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Koetsu · Urushi
$8,695
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 · Urushi
Koetsu's Urushi generator in a rosewood body finished in Tsugaru urushi lacquer.
Authorized Koetsu dealer · Delivery and installation by Pearl Audio · Trade-ins welcome
The story
The Urushi Tsugaru is part of Koetsu's Urushi family. Urushi is a traditional Japanese lacquer made from the sap of the urushi tree and applied by hand by skilled artisans. As it cures it hardens around the rosewood body and changes the body's resonant behavior, and Koetsu notes that many listeners find the Urushi models more lively and exciting than the plain Rosewood cartridges. Every Urushi uses silver-clad, ultra-high-purity copper coils, a Permendur magnet assembly and a boron cantilever. Stereophile notes that the Tsugaru, Wajima and Sky Blue are internally identical; they differ in the hand-applied lacquer finish, and the Tsugaru takes its name from its Tsugaru-style urushi. 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.
The Urushi Tsugaru hasn't been reviewed on its own, but its closest relatives have. Stereophile's 2026 look at the revived Koetsu line found the lower-output Urushi Vermillion transparent, fast and immersive, and HiFi News heard the classic Koetsu warmth and body in the midrange and bass with a wide-open presentation. At 0.4 mV and 9.37 g, the Urushi Tsugaru works well in a medium-mass tonearm with a quiet MC phono stage of about 60 dB gain or more, or a step-up transformer. Start with a load of around 100 Ω and adjust by ear within Koetsu's 75–500 Ω range.
The Urushi Tsugaru, Black and Wajima are the same cartridge under different lacquers, one step above the Rosewood Signature and below the Urushi Vermillion. Koetsu publishes no trade-in program, but it rebuilds the Urushi Tsugaru at the factory in your own body for $3,995, with a diamond cantilever as a $7,995 option.
| Type | Low-output moving coil (MC) |
| Output | 0.4 mV |
| Recommended load | 75–500 Ω |
| Tracking force | 1.8–2.0 g |
| Weight | 9.37 g |
| Body | Rosewood, Tsugaru-style urushi lacquer |
| Coils | Silver-plated high-purity copper |
| Magnet | Permendur |
| Cantilever | Boron |
| Also available | Urushi Black and Wajima share this generator; Urushi Vermillion (0.2 mV) uses a different coil |
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 — Urushi Tsugaru | $3,995 (complete factory rebuild of your Urushi Tsugaru; 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 — Urushi Tsugaru | $3,995 |
| 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 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 Urushi Tsugaru 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.
