VN-5xMR HG SAS/B – JICO VN5xMR HG SAS/R – JICO Apparently can use this on the M97xe cart as well. Not sure if there would be an improvement over the M97xe version ?or if this is even advisable ? apparently Michael Fremer tried it with decent results ...
Yea, it's kind of surprising the price differential. If you go to the Namiki shopping page and look at the prices, the Ruby cantilever with MicroRidge stylus is $210 each in quantity of 10 (so of course much cheaper to Jico in larger quantities), and the Boron cantilever with MicroRidge is $170 each in same quantity, so Ruby is about $40 more costly, which stays fairly constant regardless of the quantity you order. So Jico really bumps up that cost difference when passing it on to the consumer. ON-LINE shop [ Analog Record - related Products] | Adamant Namiki Precision Jewel Co., Ltd. Personally, I'd go with boron, unless you have an issue with the bird beak glue method used to attach the stylus to the fragile boron rods. The ruby is a much cleaner looking job since it is glued in a hole in the ruby. I think the main concern with some of the SAS stylus assembles (from what I've heard) is taming the mechanical resonance, but that's based mainly on the V15 assemblies, especially in the more advanced ones that originally used beryllium tube cantilevers to push the resonance pretty high, so maybe it's less and issue with the M97 series.
I am bringing back this thread to see if anyone has any info on the JICO 192-N97XE, like what stylus shape it is, type of cantilever etc. I got one from Amazon last night and it sounds very good. I did not expect that, I thought that it will just be a replacement for the Shure N97xe. It is definitely made from a different material and it sounds much better. Very different sound from the original stylus. I already have a SAS and without having done any comparisons yet, the two, both the SAS and the 192-N97xe sound very similar. Could it be that they are the same? This is the stylus replacement I am referring to: https://www.amazon.com/JICO-replacement-Shure-N-97xE-stylus/dp/B01KFPZ96Y
Yeah this site: Shure V15V - ZevAudio has some interesting response curves at various loadings via a V15V. At least with that cartridge, the response can be tailored from a treble lift to essentially very flat.
Thanks for the link! I had looked at this link before but I am still a little confused. The one in the photo on the Jico site looks different from the one I got. The one I got looks the same and has the number 192-N97xE on the box, like this ebay link. JICO SHURE N-97xE STYLUS Record Needle 192-N97xE SAS / B made Japan new M97xE 4951586851707 | eBay
Interesting. I've run these in my system for years at 47Kohms and 440pf, and now 47k and 220pf and had not one problem with mechanical resonance. They simply sound wonderful and I'm grateful to have them. I've used the M97XE and V15MR and all their variants except for the $400.00 Ruby, which will be here in a bit. I can't control the cost and it's none of my business the marketplace will decide whether or not if it's fair. M~
The mechanical resonance isn't going to be a problem. It is always there on every cartridge, and you can use the loading to tune the sound to your liking. At 47k and 220pf, it probably sounds like a fairly expensive moving coil cartridge.
Probably would have a nice bit of sparkle, looks like about a 4dB rise starting around 8-9K with 255pF and 46K....
Maybe too much? A lot of very well respected MC cartridges seem to start lifting around 5k or so, but only hit +2db or thereabouts. This would lift around 9k for about +4db. A lot of people seem to run this combo with close to those roughly default loading values and seem very happy. Loading it down isn't terribly difficult if one isn't enthralled with the sound. What do you think?
You can load it down to damp the response, but often that is what it sounds like, a damped response. I'd guess most people would prefer the sound without so much damping, even if isn't as flat. We have a tendency in audio to just overdamp everything instead of looking for the right balance.
Interesting, thanks. I almost bought one, but instead decided to dump all my Shure stuff as I didn't like the uncertainty of dealing with aftermarket styli.
Wow! I still have mine actually 2 V15VMR's and a M97XE with full combo of Jico stylii. But if I had to do it all over again I would not sell the V15IV which I had. That was the one I should have kept. M~
I just purchased that boron Jico SAS for the m97xe and using it on a SL-1210gr and I’m really happy with it. I was using a AT-VM95sh, but wanted to try something else. I prefer the Jico SAS/ Shure combo over the AT.
My current stable: Shure V15V-MR, V15V/Jico SAS-B, M97xE, and V15 type III with a $50 elliptical stylus from My Needle Store. Now here's the conundrum, the cheap one here sounds the best, that's to say, it is more nuanced. Thing is its resonance peak is about 9Hz where it even gets jumpy; and, it is extraordinarily raspy on the anti-skate track of the Shure Audio Obstacle Test Recording. These attributes make me wonder how this particular cart sounds as great as it does. At any rate, all of these carts seem to not to care about what sort of phono stage they're connected to. I've recently run all these carts from the phono stage of a Parasound P6 and all is well. For the most part, the carts are like peas in a pod, all somewhat mechanically different but sounding too similar to distinguish one cart from the other, all delivering a tone and detail which sounds a lot like I am listening to a CD of same music.
I was advised that my Technics SL-1210GR's interconnects and Parasound P6 Phono Stage was less than ideal for taming implied brightness from the VM540ML; but, my experience with the cart so far suggests it's just delivering high frequencies as does play from CD of same music. Now, I am 71 years old and I can not hear high frequencies as I could long ago. So, my experience with the VM540ML may be somewhat divergent than those who are younger than me.
The 5’ cable included with my 1500c measured 113/109 pF. I have not used it, but recently bought a LCR meter and measured a bunch of my cables. The tone arm cable by itself measures about 30 pF. The GR may well be different.
I see there is a fairly inexpensive Jico replacement (around $120) and the Jico SAS, which is about twice as expensive. What’s the difference (other than price)? I assume the SAS is much better, but what physical or construction characteristics make it so?
SAS is the Namiki MicroRidge stylus, like on the Shure V15V, and also paired with a boron cantilever like many of the higher end MC carts now (MicroLine/MicroRidge), so much better tracking and stylus life expectancy due to extended contact area and very small contact radius. Other higher price cantilever options are available.
