Koetsu Black MC Phono Cartridge - Light Use

General:
Koetsu is one of our top 3 favorite brands of cartridges and we haven't come across a model yet that didn't perform wonderfully. 

This "Black" series looks to have had an easy life. Verified by inspecting under our dedicated shop microscope.
It uses a tracking force of 1.8 - 2.0 grams and is compatible with almost all MC (Moving-Coil) preamps. 

From a review in Stereophile by Art Dudley:
"At the very least, Koetsus were the very first artisanal phono pickups to make an impression on the American and English hi-fi scenes. As such, and regardless of who came first—a question that probably can't be answered—Koetsu paved the way for all other such things, including the Kiseki, the Kondo, the Miyabi, and the delightfully named Goldbug.
Koetsu cartridges are made in small quantities by Fumihiko Sugano—the son of Koetsu's founder, the late [Yoshiaki Sugano]. The elder Sugano, who came and went with the 20th century, created the basic Koetsu cartridge design, pioneering the use of high-purity metals in particular, and naming the company after his ancestor and role model, the 16th-century artisan Honami Koetsu."

Ownership:
Single Owner

General Sound:
Neutral sound with little to no coloration

Cosmetic Condition:
8/10 = Very Good. Excellent front faceplate, one minor flaw on chassis side or top.. See our detailed rating description here.

Working Condition:
Working perfectly and tested in our lab.

Included:
Exactly as pictured and described above.

Packing:
Will be packed using our highly developed in-house process and custom packing materials.Specs:
Output:
0.4 mV 

Tracking Force:
1.8 - 2.0 gram 

Loading:
Approx. 30-100 Ohms 

Output Impedance:
5 Ohms 

Cartridge Mass:
Approx. 9g - 10g 

Cantilever:
Boron

Weight:
1 lbs.

Testing Process:

We start by doing a detailed physical inspection under light magnification to asses the cantilever condition, its position in the cartridge body and the condition of the suspension. We also inspect any coil wires and the output connections to make sure it hasn’t been strained. We then perform a light cleaning with specialized agents and blow it dry with compressed air.

We then perform a more detailed inspection with our Wild Heerbrugg professional microscope. From there we can asses the wear and quality of the stylus and determine how much use it has had and if there are any mechanical issues. We can also identify if it needs further cleaning or care.

We then move the cartridge to a digital microscope where we take photo os the cantilever for future reference.

We then move to the test bench where we can check for continuity of each channel and resistance

On certain cartridges and it the technician feels necessary we install the unit on a turntable and run a few test records to ascertain tacking ability, distortion and compliance.