Gromit
03-06-2011, 12:33
Apologies in advance for pasting this off another forum, but I'm going to put more effort into telling this little story on here, and of course report on how tihs little beauty develops as it runs in.
So, going back to this wednesday (1st June)...
I'd been umming and ahhh'ing over getting a SAS stylus for some time now, mostly putting it off but decided to bite the bullet a couple of weeks ago. Jico were brilliant to deal with, and with the stylus arriving from Japan just this morning, only about 10 days after me ordering, I can't recommend their service highly enough.
Fitting it is obviously just a case of sliding it into the place on the 75's body and lining it up. The cantilever is a lot thinner (and longer) than the OEM Shure one, being made of a boron rod, and the tip itself is tiny!
As to how it now sounds, first impressions are just that, but they're all pretty favourable to be honest. Of course it's just running in at the moment so we're tracking it near the top end of its range (1.4g out of a possible 1.5) so all may not be optimum for the time being.
The sound is powerful, clean (especially at the top with that rather trick stylus tip) and ballsy and much more colourful than the DL110 I had in place previously. Will report back a little more when it's run in and I've had chance to have a fiddle with settings.
Ickle picky...
http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e320/Gromit011/IMG_5742.jpg
As you can see from above, the cantilever seriously thin, and the tip is almost invisible.
Going on to yesterday (thursday)...
Today I've had a lot more time to sit and evaluate how the Jico's sounding. Probably about 15 hours on the thing now, and it's loosened up in a big way - every couple of hours I've popped the DL110 back to use as a baseline or 'control' cartridge (oh the joys of detachable headshells!) and each time the gap in sound has widened.
The SAS is fast, quite mid-forward (I like that though - it gives instruments and percussion a more cut) and with a wealth of musical detail. The 110's a fine little cartridge, and a bargain at its new price, but the SAS 75ED is a significant upgrade on it to my ears, and for what I look for in a cartridge. I don't 'do' soundstage/imagery but the Shure has a more expansive, out-of-box presentation. Its ace card though is its dynamism and energy - not up to Decca standards but it does somehow present music with enthusiasm, and unlike the Decca it isn't anywhere near as fussy about pressing/recording quality. Of course I'd take a Decca any day of the week over the Shure (as I would an SPU when matched and phono-staged correctly) but the Jico has won me over big style.
Its sound could be summarised as fun, quite bright, packing real detail (not implied by adding false shimmer at the top end though) and with lots of drive and energy. Very low background noise, and extremely clean on previously slightly sibilant recordings.
Some of the records used today, to give some idea of the Jico's versatility:
Bob Florence Limited Edition: Magic Time
Grace Jones: Nighclubbing
Vaughan Williams: Symphonies No.3 & 6 (Thomson/LSO)
Vaughan Williams: Violin Concerto (slow movement, same band as above)
Ravel: Gaspard de la Nuit (Perlemuter on Nimbus)
Mussorgsky/Ravel: Pictures from an Exhibition (Philadelphia/Muti)
Depeche Mode: Violator
Weather Report: Night Passage
Pink Floyd: The Final Cut.
Friday 3/6...
Did a fair amount of listening into the late evening yesterday but now just sat down to spin some choons again. Trying not to fall into the hyperbole trap but this cartridge just sounds huge, and has really lifted the lid on what the 401 is now capable of and clearly it is a dream match for the SME - the sound's just so full of life, as though the brakes have been released, but still retains that 'old' cartridge sound ie one which isn't bleached out tonally and just makes music sound fun.
The soundstage has opened up further, and listening to my old Bert Kaempfert 'Bye Bye Blues' lp (original mint pressing no less!) the layout of BK's orchestra is spacious, wide and allows one to hear right into the mix. Along with the Decca and the SPU this cartridge is the first one which has been able to differentiate between BK's trademark plecked bass guitar and the double bass which both occupy different parts of the sonic stage. Freddy Moch's trumpet's full of power, and there's no break-up on heavily modulated peaks (no compressio on this recording oh no!!). When the French Horns go from open to stopped there's a proper feeling of shut-down, unlike what was a slightly 2-dimensional presentation before.
