Shure SC35C with JICO SAS

[audiopile]

Has anyone tried the JICO SAS in the Shure SC35C body ? Certainly believe that this would be a very different animal from the stock cart/stylus - but better ,worse or just different and in what way(s)?

[flavio81]

Has anyone tried the JICO SAS in the Shure SC35C body ? Certainly believe that this would be a very different animal from the stock cart/stylus - but better ,worse or just different and in what way(s)?

Hi, i wouldn't think it's a good idea. For starters, i seriously doubt that JICO is going to "respect" the very low compliance of the original SS35C stylus, so the JICO SAS version is probably as high compliance one. Thus if we're going to pay >$150 for a typical high compliance SAS stylus, then better to put it in a Shure V15 cartridge body.

I think the "fun" of the SS35C stylus is the low compliance and the conical profile, fitting it a SAS would be depriving it of it's "spirit"

Now, if such SAS is low compliance... that's another story!

[audiopile]

I agree that apparently all the JICO SAS's are high compliance - so it sure would be a different animal from the original low compliance conical.My interest in this comes about for the obvious reason - I've got a SC35C body sitting here that came to me with a munched stylus.And I'm just not interested in high tracking force playback -period.Now - if for instance I was transferring vinyl to digi and wanted a particular sound for a single play - not worried much about a undamaged heavy tracking conical for a single play. Unfortunately - despite a large LP collection - I'm pretty likely to play a new "find" -several times a week for a few weeks -high VTF's aren't very appealing to me for that reason.
The big reason I'm interested in this is the FrankenGrado experience - installing a higher compliance stylus (there are other differences as well in magnet structures,etc. in this case) into a lower compliance styli's Prestige body has been disproportionally successful.Unlike the MCZ styli in a Prestige body - the JICO SAS is actually engineered to work with the body it's going into.
So - just fishin for info/experience -anybody tried the JICO SAS in a SC-35C ?

[flavio81]

I agree that apparently all the JICO SAS's are high compliance - so it sure would be a different animal from the original low compliance conical.My interest in this comes about for the obvious reason - I've got a SC35C body sitting here that came to me with a munched stylus.And I'm just not interested in high tracking force playback -period.Now - if for instance I was transferring vinyl to digi and wanted a particular sound for a single play - not worried much about a undamaged heavy tracking conical for a single play. Unfortunately - despite a large LP collection - I'm pretty likely to play a new "find" -several times a week for a few weeks -high VTF's aren't very appealing to me for that reason.
The big reason I'm interested in this is the FrankenGrado experience - installing a higher compliance stylus (there are other differences as well in magnet structures,etc. in this case) into a lower compliance styli's Prestige body has been disproportionally successful.Unlike the MCZ styli in a Prestige body - the JICO SAS is actually engineered to work with the body it's going into.
So - just fishin for info/experience -anybody tried the JICO SAS in a SC-35C ?

I understand. But you shouldn't be afraid of 4g VTF, in my opinion.

[speedle]

So your goal here would be to take advantage of the relatively low inductance of the '35? In that respect, I think you're spot on, and sounds like it's worth a try.

[audiopile]

Yup I suspect that the cart body might be a lot better than any of the styli Shure sells for it.C'mon somebody on this forum's got to have given it a run with a SAS ? I do foresee that whatever arms make the Shure low compliance styli sing are not going to play well with the high compliance JICO SAS ?

[Ldg]

I think the "fun" of the SS35C stylus is the low compliance and the conical profile, fitting it a SAS would be depriving it of it's "spirit"

Absolutely !

In original form, the SC35C stands as a high performing example of its genre, and character. I also suspect its performance in original form can be a bit embarassingly good......

If one changes stylus, cantilever, and suspension by fitting an alternate stylus assembly, pretty much all that is left of the original is the coil, i.e. a bit of bent wire. This seems pointless to me, and even a bit crass? The original art lies in the pointy bit here.

So, well said Flavio81

Completely seperately, like F81 I'd also love to see an ultra lowC Jico/SAS that fits any body. But that's shurely a different topic

[flavio81]

I think the "fun" of the SS35C stylus is the low compliance and the conical profile, fitting it a SAS would be depriving it of it's "spirit"

Absolutely !

In original form, the SC35C stands as a high performing example of its genre, and character. I also suspect its performance in original form can be a bit embarassingly good......

If one changes stylus, cantilever, and suspension by fitting an alternate stylus assembly, pretty much all that is left of the original is the coil, i.e. a bit of bent wire. This seems pointless to me, and even a bit crass? The original art lies in the pointy bit here.

So, well said Flavio81

Thanks LD. To put things in perspective, i'm taking the effort to go custom-fitting a heavy S-arm to one of my Lencos ONLY for trying that SC35C with a more suitable arm.

[dlaloum]

You might have to think about sending a $20 SC35 stylus off to a retipper for an LC needle fitting - keep the existing cantilever/suspension and fit a Shibata or similar....

Or talk to the retipper about getting a more refined cantilever fitted, just with very firm / damped suspension?

[Ldg]

.....keep the existing cantilever/suspension and fit a Shibata or similar....

Now, aside, that would be a very interesting experiment. But I venture differences versus original would be far smaller than imagined. Quality conicals/sphericals are far better than reputed.

[audiopile]

OK - everyone ( OK - maybe just a few guys) are going to want to know the comparison and contrast between the stock stylus and a SAS. I don't know - never had a stock stylus. I can tell you the JICO SAS for this cart's a winner. Installed in a DP-61F Denon this stylus/cart has a slightly "rich" bass character and a high end that pleasantly reminds me of a V-15/IV. These cartridge bodies are about as collectable as woofers with damaged foam surrounds -so this is the chance to get into a pretty nice cart/stylus for pretty close to the cost of the stylus alone.Like all Jico SAS's I've tried so far -it tracks like it's on rails and somehow seems to show off less record wear than I would expect - given the number of plays on the LP's I've listened to/thru it.
Very Nice.

[Ldg]

Great, I don't doubt that Jicos also can be excellent styli. In this case, changing the stylus also changes the cantilever, suspension, and part of the magnetics. So it's impossible to know how much is attributable to the tip alone. And, as audiopile says, it's not possible to make a stock stylus comparison.

What VTF range does the Jico SAS recommend and support, BTW, audiopile ? And what compliance is it ?

[dlaloum]

Very interesting....

Would be particularly interesting comparing the SC35SAS to the V15VxSAS... same inductance - similar electrical specs, with the same cantilever and needle fitted...

I remain curious as to whether the current SC35 is in fact a V15Vx body dressed up in hobo togs.....

It may be the most economical V15Vx around!

bye for now

David

p.s. vice versa, an SC35 stylus in a V15Vx body....

[flavio81]

OK - everyone ( OK - maybe just a few guys) are going to want to know the comparison and contrast between the stock stylus and a SAS. I don't know - never had a stock stylus. I can tell you the JICO SAS for this cart's a winner. Installed in a DP-61F Denon this stylus/cart has a slightly "rich" bass character and a high end that pleasantly reminds me of a V-15/IV. These cartridge bodies are about as collectable as woofers with damaged foam surrounds -so this is the chance to get into a pretty nice cart/stylus for pretty close to the cost of the stylus alone.Like all Jico SAS's I've tried so far -it tracks like it's on rails and somehow seems to show off less record wear than I would expect - given the number of plays on the LP's I've listened to/thru it.
Very Nice.

What VTF are you using? Is the compliance a stiff one? (The one on the SS35C needle is very stiff)