flavio81
Turntable technician
IIRC JICO uses a certain dot color for every specific tip shape.
Pickering XV-15
- Thread starter Dirkjr
- Start date
IIRC JICO uses a certain dot color for every specific tip shape.
sKiZo
Hates received: 92644 43.20°N 85.50°W
I had the same thing happen to the tonearm drive belts on my turntable. Nasty stuff to clean off the pulleys. Has to make you wonder if the NOS Pickering styli still available are already ticking time bombs in that respect. Yet another reason I'm now leaning more towards a new replacement type stylus. For the moment ... ask me in another minute. <G>
Ah ... Fritz Gyger mikrodosierung mit system mit der earschplittenloudenboomer!
Looked at LPGear's selection for the Stanton 681EEE and came across something interesting. They list a "ViVid Line" diamond for $80 AND a Shibata ... for twice the price. Apparently there is a difference. Or at least their marketing team thinks so.
Something else to consider - from what I hear, the new brushes are crap. Shorter hairs, less compliant, etc ... I've seen a few recommendations that you use the OEM brush if at all possible. It doesn't look like the Pickering brush will fit a Stanton 68x stylus, but I could be wrong.
Anybody?
And I do see a couple posts here and there that say the ViVid Line is more of a match for the OEM stereohedron than the Shibata ... including the all important tonality and sound stage. Good to know.
Here I am leaning back to the D1200 yet a bit more. Looks like the best bang for the buck AND a good match for the cartridge. AND chances are good it won't turn to goo anytime soon. AND it <should> work with my CD4 vinyl. AND you're all probably getting pretty annoyed by me sitting on the fence and yelling GET ON WITH IT by now ...
boreas
"If it sounds good, it IS good." E.K.E.
Both the ViVid Line and Shibata are types of line contact stylus profiles of which, as pointed out earlier by ETI_5000, there are several. I don't think we've actually sussed out which type the ViVid Lines are.
No, it won't.
John
Balifly
Listening
John,
Vividline - 0.00295 X 0.00024 inch
from a previous post.
I wrote it down but neglected to bookmark the post.
The OP does not have any follow up questions so far.
Thanks for the correction, lini !
Last edited:
boreas
"If it sounds good, it IS good." E.K.E.
sKiZo
Hates received: 92644 43.20°N 85.50°W
I figured it out ... the ViVid Line is the one that's half the price. <G>
Also ran across some more info on the new "crap" brushes. Apparently they'll work fine but you have to break them in first. Take a new one off the cartridge and work the bristles for a while with your fingers to loosen them up and soften them up a bit. Another suggestion is to work them randomly across some velcro for a while ... same effect.
I added that to my list of possibly helpful tips ...
ETI_5000
Super Member
I believe (although can’t confirm it) that the Shibata is from Jico. When Jico increased prices drastically last year, LPGear then sourced another line contact stylus of similar quality, known as Vivid Line, from another Japanese supplier, which were much cheaper. I suspect they are probably similar quality – it’s just that Jico’s are overpriced. So Shibata = Jico (probably), Vivid Line = another Japanese manufacturer (probably).
Whether or not they are the same as the original stereohedron, I don't know. My own Stanton 681EEE-S Shibata aftermarket replacement from Soundring certainly seems to be a good one http://www.soundring.com.au/StyliInfo.cfm?StyliID=1593 . From what Pickering/Stanton insiders (a former engineer, and a former sales manager) have let out of the bag, because no American companies can make line contact styli, Stanton and Pickering always sourced their stereohedron tips from Japanese stylus cutters anyway. Shure did the same with their hyperelliptical and microridge stylus tips, according to those same Stanton people, but Les Watts (former Shure engineer who is an AK member) may be able to confirm if that is true, if he's watching.
While Stanton styli fit Pickering cartridges, and vice versa, you can’t fit a Pickering brush to a Stanton stylus, or a Stanton brush to a Pickering stylus Each brand stylus has to have its own brush. However, there’s nothing to stop you fitting an original brand Pickering brush to an aftermarket brand Pickering replacement stylus, or a genuine Stanton brush to an aftermarket Stanton replacement stylus, if you have an old one.
sKiZo
Hates received: 92644 43.20°N 85.50°W
... and after all that ...
I "settled" for an original NOS D625. Still in the box, product of Pleasantville NY. Just scored it on fleabay (I know ... spin the magic wheel) for $56 shipped.
Mostly, I figured this may just be the last REAL stylus I'll be able to find that will give me exactly what I'd grown to love over the years. Theoretically of course.
Wish me luck. <G>
I "settled" for an original NOS D625. Still in the box, product of Pleasantville NY. Just scored it on fleabay (I know ... spin the magic wheel) for $56 shipped.
