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Koetsu · Stone body
$15,495
Not currently in our rooms. For a serious buyer we will often bring a piece in from the manufacturer for a private session — tell us about your system and what you are weighing it against, and we will advise.
Koetsu · Stone body
Koetsu's classic onyx-bodied moving coil: rich, lush and deeply musical, with a solid, controlled low end.
Authorized Koetsu dealer · Delivery and installation by Pearl Audio · Trade-ins welcome
The story
The Onyx Platinum is one of Koetsu's signature stone-body cartridges. Its body is machined from a block of onyx, chosen for its grain and polished to a fine finish, and the stone gives the generator a dense, inert mounting. Inside are Koetsu's rare platinum-alloy magnets and silver-plated copper coils wound on tightly matched coil and core sets, with a boron cantilever. Koetsu was founded by Yoshiaki Sugano and carried on by his son Fumihiko; after Fumihiko's death in 2023 the brand was revived in 2025, with the original craftsmen and suppliers again building the cartridges by hand in Japan. Michael Fremer's review covers a cartridge from the first new production run.
Reviewers agree on a rich, lush midrange and deep, well-controlled bass. Michael Fremer at Tracking Angle found the tonal balance smooth and linear, with no added warmth or sizzle, precise high-frequency transients, and a strong sense of rhythmic drive; it also tracked cleanly through the 90 µm band of his test record, which is very good for an MC. Art Dudley at Stereophile praised its tonal color and texture and its pitch clarity on the lowest bass notes. At 12.5 g and moderately low compliance, it is best in a rigid, medium- to higher-mass tonearm that can control its low end. At 0.3 mV it needs a quiet MC stage with about 65 dB of gain or a good step-up transformer.
The Onyx Platinum is the classic Koetsu stone body, below the Tiger Eye Platinum and Blue Lace, which use the same generator. Koetsu publishes no trade-in program, but it rebuilds the Onyx Platinum at the factory in your own body for $5,695, with a diamond cantilever as a $7,995 option.
| Type | Low-output moving coil (MC), stone body |
| Output | 0.3 mV |
| Recommended load | 75–500 Ω |
| Tracking force | 1.8–2.0 g |
| Weight | 12.5 g |
| Body | Onyx stone |
| Coils | Silver-plated copper, tightly matched coil and core sets |
| Magnet | Platinum alloy |
| Cantilever | Boron |
| Also available | Tigereye Platinum and Blue Lace (same generator, different stone bodies) |
Koetsu publishes no trade-in program for this product; the factory service that applies is listed below. Ask us about trade-ins.
| Koetsu factory rebuild — Onyx Platinum | $5,695 (complete factory rebuild of your Onyx Platinum; add a diamond cantilever for $7,995; through Axiss Audio, allow several months) |
| Diamond cantilever option (any rebuild) | $7,995 (additional cost on top of the rebuild price) |
Koetsu publishes factory rebuild prices but no trade-in or exchange program; the rebuild keeps your own body and returns it with a new generator and stylus assembly. Ask us about trade-ins. Verified 2026-10-28. Source: Koetsu 2026 U.S. list pricing (Axiss Audio, May 2026).
The Koetsu cartridges Pearl Audio stocks, from least to most expensive:
Plan your Koetsu system with Pearl Audio
Pearl Audio is an authorized Koetsu dealer. Arrange an audition in our Portland showroom, and ask us about a factory rebuild when yours is due. Call (503) 222-2599 or email sales@pearlaudio.com.
Ownership
Koetsu cartridges can be returned to the maker for service rather than replaced outright. We handle the paperwork and shipping.
| Service | Price |
|---|---|
| Koetsu factory rebuild — Onyx Platinum | $5,695 |
| Diamond cantilever option (any rebuild) | $7,995 |
Koetsu publishes factory rebuild prices but no trade-in or exchange program; the rebuild keeps your own body and returns it with a new generator and stylus assembly. Ask us about trade-ins. Verified 2026-10-28. Ask us about trade-ins.
Pricing per Koetsu - 2026-05 - US List Price (retail). Programs are set by the manufacturer and may change.
The Reference Collection
Blue Lace Moving Coil Cartridge
$19,995
Tigereye Platinum Moving Coil Cartridge
$16,995
Linn Ekstatik Flagship Moving Coil Cartridge
$8,335
Grand Master Extreme Optical Phono Cartridge
$25,000
DS Master3 Optical Phono Cartridge
$10,500
Odin 2 Interconnect
From $29,000
2108 Phono Preamplifier
$62,000
MT5 Precision Turntable
$8,500
The Pearl Audio experience
A system at this level should be heard, thoughtfully matched, and properly set up. From the first audition to long-term ownership, you work with the same people, in person.
The Onyx Platinum Moving Coil Cartridge is not in our rooms at present. When it is the right piece for a client we arrange a demonstration unit from the manufacturer and set it up for a private session.
We deliver and install throughout the Portland area, taking care of placement, connections, ventilation and system configuration ourselves.
We support everything we sell for as long as you own it, whether the answer comes by phone, in your home, or through factory service.
Trade-in assistance and qualifying 100% Trade-Up options give you flexibility when your listening priorities or your system change.
