Cartridges — JICO Clipper-S

Produced in Japan as part of the JICO C-REVO series, the Clipper-S is an MM pickup delivered pre-mounted in an angled headshell for turntables with straight tonearms. It is a version of the JICO Clipper, which was designed for curved arms, and it keeps the same generator and stylus while changing the geometry of the headshell. JICO lists it at USD 500, and the UK price is GBP 399.95.

Key specs that matter

Output voltage is 5.0 to 8.0 mV, and the frequency range runs from 20 Hz to 20 kHz. Compliance is given as 4.6 in the lateral plane and 5.1 in the vertical plane, and the recommended tracking force is 2.0 g within a tolerance of 0.2 g. Channel separation is 20 dB at 1 kHz, and the load resistance is 47 kohm. Its weight is about 13.4 g, against 16.7 g for the curved-arm Clipper. DC resistance is 1.38 kohm and channel balance is within 1.5 dB. The headshell is a universal type for a standard 12.7 mm mount, held by stainless steel screws.

Engineering and use context

The cantilever is aluminium in the JICO original tapered S shape, thinner towards the stylus end to lower the mass that has to move with the groove. The tip is a solid natural diamond of conical profile with a 0.12 mm diameter and a size of 0.7 mil. A straight tonearm needs the cartridge to be turned at an offset angle to reach correct alignment, and the angled headshell of the Clipper-S builds in that offset so the stylus sits at the proper geometry without a curved arm tube. The body is moulded from UVCRM, an ultraviolet curable resin mixture. The stock stylus is rated for 200 hours of play. As on the Clipper, the stylus assembly follows the Shure 44 layout, so the owner can later swap in other needles of that series, which JICO also produces with different tip shapes, or fit the dedicated Clipper stylus, the CRCP/MK1, which costs USD 135 or GBP 109.95 on its own. Because the tip can be exchanged, the body outlives the rated stylus life. The model appeared in the UK in October 2025.

Pairing

The Clipper-S is intended for straight-arm turntables whose tonearms accept a detachable headshell. Its output level suits any ordinary moving-magnet phono stage without a step-up transformer, and a medium-mass arm fits the compliance figures. The light assembly weight helps arms with a limited counterweight range reach balance.

Alternatives

The JICO Clipper uses the same tapered S cantilever and conical diamond in a headshell shaped for curved tonearms.