The IKEDA Sound Labs. 40th Anniversary Commemorative Model Is Complete! Introducing:
KOHAKU -冴鉑-
To be released on July 7, 2025 – Limited to 30 units worldwide
The product page for KOHAKU is already live.
This cartridge was brought to life through a year of dedicated work by IKEDA Sound Labs. cartridge builder Akiko Ishiyama, who carried out countless cycles of prototyping and critical listening before finally completing it.
KOHAKU is packed with the heartfelt dedication of its developers.
We hope you'll take the time to read the message from the developer on the product page.
As a model befitting IKEDA's 40th anniversary, KOHAKU incorporates a number of innovative elements:
Integrated diamond cantilever
Platinum plating on the body, base, terminal pins, and screws
Silver wire for the generator coil (a first for a non-custom model)
Dual-damper system
A symbolic mark filled with meaning, expressed through double-layered silk-screen printing
This is a product that brings together numerous firsts for IKEDA.
For more details, please visit the KOHAKU product page.
Technical Excellence with a Refined Sonic Character
KOHAKU features a body weight of 12.5g and delivers the highest output of any IKEDA cartridge at 0.5mV—while keeping coil impedance tightly controlled at just 4.0Ω.
The recommended tracking force is 1.75g, within an optimal range of 1.5–1.8g.
What you’ll experience is astonishing:
an overwhelming amount of musical information, exceptional resolution, spatial articulation, crystalline clarity, and a lingering elegance in every note.
Lower the stylus onto the record, close your eyes, and you may feel the artist and ensemble vividly unfolding before you—right there in your listening room.
A Culmination of 40 Years of IKEDA Craftsmanship
KOHAKU is available for in-person audition at our listening room in Kunitachi, Tokyo.
Special listening sessions are also scheduled at Dynamic Audio 5555 in Akihabara on July 26 and 27.
For future events and updates, please check the IKEDA Sound Labs. official website.
There is a sound purer than light.
A radiant transparency born of platinum and silver.
KOHAKU – 冴鉑