood, applying the same resonance-altering acoustic benefits as other Urushi variants in a minimal, understated aesthetic.
• Silver-Plated Copper Coil: Ultra-high-purity copper with drawn silver sheath, wound to precise tolerances for matched channel performance.
• Samarium Cobalt Magnet: Rare-earth magnet providing 25dB channel separation at 1kHz and stable stereo imaging.
• Boron Cantilever: High-stiffness, low-mass boron cantilever for accurate stylus response across the full frequency range.
• 0.4mV Output: Compatible with a wide range of MC phono stages and step-up transformers.
• 20Hz to 100kHz Frequency Range: Full-bandwidth response covering and extending well beyond the audible range.
• Handcrafted in Kanazawa, Japan: Each unit individually assembled by artisans trained by the Sugano family.

Technical Specifications

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Koetsu Urushi Black?

The Koetsu Urushi Black is a handcrafted moving coil phono cartridge from Koetsu in Japan, featuring a rosewood body with deep black Urushi lacquer, silver-plated copper coil, Samarium Cobalt magnet, boron cantilever, 0.4mV output, and a frequency response extending to 100kHz. It is the most visually restrained model in the Koetsu Urushi series.

How does the Koetsu Urushi Black compare to the Koetsu Rosewood Signature?

The Rosewood Signature uses a clear-lacquered rosewood body and copper coil winding, while the Urushi Black uses Urushi lacquer treatment with silver-plated copper coils. The Urushi lacquer modifies the body's resonant behavior in a way the clear lacquer does not, resulting in a sonic character that many listeners describe as more dimensional and textured. The Urushi Black is positioned above the Rosewood Signature in the Koetsu range and offers the Urushi series' sonic character in a visually understated format.

What makes the Urushi Black different from the Urushi Wajima or Tsugaru?

All three share identical internal specifications: silver-plated copper coil, Samarium Cobalt magnet, boron cantilever, 0.4mV output, and 9g weight. The only differences are in the lacquer finish. The Black presents a solid deep-black Urushi coat, while the Wajima features gold flake encrustation and the Tsugaru adds gold speckle banding over a piano-black base. Koetsu notes that the different lacquer masses and application methods can produce subtle sonic differences between variants, though the three share the same core musical character.

What phono stage works well with the Koetsu Urushi Black?

The Urushi Black's 5 Ohm internal impedance and 0.4mV output work well with phono stages offering 55 to 65dB of MC gain. Units from Sutherland Engineering, Pass Labs, Manley Laboratories, and Rega are frequently paired with Koetsu cartridges. The 80 to 1,000 Ohm recommended load impedance allows for fine-tuning; many listeners find 100 to 200 Ohm loads balance detail retrieval with the cartridge's natural warmth.

Is the Koetsu Urushi Black suitable for a Linn Sondek LP12 turntable?

Yes. The Linn LP12 with a medium- to high-mass arm such as the Ekos SE or an Ittok LVIII is a well-regarded pairing for Koetsu cartridges. The LP12's suspended subchassis design complements the Koetsu's emphasis on pitch stability and tonal density. Correct Linn ARO-to-Koetsu matching requires confirming effective arm mass to ensure the resonance frequency falls within the 8 to 12Hz optimal range.

Where can I buy the Koetsu Urushi Black in Buffalo or the USA?

The Koetsu Urushi Black is available at Vinyl Sound, an authorized Koetsu dealer in Buffalo, NY, USA. Vinyl Sound stocks the full Koetsu range and provides setup consultation and access to Koetsu's factory rebuild program for existing owners.