The Jico SAS/B Stylus VN 5 MR

I bought a Shure V15 Type 4 with a broken stylus in 2019 for $135 and outfitted it with a JICO SAS.  Great cartridge for under $500.  I also have a Shure M97xE and a Realistic R1000 EDT (a rebadged Shure M95), both with JICO SAS styli.  They are all surprisingly good.  The V15 is the best, then the M97.

I didn't realize how good, until I got my current phono stage.  They tended to sound a little thin and bright with my other phono stages, but with my Cary Audio VT-500, they have a nice full punchy sound that is neutral and easy to listen to while bringing out a lot of detail.

I am now listening to Peter Gabriel Plays Live through the Grado Headphones. I suspect the stylus's suspension is breaking in as I have no problem with dynamics playing this record, punchy as heck. My amps are returning this afternoon and I will be able to say more. I also plan on running tracking tests.

The major advertising points around the V15 back in the day cited its tracking ability at very low VTF. So you have a basis to expect very good grades, albeit the aftermarket stylus could make a huge difference. I don’t know of any data, but the V15 (maybe along with the Denon 103 and its congeners) might be the best selling cartridge of all time, certainly in the US.

Original V15Vxmr cantilever was Beryllium, the lightest/stiffest/ (but brittle, I broke mine), on my TD124 heavy platter, the best bass I ever had, and tracked at 1.25g, which is why I consider 2.0g ’heavy’.

The Top Shure's each came with their test performance graph, similar to what I got with the Sumiko Talisman S I bought for it's stiff Sapphire Tube cantilever.

The Bass, 3 lp set, excellent listening as well as demo collection

After shattering the Beryllium, I go no stiffer than Boron these days, and yes, my V15Vxmr body with Jico SAS on Boron sounds darn good,

the Shure Stylus’s Brush (use up or down, add 0.5g in use, it pushes up 0.5g) is damped, the Jico Brush is just a brush, no damping, they do not give you precise calculations for tracking with it up or down).

Using the Jico brush, how do you measure and what tracking force do you use ______?

Using the blank side of an LP to ’see/set’ anti-skate as you adjust for it is even more important when using a brush. The needed anti-skating force with brush in play is a hint as to the actual tracking force you are getting.

In my office, same era, I am rotating/using AT-440ml, (aluminum cantilever) tracking at 1.4g. Their current AT540ml tracks at 2.0g. No brush on the ATs. The AT440 is similar to the sound of the Shure but I convinced myself the Shure had more bass.

@elliottbnewcombjr  I had a Talisman S also! I liked it. Eventually one channel died and I tossed it. By then it was 30 years old.

As for the Jico brush it certainly is damped and they tell you to add 1/2 gram when using it. I am not using it because in my arm it is not needed. I am thinking of removing it entirely.

@lewm The thinking behind he higher tracking forces with modern cartridges in terms of record wear was that the larger contact patches of the styluses would negate any increase in wear, but here we have a cartridge with a very long contact patch that tracks at what is now an insanely low VTF. Record and stylus wear must be a fraction of what is produced by any other cartridge accepting other cartridges of the V15's era with modern stylus profiles.