Ruby cantilever or Sapphire Cantilever?

[Wakefield Turntables]

I'm eyeing up a new JICO stylus for my Shure V15 mk3 and have the option of ruby or Sapphire. Any ideas which is best?

[Jimbo]

I believe they both contribute to a different sound but I only have experience of Ruby cantilevers as used on the Ortofon Kontrapunkt B. I have often pondered why Jico use both?

Personally I thought the Boron cantilevers they used were excellent but I believe this material became constrained hence the use of Ruby and sapphire?

[walpurgis]

Ruby and Sapphire are aluminium oxide and very similar. I think Ruby is the denser, but could be wrong.

[struth]

Ruby and Sapphire are aluminium oxide and very similar. I think Ruby is the denser, but could be wrong.Ever so slightly it is.

[walpurgis]

I would sooner have a Boron cantilever myself.

[Wakefield Turntables]

I would sooner have a Boron cantilever myself.


Hmmm, just found the option of the new SAS diamond and boron cantilever, and $50 cheaper. Decisions, decisions!!!

[Jimbo]

Hmmm, just found the option of the new SAS diamond and boron cantilever, and $50 cheaper. Decisions, decisions!!!

That's the one I would go for Andy. The SAS Jico stylus I had was diamond and boron cantilever and sounded superb. :cool:

[Chas B]

I'm running an original MR stylus so can't help you but will be very interested in your final result.

[Wakefield Turntables]

I'm running an original MR stylus so can't help you but will be very interested in your final result.

Yep that's what I have at the moment, the VN35MR. I bought it with the Shure v15, not sure how many hours it's got on it. Still sounds great.

[Wakefield Turntables]

[QUOTE=Jimbo;1137812]That's the one I would go for Andy. The SAS Jico stylus I had was diamond and boron cantilever and sounded superb. :cool:[/

Alright Jim! TBH the Shure is only going to play classic Rock from the 70's through my EAR clone. Be interesting to compare it to the old M55E I have kicking around. :eek:

[Jimbo]

[QUOTE=Jimbo;1137812]That's the one I would go for Andy. The SAS Jico stylus I had was diamond and boron cantilever and sounded superb. :cool:[/

Alright Jim! TBH the Shure is only going to play classic Rock from the 70's through my EAR clone. Be interesting to compare it to the old M55E I have kicking around. :eek:

I used the M55E with my JICO SAS stylus. Perfect marriage. I think at the time he whole combo cost me £250 and punched well above its weight knocking on the door of £500 MM and had more lunch and finesse than many MC cartridges I was listening to at the time.

[Batty]

I have the Saphire on my V15 type III, sounds excellent, better than the Ed Saunders.

[anubisgrau]

why spending on an exotic cantilever on a MM cart?

[YNWaN]

Just to confuse things further, I’m using a Gyger stylus on a ruby cantilever, works superbly (on an MC though).

[struth]

Gyger is the shape isn't it?

[Jimbo]

Gyger is the shape isn't it?

Its the manufacturer Grant:)

[struth]

Ah OK I thought it referred to shape of tip.

[YNWaN]

Actually it does Grant

[struth]

Actually it does GrantWell I got something right

[walpurgis]

I have a Geiger tip on my Goldring Eroica LX.

(actually, I must dig it out and give it another go)

[Stryder5]

I have a Geiger tip on my Goldring Eroica LX.

(actually, I must dig it out and give it another go)

I have this version of the Eroica sounds really good and another with a Van den Hul tip, very close in SQ.

Gary

[phonomac]

Actually it does Grant
There are currently two tip profiles available from Fritz Gyger - the FGII which is very similar to the Ortofon FG80, and the FGS, equivalent to the Ortofon Replicant 100

[YNWaN]

True; I would have to check but I think mine is the FGS.

Ok, I’ve checked and it looks like an FGS.

[krugdoktor]

I'm eyeing up a new JICO stylus for my Shure V15 mk3 and have the option of ruby or Sapphire. Any ideas which is best?
I think the sapphire cantilever is straight and the ruby cantilever is tapered reducing the moving mass. I‘ve read somewhere ruby and sapphire are the same except for the color.

[YNWaN]

It’s true that ruby and sapphire are basically the same thing with the exception of a few trace elements imparting the colour. In my experience, stylus profile makes a huge (relatively) difference. Also, diamond quality makes a big difference to stylus life (and this is not mentioned in any cartridge specs). For example, I’ve had two Paratrace stylus’ and neither lasted very long and both seemed to play a lot of surface noise. The Gyger tip I use now (under magnification it looks a bit like a chisel tip) has already proved to be longer lasting and much more forgiving of surface noise - truly excellent in every way!

Edit: Oh, all the aftermarket gemstone cantilevers I gave encountered have been solid round shafts. The only exception being Dynavector who use facet cut cantilevers - stunning bits of manufacture. However, whilst I actually own a Dynavector Ruby, which is a truly stunning bit of cartridge manufacture, I much prefer the sound of my rebuilt Troika.