Have There Ever Been Fake Koetsu?

The older Koetsu cartridges did indeed have gold pins the newer ones have the silver colored pins.  I have tried the older ones with the gold pins and while they sounded good I prefer the newer ones as stated better detail and dynamics, the rolled off highs and flabby bass that you read about is hogwash these cartridges to me lack for nothing.  My other favorite cartridges are Jan Allaerts MC2 and Haniwa HCTR-01 for reference.  You can’t go wrong with a Koetsu…

The reply from mulveling is why I stay around this forum. Thank you for your time and effort to make all of us a little, or in my case here, a lot, wiser on this subject.

Btw, thanks everyone for positive feedback on the pics and my experience with Koetsu :) I've been meaning to take more of my cartridge collection. 

Nothing else quite does midrange like a Koetsu!

@mulveling Thanks for the awesome pics and insight. Always a treat to read your commentary.

Can you recommend a Koetsu that will work well with a ClearAudio Performance DC with the Tracer tonearm? I'm pretty sure none of the stone bodies are compatible due to weight.

(and taking into consideration that the current TT will get upgraded eventually, either to a higher end ClearAudio OR the Technics SL-1000RE-S). 

@macg19 

Thanks! I tried my Jade on Clearaudio Universal 12" VTA - and that was quickly the end of further Koetsu experiments on the arm. Tracks and plays fine. It's just sonically very flat and dull. Definitely lacking sparkle. Jade is probably the worst Koetsu to match here, for that reason - similar to Coralstone, it's especially warm, even for a Koetsu. If I had to guess, I'd blame the carbon fiber wand more than the mass / compliance match. That Universal arm generally has a bit of a relaxed top end. It matches better to Ortofons, Benzes, and Shelter Harmony. 

If I were to try Koetsu again on a Tracer (which looks like a really nice arm in its own right), since it has the carbon fiber wand I'd want samarium cobalt magnets (punchy) and the metal body of Black (I generally like metal bodies on cartridges). The Rosewood and Urushis also use samarium cobalt magnets and could be good, but honestly the Black seems like it could slot in really nicely there. Unfortunately I haven't heard these Koetsu models, but being somewhat familiar with the effect of magnet types and body materials, this would be my best guess!

If you want to scale up, a used Fidelity Research FR64fx in good condition ($1500) is hard to beat for a match to Koetsu. You'd just need an armboard, and I'm not certain if it could fit the Performance / Ovation's small circular armboard. Perhaps worth checking though. I really love these FR arms on my Innovation series tables. Not just for Koetsu, either. On Innovations and Solutions, the FR64fx fits (only just, but it does) on their standard Graham Phantom long / flat armboard. Also have the Graham Phantom II Supreme and it's really good sounding and a dream to setup, but dang I just like those FR arms.