I have to admit this one hurts a little because I'm not in the market, but Kurt Doslu at Echo Hi-fi on Portland is currently selling this Koetsu Urushi Vermillion for just $1975. (It retails for $4200.) I sold my own Koetsu Rosewood Standard to Kurt a couple of years ago, and it sold quickly.
The Urushi was always the cartridge I intended to upgrade to when I owned the Rosewood. I was a sucker for the Sky Blue Urushi, which was the rare Koetsu that was wired with pure oxygen-free silver for a more extended high end...but I would have happily taken the Vermillion you see here. There's something about Koetsu cartridges that are quite special (and unequalled). Will I ever own another? I hope so. I've owned three in the past (a Black and two Rosewood Standards), and nothing I reviewed over the years surpassed their ability to capture a lush, romantic yet incredibly detailed sound.
Kurt also has this nicely restored H.H. Scott LK-72 integrated amplifier from the '60s for just $375. I owned the similar Scott 299B amplifier a few years ago (like the LK-72, it also uses 7591 output tubes), and although my ultimate conclusion was that it was a bit unstable during operation, it still offered a sound quality that was unmatched by most SS gear under $1000.
Again, if you're interested, check out echohifi.com for more information.
