KISEKI, “Revival of a Legend“

HHerman van den Dungen in 1981 introduced a new cartridge brand. ‘Kiseki’. It was an instant hit. Kiseki Blue, PurpleHeart, BlackHeart, Agate, Lapis Lazuli were the products of legend. Sadly the advent of CD meant cartridge manufacturing had to be wound down. As the world embraced digital.

The interest and growth in vinyl in recent years meant there was a new demand for high quality moving coil cartridges. In 2013 Kiseki was reintroduced. Kiseki Blue N.S and Kiseki PurpleHeart N.S. (new style). Utilising the finest parts, each Kiseki is hand assembled, ensuring the finest quality.

Late 2020 and we now have two further models, the Blackheart NS and Purpleheart NS short body.

Further Reading
BLUE

The Kiseki Blue N.S. moving coil phono cartridge is the first “new style” Kiseki cartridge ever. The typical, but shorter, Kiseki body is machined out of solid aluminum, the motor is built from best available parts today. Two years of experimenting, testing all possible choices of materials and techniques to result in a better new Kiseki Blue. A Kiseki Blue which surpasses the results of the original Kiseki Blue from the 80’s and of the more recent Kiseki Blue N.O.S.

Blue product informatin sheet pdf

  • Body: Aluminum alloy, 25mm long
  • Cantilever: Solid Boron Rod: 0.28 mm diameter
  • Stylus: 0,12 x 0,12 Nude line-contact diamond, mirror polished
  • Stylus tip radius: 5 x 120 µm
  • Vertical Tracking Angle (VTA): 20 degrees
  • Coilbody: pure iron
  • Weight: 8 grams
  • Output voltage: 0.44 mV at 5 cm/s
  • Internal impedance: 40 ohms
  • Frequency response: 20  – 25.000 Hz ± 1 dB
  • Channel balance: 0.4 dB
  • Channel Separation: 35 dB at 1 kHz
  • Tracking ability at 315 Hz at a tracking force of 2.4 grams: 80 µm
  • Dynamic Compliance: 16 µm/mN

Blue – The Ear
Blue – Enjoythemusic
Blue – Hifi News

PRICE

Blue – £1695
PURPLEHEART

The Kiseki PurpleHeart N.S. phono cartridge is a true beauty in every sense. It is made of rare Purpleheart wood, which turns from brown to a golden purple in direct or indirect sunlight. It sports a boron cantilever the size of a human hair, and a diamond so small that it is difficult to see it, even with a magnifying glass. Though 30mm long, it weighs only 7 grams. Its edges are all right angles which make for easy setup. It is a truely amazing piece of equipment.

Purpleheart pdf information sheet

  • Body: PurpleHeart Wood, 30 mm long

  • Cantilever: Solid Boron Rod: 0.3 mm diameter

  • Stylus: 0.12 x 0.12 Nude line-contact diamond, mirror polished

  • Stylus tip radius: 4 x 120 μm

  • Vertical Tracking Angle (VTA): 20 degrees

  • Coil: pure iron coil

  • Weight: 7 grams

  • Output voltage: 0.48mV at 5cm/s

  • Internal impedance: 42 ohms

  • Frequency response: 20 – 30,000Hz ± 1dB

  • Channel balance: 0.2dB

  • Channel Separation: 35dB at 1kHz

  • Tracking ability at 315Hz at a tracking force of 2.6 grams: 80 μm

  • Dynamic Compliance: 16 μm/mN

  • Recommended loading: 400 ohms (I disagree! 800-1000 ohms)

  • Recommend tracking force: 2.0 – 2.6 grams (I disagree! 2.1-2.4)

  • Optimum tracking force: 2.46 grams (I disagree! 2.3 grams is perfect)

  • Recommended tone arm mass: Medium

  • Optimum working temperature: 20 °C

  • Break-in period: 50 – 100 hours 

Purpleheart – The Absolute Sound
Purpleheart – Enjotthemusic
Purpleheart – Stereophile Class A component

PRICE

Purpleheart – £2795
PURPLEHEART Short Body

Like the PurpleHeart N.S. (Long Body), the 25mm long, short body Kiseki PurpleHeart N.S. is machined out of solid Purpleheart wood. Additionally, the short body style should make this PurpleHeart easier to install on a more extensive range of tonearms.

The Kiseki PurpleHeart N.S. (Short Body) uses a 0.12 x 0.12 Nude line-contact diamond, mirror polished stylus that has a 4 x 70 μm tip radius mounted on a 0.28mm diameter solid Boron rod cantilever and sports a pure iron coil body.

All together the PurpleHeart N.S. (Short Body) weighs 6 grams and requires an optimum tracking force of 2.4 grams and is best used with a medium mass tonearm.

Frequency response is quoted at 20Hz–30kHz ± 1dB with channel separation listed as 30dB at 1kHz and channel balance, 0.4dB. The output voltage is stated as being 0,44mV at 5cm/s along with a 40 ohm internal impedance. Again, tracking ability is given as 80 μm at 315Hz using a 2.6 gram tracking force.

TBA

PRICE

Purpleheart short body – £2995
BLACKHEART

First appearing in the 80s, the Kiseki BlackHeart returns as the BlackHeart N.S.

It is still machined out of solid Blackheart wood but is now smaller size has it now sports the short 25mm long body style, like the Kiseki Blue N.S.

The motor is based on the same parts as found in the other current Kiseki N.S. models. Although, the Kiseki BlackHeart N.S. is the first to use a solid nude diamond mounted in and through the 0.28mm diameter solid Boron rod cantilever, instead of being mounted on it. We are told that this results in a mechanically better construction for better signal reproduction as well as higher reliability.

The stylus is a 0.08 x 0.14 mirror polished diamond with a tip radius of 3 x 30 μm. The BlackHeart N.S. weighs in at 6.4 grams and has a quoted output voltage of 0.48mV at 5cm/s and 40 ohm internal impedance.

Frequency response is listed as 20Hz–30kHz ± 1dB with tracking ability at 315Hz at a tracking force of 2.6 grams being 80 μm. However, the optimum tracking force is stated as being 2.4 grams, and a medium mass tonearm is recommended, as is 400 ohms loading. Channel separation is given as being 35dB at 1kHz.

TBA

PRICE

Blackheart – £3795