Japanese manufacturer JICO has launched a new moving magnet cartridge, called the Clipper, and it is now available to buy in the UK. The brand has been manufacturing styli and vinyl accessories for decades – such as steel phonograph needles in the 1950s – focusing mainly on stylus replacements, and most recently making replica Shure 44 series cartridges after Shure left the cartridge manufacturing business in 2018.
The Clipper is JICO's first original moving magnet cartridge and includes some distinctive design technologies to stand out from the crowd. It boasts a dual-fit stylus design, which allows vinyl enthusiasts to swap and fit a variety of stylus options. The Clipper MM comes with its own stylus but is also compatible with a variety of different models including the the Shure N44 and JICO N44 styli, and even vintage Shure models. This allows users to upgrade and explore different sound profiles for their turntable system without having to swap out the full cartridge.
The included stylus for the Clipper MM has a solid nude diamond conical tip that measures 0.7mil with a tip diameter of 0.12mm, and "tracks grooves with exceptional clarity, delivering the smallest details from your vinyl records for a smooth and balanced sound", says JICO.
The Clipper MM also features a unique tapered S cantilever design, which claims to reduce the tip mass in favour of "exceptional vibration fidelity" and promises to deliver greater tracking precision and a dynamic, punchy sound.
The body is made of a glossy black resin and features Clipper’s ApexGlide headshell finger-lift, which gives it a distinctive look that is reminiscent of an airliner's tail fin. This aviation connection is deliberate, as JICO has named its debut cartridge after Pan Am Airways' business class seating, which was called 'Clipper Class' in the 1970s. The brand says: "We chose the name Clipper to convey that this product offers a slightly higher-quality model compared to standard, mass-market MM cartridges."
Available now, the JICO Clipper MM cartridge costs £399.95 / $500 with its original included stylus, while the CRCP/MK1 replacement stylus costs £109.95 / $135. You're not short of great cartridge options at this price, from the Award-winning Nagaoka MP-200 MM to the five-star Ortofon Quintet Blue MC, so the Clipper is in good (and competitive) company.
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