KO Esprit 5
 

How much would you be prepared to pay for one if one existed? Bearing in mind KO has a higher switching speed than Sanwa. I'd be happy to pay $1500 for that. Anyone else feel the same way? Especially considering how quickly Phi-Long Nguyen has progressed and considering how much Ongaro is dominating in general. Thoughts and feedback.

The Esprit ergonomics are brilliant, absolutely perfect. I hated moving away from my Esprit 2 , I get hand cramp with my Futaba. The Sanwa looks discontinued or unobtainable. It's a desert, RIP stick radios. So yes, but not for the price you state!

If we could have the EX-Next internals in a new Esprit I'd have one, especially if they worked with the new 420 receivers.

I've been using an EX-Next for a while, but I only picked it up as I couldn't find any new Esprits in stock.

It'd do well in the UK, Sanwa stick radios are hard to find new now, which only leaves the Futaba 4GRS or the mega expensive Futaba with the big colour screen.

£600 would be a fair price over here for a new Esprit I think.

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recently i asked ko japan, they dont have any plan to produce any stick transmitter even next year (at least) as the demand is quite small.

Demand is so low now that it really isn't a priority for the manufactures.

Ripmax, the UK distributor for Futaba had to plead with futaba to make the 7XC, which is what I switched to after my Esprit 4. Even then they had to commit to buying a VERY significant number before Futaba would make it.

Which country are you in? I'd be happy to pay up to £1500 for one in the current environment. Prices of lots of things have gone up significantly over the last few years. The Sanwa was priced at around £600 - £650 I think when it was still available. And when you consider manufacturing cost and low volume, £1500 would be pricy but I could see it being necessary to even make a profit from it, for them.

But yeah I agree with the ergonomics statement, I found that I shook less when I was holding the KO, weirdly. Although there are others who prefer the wider grip of the Sanwa I'm sure. In an ideal world it would be nice to have one transmitter with several different cases that are different thicknesses for different shape hands.

Which do you prefer out of the two? How big numbers or is that not something that you can say?

I think they are underestimating how much pent up demand there is in the American market. When the 4 was made the UK was pretty much the whole market, I'm guessing anyway. But now there seems to be some advantage of sticks that will not go unnoticed I'm sure.

how about the US KO Importer issues a LC or PO with certain amount of units at $x to start with? that would be nice.

guess he (the sales rep) that i know has the geographical sales figures so as to project or conclude it is a NO for a Esprit 4's successor,......and the economy is not that healthy,......stagflation? recession? some industries in some countries bankrupting,...., gonn be dominoing,......
i myself is looking for buying a 2.4g stick to succeed my Esprit IV (very very seldom use, like new),, especially a made in japan craftmanship

I would love a KO stick radio, especially a new one. I'm heavily invested in a Futaba ecosystem though, it'd have to be a great radio and the pricing would have to be competitive.

How about half a stick radio?

https://www.kopropo.co.jp/en/products/view/10502

https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rct...1be36a798d.jpg

This is absolutely amazing, but unfortunately discontinued now that I know it exists