The Jico SAS/B Stylus VN 5 MR

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. 

mijostyn OP

"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."

I wrote JICO after I received mine, they replied, in writing (where?), that it was not damped. Perhaps things have changed, do you have something from them, or a link to something? I like a damped brush for LPs with warps, and in the old days at 1.25g, assurance an 1812 canon blast would not send it flying.

in 2020

"

 

inquiry@jico.co.jp	Mon, Jan 6, 2020, 10:26 PM		Reply
to me

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dear　Elliott san

 

Happy New Year!

Thank you for contacting JICO.

Brush does not contain the static electricity removal unlike the 'dynamic stabilizer' 

Would you please let us know your cartridge number ( or model number for the stylus )  that we could better investigate ?

 

 

Thank you and Best Regards,

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NIPPON PRECISION JEWEL INDUSTRY CO., LTD

Hiromi Oiwa

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From: JICO STYLUS [mailto:stylus-sys@export-japan.co.jp] On Behalf Of elliott newcomb
Sent: Saturday, January 04, 2020 9:09 PM
To: stylus-sys@export-japan.co.jp
Subject: JICO Store Site Message From: elliott newcomb <elliottnewcomb@gmail.com>

 

From: elliott newcomb

Subject: Others.

Message:

Happy New Year!

Brushes on Stylus for Shure Cartridges??

Are your brushes ALSO dampened like original shure dynamic stabilizer brushes?

Or just brushes?

Like Shure, do I add .5g to intended tracking weight when using the brush to counteract .5g upward force of brush.

use 1.75 gram with brush to get actual 1.25g tracking weight?

thanks for your help.

Elliott"

 

 

I got clever, bought a Shure 97xe (my favorite Elliptical) with a damped brush. Had Steve at VAS re-fit it with an advanced stylus on boron. Now I am the only person I have heard of with 97xe with an advanced stylus. AND, it fits my Shure V15Vxmr body! Thus I can have a damped brush on either V15Vxmr body or 97xe body.

@elliottbnewcombjr I can not speak to the stylus you have without looking at it under the microscope, but I can speak to the Jico. Go to the link above and you can see it. It is perfectly mounted in terms of SRA and zenith. I am playing with the V15 V MR and there is absolutely no question that it is damped exactly like the original. If someone told you otherwise they either mistook the question or have no idea what they are talking about. They are correct about it not being antistatic as it is not grounded. One important note! There is a ground strap connected to the left channel negative post. This can and should be removed with the tip of a sharp knife. It pulls straight out easily. This should be removed for all 5 wire tonearms! You will appreciate much less noise.