The Koetsu Urushi Vermilion is a handcrafted moving coil phono cartridge made in Japan, bringing together Koetsu’s precision cartridge engineering and traditional Japanese artistry. Its distinctive vermilion Urushi finish gives this celebrated model its unmistakable character.

Rosewood Body with Beech Resin Layer and Hand Lacquering

The Vermilion cartridge body is crafted from carefully selected rosewood, sealed with a beech resin layer and subsequently hand-lacquered. The red Urushi lacquer is applied in multiple layers, comparable to a high-grade piano finish. Over the years, this lacquer continues to harden, gradually altering the resonance characteristics of the body. The result is a continuous reduction of unwanted resonances and an ever more stable sonic presentation.

The entire lacquering process can take up to six months, as each individual layer must be fully cured before the next is applied. Only after completion of this process is the body ready for packaging and shipment.

Silver Cladding Process

In the silver-cladding process, an extremely thin silver shield is drawn over the copper wire—this is explicitly not a simple silver plating. This technically demanding procedure contributes significantly to the cartridge’s exceptional resolution and natural tonal character.

The Vermilion is built using so-called double coils, meaning it employs twice the number of coils. This design explains its low output voltage of just 0.2 mV. Sonically, this results in an especially fine, balanced, and nuanced reproduction. The other Urushi models, by contrast, feature an output voltage of 0.4 mV and therefore exhibit a slightly different sonic character.

Loading Impedance and Tonearm Mass

Specifications regarding optimal loading impedance and recommended tonearm mass may vary depending on the overall system configuration. Sugano-san specifies a very wide loading range of approximately 5 ohms to 100 kOhms. This clearly indicates that practical experimentation and a gradual approach to finding the optimal value within the specific playback chain are essential in order to fully realize the cartridge’s sonic potential.

Type

Moving Coil

System body

Rosewood with beech resin layer and hand painting

Coils

High-pure 6-N Cu (99,9999%), Silver coated – silver, Cladding process

Magnet

Samarium Cobalt Alloy

Stylus

Fine Line or Line Contact

Output

0.2 mV at 1kHz 5 cm/sec

Frequency Range

20Hz – 100kHz

Channel Separation

30 db at 1kHz

Resistance

5 ohm

Channel Balance (db / 1kHz)

0.5 db / 1kHz

Tracking Force

1.8 to 2.0 pond (at 20° Celsius)

Cantilever

Boron, pre-aged rubber damper

Compliance

5 x 10 – 6 cm/dyne at 100Hz

Weight

9.37 grams

Recommended Load

5 -40 ohm with Step up, 100-1000 ohm MC Phono

Recommended Tonearm Mass

Medium to heavy, 12 to 18 grams