Jico

A year ago, Mojaxx reviewed Jico’s replacement needles for Shure’s M44-7 and M44G cartridges. He found that they were good alternatives to the original styli, but they weren’t essential because the originals were still available.

However, that changed in May when Shure announced that it was discontinuing its entire range of phono products. Now, with the new-found need for replacements, Mo takes another look at Jico’s styli.

Watch above on this week’s Tips and Tricks.

Jico’s needles can be purchased at their website, PLANT RECORDS, and Scratch Pro Audio.

Related: Shure Discontinues All Phono Products

Shure’s M44-7 cartridge is legendary in the DJ community. Originally released in the 1960s, the company resurrected it in the ’90s after they realized that turntablists like the Invisibl Skratch Piklz were flying to Japan to snatch up the remaining stock.

But like any cartridge, the stylus on the M44-7 needs to be replaced from time to time. There are many cheap, third-party replacements on the market, mostly around $15. The problem is, they aren’t based on the M44-7 or similar M44-G stylus. Instead, they’re based on the M44C, which as Mojaxx puts it, is “aimed at jukeboxes.”

Jico’s replacement styli have surprised him, though. Handmade in Japan, the N44-7 and N44-G are “on a different level from your regular, generic replacements

Watch Mo’s review above.

Related: Resurrect Your Broken Ortofon Concorde Cartridge