JICO

JICO is well-known in audiophile circles for high-quality reproductions of record player needles. But who is behind the company JICO, and how good are their products really? Here is some information about JICO.

JICO is a Japanese company with a long tradition. The headquarters is located in the small town of Hamasaka, just a few minutes’ walk from the Sea of Japan, about 200 km from larger cities like Osaka and Kobe. The “Nakakawa Needle Factory” was founded in 1873 by Ichihara Soubei, initially to produce sewing needles for kimonos. At that time, it was difficult to obtain such needles from a greater distance, especially due to limited infrastructure and harsh winters. Therefore, the necessary work materials and tools were developed and manufactured in-house. This extensive knowledge of materials and processing techniques grew steadily. Even today, JICO follows this tradition and manufactures everything itself as much as possible, except for the raw materials.

Milestones:

• 1949: Start of production and sales of steel record needles
• 1964: Start of production of stylus tips with gemstones
• 1993: Start of development and production of diamonds and dressers
• 2004: Start of overseas distribution
• 2008: Introduction of needle repair service via the Internet
• 2010: Application for approval under the SME Management Innovation Support Act
• 2015: First exhibition of record needles and accessories at “HIGH END 2015” in Munich
• 2018: Opening of the branch in Shirokanedai, Minato-ku, Tokyo
• 2018: Distribution through MrStylus –> to the shop area <–

JICO now offers various quality ranges: “good reproductions”, “mostly better than other manufacturers” with special cuts, and the renowned “SAS series”.

“good reproductions”
There are many manufacturers of replacement needles, but only a few offer high quality. A Swiss manufacturer and JICO are leading here. Swiss products are often comparable or even superior and often cheaper due to their proximity to the European market. For this reason, we only carry needles from this quality range in our shop if our Swiss manufacturer does not offer something comparable or the JICO needle is actually better.

“mostly better than other manufacturers”
For music enthusiasts with special demands, JICO offers needles with special cuts, such as the hyperelliptical or Shibata cut for 4-channel technology, which are manufactured in similar or even better quality than the original needles. These needles are ideal for Van-den-Hul listeners, Microline-cut enthusiasts, or hyperelliptical fans looking for suitable replacement needles.

“SD Series”
The latest generation of stylus needles with synthetic ‘nude diamonds’ (SD = Synthetic Diamond) from JICO offers sonic and technical reproducibility without the usual variations of diamond, while possessing the same hardness and durability. Nude diamonds provide the advantage of more direct signal transmission, as they are mounted without an additional bonding layer, leading to more precise sound reproduction. Although we have not been able to test all available SD needles yet, our initial listening experiences have been consistently very positive.

“SAS Series”
The SAS series from JICO stands for absolute high-end. These needles are characterized by their elaborate manufacturing process and the use of high-quality materials such as boron or sapphire. Each component, from the body to the needle suspension to the types of cuts, is made with the utmost precision to ensure optimized vibration behavior. Although manufacturing is time-consuming and expensive, these needles are worth every cent for corresponding hi-fi equipment.

JICO offers a wide range of high-quality replacement needles, from solid “good reproductions” to special cuts that are mostly better than those of other manufacturers, to the high-end needles of the SAS series. These products offer the right solution for various needs and are available in our shop.

Note: You can find the products listed below in our shop.