The Jico SAS/B Stylus VN 5 MR

@mijostyn You postulated "So, far two friends have been pleasantly surprised by the V15. Was Shure on to something?"

Shure were!  The killer combo in the 1970s was an SME 3009 or 3012 tonearm with a Shure V15 cartridge.  SME sold almost half a million of those tonearms.

@mijostin  You wrote "Yes Richard they were, but they also did not do a direct comparison with my other cartridges and my system is also very commanding from a visual perspective. It did not take me long to make the realization that the Shure was not up to the other cartridges performance. But I am not giving up yet. I will try Lew's suggestion."

I am interested in this thread because I was handed a Shure V15 type III, and discovered the Jico SAS/B stylus was available. However for about the same money, I bought a new Audio Technica VM540ML which seems to have the same stylus shape and very similar specifications.  (It was a TAS top 50 best buy recommendation).  I understand that both are moving magnet designs and are considered inferior to moving coils!

For about the price of one of your other cartridges, if I had the spare cash, I would probably buy a tangential tracking Holbo deck with air bearing and a Kiseki moving coil cartridge.  I am still agnostic in the digital / analogue debate!  Learning all the time ...

@mijostyn  First time I've been accused of being promiscuous, at least over a few old records!  I'd like to say that I've spent my money on wine, women and song:  the rest I've wasted.

As a ten-pound pom, I immigrated to Wollongong which had the biggest steelworks in the British Commonwealth.  The public library had a big collection of classical records which it lent free.  It also has 25 patrolled surf beaches, so it is no great surprise to find a surfing violinist, Richard Tognetti, heading one of the world's great orchestras, the Australian Chamber Orchestra.

Now I am not sure what moving mass is in a cartridge?  Another factor in my mind is that Audio Technica claims 1000 hours life versus half that for the Jico SAS which seems to have the same diamond pattern.  Usually, like Oscar Wilde, I am easily satisfied with the best.  Obviously at this price point, one can only expect good - hopefully good enough!

For what it is worth, here's TAS' list of cartridges from 2020 "50 Top Bargains in High-End Audio":

1:  Enry Level: Grado Prestige Black2 phono cartridge, $75

2.  A step up: Audio Technica VM540ML and VM760SLC phono cartridges, $249/$649

3.  Mid-priced: Hana SL phono cartridge, $750

4.  Upper End:  Kiseki Purple Heart phono cartridge, $3199

5  Ultra High End:  Lyra Etna Lambda phono cartridge, $9999

I have not read a review of the ATs which says anything bad about them, not that I always trust reviewers.  Home Theatre HiFi did a very comprehensive review of the Reavon UBR-X200 universal disk player but completely missed that it down-converts DSD to CD quality through its analog outputs - something I immediately noticed.

While I have your attention, I forgot to mention that Presto Classical also carries an extensive Jazz selection, and carries vinyl as well as silver disks, streaming and downloads.  Highly recommended.  Happy listening