More and more evidence that there's nowt new under the sun...and a 35 year old cartridge (with a posh tip admittedly) can kick some *rse. It rocks! :)
So, going back to this wednesday (1st June)...
I'd been umming and ahhh'ing over getting a SAS stylus for some time now, mostly putting it off but decided to bite the bullet a couple of weeks ago. Jico were brilliant to deal with, and with the stylus arriving from Japan just this morning, only about 10 days after me ordering, I can't recommend their service highly enough.
Fitting it is obviously just a case of sliding it into the place on the 75's body and lining it up. The cantilever is a lot thinner (and longer) than the OEM Shure one, being made of a boron rod, and the tip itself is tiny!
As to how it now sounds, first impressions are just that, but they're all pretty favourable to be honest. Of course it's just running in at the moment so we're tracking it near the top end of its range (1.4g out of a possible 1.5) so all may not be optimum for the time being.
The sound is powerful, clean (especially at the top with that rather trick stylus tip) and ballsy and much more colourful than the DL110 I had in place previously. Will report back a little more when it's run in and I've had chance to have a fiddle with settings.
Ickle picky...
http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e320/Gromit011/IMG_5742.jpg
As you can see from above, the cantilever seriously thin, and the tip is almost invisible.
Going on to yesterday (thursday)...
Today I've had a lot more time to sit and evaluate how the Jico's sounding. Probably about 15 hours on the thing now, and it's loosened up in a big way - every couple of hours I've popped the DL110 back to use as a baseline or 'control' cartridge (oh the joys of detachable headshells!) and each time the gap in sound has widened.
The SAS is fast, quite mid-forward (I like that though - it gives instruments and percussion a more cut) and with a wealth of musical detail. The 110's a fine little cartridge, and a bargain at its new price, but the SAS 75ED is a significant upgrade on it to my ears, and for what I look for in a cartridge. I don't 'do' soundstage/imagery but the Shure has a more expansive, out-of-box presentation. Its ace card though is its dynamism and energy - not up to Decca standards but it does somehow present music with enthusiasm, and unlike the Decca it isn't anywhere near as fussy about pressing/recording quality. Of course I'd take a Decca any day of the week over the Shure (as I would an SPU when matched and phono-staged correctly) but the Jico has won me over big style.
Its sound could be summarised as fun, quite bright, packing real detail (not implied by adding false shimmer at the top end though) and with lots of drive and energy. Very low background noise, and extremely clean on previously slightly sibilant recordings.
Some of the records used today, to give some idea of the Jico's versatility:
Bob Florence Limited Edition: Magic Time
Grace Jones: Nighclubbing
Vaughan Williams: Symphonies No.3 & 6 (Thomson/LSO)
Vaughan Williams: Violin Concerto (slow movement, same band as above)
Ravel: Gaspard de la Nuit (Perlemuter on Nimbus)
Mussorgsky/Ravel: Pictures from an Exhibition (Philadelphia/Muti)
Depeche Mode: Violator
Weather Report: Night Passage
Pink Floyd: The Final Cut.
Friday 3/6...
Did a fair amount of listening into the late evening yesterday but now just sat down to spin some choons again. Trying not to fall into the hyperbole trap but this cartridge just sounds huge, and has really lifted the lid on what the 401 is now capable of and clearly it is a dream match for the SME - the sound's just so full of life, as though the brakes have been released, but still retains that 'old' cartridge sound ie one which isn't bleached out tonally and just makes music sound fun.
The soundstage has opened up further, and listening to my old Bert Kaempfert 'Bye Bye Blues' lp (original mint pressing no less!) the layout of BK's orchestra is spacious, wide and allows one to hear right into the mix. Along with the Decca and the SPU this cartridge is the first one which has been able to differentiate between BK's trademark plecked bass guitar and the double bass which both occupy different parts of the sonic stage. Freddy Moch's trumpet's full of power, and there's no break-up on heavily modulated peaks (no compressio on this recording oh no!!). When the French Horns go from open to stopped there's a proper feeling of shut-down, unlike what was a slightly 2-dimensional presentation before.
More and more evidence that there's nowt new under the sun...and a 35 year old cartridge (with a posh tip admittedly) can kick some *rse. It rocks! :)