Mostly, I figured this may just be the last REAL stylus I'll be able to find that will give me exactly what I'd grown to love over the years. Theoretically of course.
Wish me luck. <G>
Hifirob2
NEC and Klipsch rock!
jancumps
iRock
What is so obvious?
Smoother, cleaner cut facets, it's narrower , more pronounced elliptical, etc....
That pic makes the JICO look rough by comparision.
sKiZo
Hates received: 92644 43.20°N 85.50°W
Here's another way of looking at it ...
Older isn't always better.
And that from someone just went with the "older" replacement. In my case, it boils down to "teaching an old dog" ...<G>
Both tips have the same basic profile, but seems to me the New! Improved? JICO may be just that in the way it attacks the groove. Granted, the important profile is on the sides (and those do seem to be a good match), but the JICO presents a much smoother leading edge - arguably easier on the vinyl.
All that assumes similar construction and materials. I'm sure there's more than meets the eye when it comes to detail and warmth, both of which the D625 had (and hopefully will still have) in spades.
I was gonna try to do an overlay of the two pics, but there's too much parallax distortion to get any decent results.
Older isn't always better.
And that from someone just went with the "older" replacement. In my case, it boils down to "teaching an old dog" ...<G>
Both tips have the same basic profile, but seems to me the New! Improved? JICO may be just that in the way it attacks the groove. Granted, the important profile is on the sides (and those do seem to be a good match), but the JICO presents a much smoother leading edge - arguably easier on the vinyl.
All that assumes similar construction and materials. I'm sure there's more than meets the eye when it comes to detail and warmth, both of which the D625 had (and hopefully will still have) in spades.
I was gonna try to do an overlay of the two pics, but there's too much parallax distortion to get any decent results.
Here's another way of looking at it ...
Older isn't always better.
And that from someone just went with the "older" replacement. In my case, it boils down to "teaching an old dog" ...<G>
Both tips have the same basic profile, but seems to me the New! Improved? JICO may be just that in the way it attacks the groove. Granted, the important profile is on the sides (and those do seem to be a good match), but the JICO presents a much smoother leading edge - arguably easier on the vinyl.
All that assumes similar construction and materials. I'm sure there's more than meets the eye when it comes to detail and warmth, both of which the D625 had (and hopefully will still have) in spades.
I was gonna try to do an overlay of the two pics, but there's too much parallax distortion to get any decent results.
I can post an overlay. The pics show the JICO is not the new and improved and in fact is a pretty poor substitute.
What you'll see is that the OEM Shure is the better profile being narrower and riding lower in the groove.
Nobody is saying older is better. What I am saying is take a look at the pictures.
The OEM Shure is a quality cut diamond and the JICO is simply not as refined. The JICO is fatter and you can only see the bottom or tip not the leading edge which is blunt/dull with the JICO.
All this is take from this write up: http://www.customlightfactory.com/phpbb3/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=585&start=54 a little more than half way down the page.
It's pretty cut and dry as far as cut quality. You can't argue with the pics.
The OEM Shure is a quality cut diamond and the JICO is simply not as refined. The JICO is fatter and you can only see the bottom or tip not the leading edge which is blunt/dull with the JICO.
All this is take from this write up: http://www.customlightfactory.com/phpbb3/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=585&start=54 a little more than half way down the page.
It's pretty cut and dry as far as cut quality. You can't argue with the pics.
Color me confused ... is it possible you reversed the pics in the first post?
As in ... which one is this again?
No, follow the link to the original posting.
Jibbajaba
Active Member
FWIW, I visited the Louis Armstrong House Museum last summer, and Satchmo spun his records on a Dual 1019 with a Pickering XV-15.
So, if the Pickering is good enough for the King of Jazz, it's good enough for you!
Holy crap, *I* have a 1019 with a Pickering XV-15! Now I just need a trumpet...
Seriously though, I have this setup, and the brush makes a considerable amount of noise. It sounds like a subway train. It is definitely the brush, as carefully lifting it off the record while it's playing makes the sound go away. I don't really notice it during songs (although I haven't tried listening to something quiet yet), but it is quite noticeable between songs. Normal?
Chris
sKiZo
Hates received: 92644 43.20°N 85.50°W
An exact replacement trumpet or a knockoff? <G>
Not. The brush is quiet once broken in. Maybe the problem is yours isn't? Fairly common to not add that extra gram of tracking force required to offset the brush's effect on the arm weight. Doesn't allow the bristles to soften up and spread, and I suppose that could be what you've got. More of a problem with a reproduction brush also, as they use a different type of bristle.
You get bored, take the brush you've got and work it back and forth on a piece of burlap for a while. That should help.
First though, I'd take a close look at the cartridge. Pay close attention to the arm height and level - the type of noise you describe could also be the cartridge dragging on the platter.