Stylus replacement for Shure V-15 v MR

It's good to be an "audiophile", we have more fun than most "Phile's".

I have listened to both the Shure V-15 V with a Jico SAS and the VN5MR stylus, and overall I prefer the Shure VN5MR to the Jico.

I know others prefer the Jico SAS. Like everything, you get something and you loose something. With the Jico SAS, I hear more detail and frequency extension in the highs and a very nice midrange. However, with the Shure VN5MR, I hear layers of midrange detail with real life texture, timbre, and emotion not quit equaled by the Jico. The highs with the Shure V-15 V stylus (VN5MR), although not as extended as the Jico SAS, still sound excellent and seem to be a little more delicate.

Which is better largely depends on personal listening preference and sonic priorities - and where you with to move the sound of your system on balance.

Unfortunately, due to apparently unexpected demand and being months behind in production, Jico has raised their prices of their SAS sylus in the last year by around 50%.

I heard a Jico SAS on a V15VxMR and while it sounded good, I have to agree with Plangco above that the replacement loses that "magic" in texture and midrange detail that I had on my V15VMR with genuine Shure stylus. IOW, the Jico was a fine performer otherwise, but was less musical to my ears. Still, I may pick a Jico replacement up as I hate to see my V15VMR sitting unused, and I now have a spare turntable.arm combo to use it on.

I always felt that this cart (which I've owned since it first came out in the early 80s) sometimes leaned toward the boring side of things, but you get out of it what you put into it--it reveals what is there without adding much (if anything) of its own.

Kevin Gray at Cohearant used to have an original V15VMR on his cutting lathe to check his cut lacquers with, BTW, likely for that reason. I don't know what he is using lately, now that supplies (and rubber cantilever supports ;) ) have dried up.

I miss my V15 Type III