JICO

JICO

Also known as: Nippon Precision Jewel Industry

Unclaimed

JICO is a Japanese manufacturer of phonograph styluses and cartridges based in Hyogo Prefecture. The company traces its origins to 1873 as a sewing needle maker and began producing gramophone needles in 1940s, later transitioning to diamond-tipped record styluses in 1966. Today it produces thousands of stylus variants designed to fit cartridges from dozens of turntable brands including Shure, A...

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JICO is a Japanese manufacturer of phonograph styluses and cartridges based in Hyogo Prefecture. The company traces its origins to 1873 as a sewing needle maker and began producing gramophone needles in 1940s, later transitioning to diamond-tipped record styluses in 1966. Today it produces thousands of stylus variants designed to fit cartridges from dozens of turntable brands including Shure, Audio-Technica, Denon, Ortofon, Pioneer, and Sony.

The brand is widely known for its extensive catalog of replacement styluses for long-discontinued cartridges — notably aftermarket replacements for the Shure M44, M97, and V15 series, which have kept vintage cartridges in service long after their originals were retired. Its upper-tier SAS (Super Analog Stylus) line uses a micro-ridge diamond mounted on a boron, sapphire, or ruby cantilever and is aimed at audiophile listeners, while the SETO-HORI cartridge pairs a ceramic body with moving-coil construction.

Alongside the hi-fi range, JICO also produces DJ-oriented styluses and cartridges under lines such as OMNIA and SKRATCH 101, targeting turntablists and club use. Styluses are hand-assembled in the company's Hamasaka workshop by a small team of craftspeople.

JICO has 5 products cataloged on Equipboard, including DJ Accessories.

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