Etsuro Urushi Gold

I will admit to more than just a fleeting piquing of curiosity when Believe High Fidelity Owner Joshua Masongsong published a Facebook post just after the first of this year that the first Etsuro Gold MC cartridge, from Japan's esteemed Etsuro Urushi, had arrived in the US. My offhand reply to that post, merely a request that he "…keep us informed" as to what he heard, led to his offer to have me do this review just 10 days later. After some run-in time and client auditions, this magnificently appointed cartridge arrived for my musings just three weeks before AXPONA. I'll save those who like to scan ahead to the conclusion some trouble; this is a reference-level transducer and is one of the two or three most engaging and authentic sounding cartridges I've ever experienced.