Thoughts and Non Thoughts

I got this Jico N44G stylus a few years ago but didn’t get to use them until now. It’s the bonded tip version before Jico stopped making them, costing around $35 at the time. For a conical tip, it sounds pretty detailed and well balanced across the frequency range. It has the Shure warmth and weighty yet agile bottom. I find loading at low capacitance brings out the higher frequencies to my liking. Jico now offers the “nude” version of this stylus at a much higher price ($113). A new “SD” (synthetic diamond) model is also available ($60) that claims to equal the performance of the bonded stylus (apparently discontinued due to difficulty in sourcing the bonded tips).  I am thoroughly enjoying the sweet nature of this stylus (mounted on a M55e body). I think its 6 mv output is just right for my phono stage too. Truly a gem, now out of hiding.

 January 25-28, 2024. Glorietta Mall, Makati

Back on rotation with the AT VM95E and the Nagaoka MP-110 on the Technics SL1200 mk2. The DV20XL is on a different level. Detailed but refined. Agile yet weighty bass.  Kei’s Song (David Benoit) never sounded this good.

  A little past midnight. Amidst the fireworks, the moon still shines.

I used to buy a 14-day SIM from T-Mobile when I travel to the US. It provides a US number with practically unlimited calls/texts and data (within the US). Useful when calling US numbers or using phone apps on the go. I did encounter spotty signals for both calls and data, depending on the location. Last September I opted to avail of the Globe roaming service instead - the Roam Surf 399 valid for 24 hours. Then before it expired, I subscribed to the ‘Roam Surf Longer Stay’ for a lower daily rate over a longer period. It comes out to almost the same cost as a US traveller SIM and you don't have to switch mobile numbers or SIMs. This is for data surfing only, not for cellular calls or messages -- but I found it more useful since I use messaging apps (ie, Viber or Messenger) for communicating with both US-based and Philippine contacts. It is also a must-have for mobile apps like Uber, Waze, or for surfing the net. No problems at all with connectivity. At home or in the hotel, one can s...

Lots of reviews praising this little device. To me it’s a real winner. Excellent integration with streaming services like Spotify and Tidal, it has a very user-friendly app. Most of all it sounds great, a giant upgrade from my laptop. Connected via toslink to the MF V-DAC at 24/96 resolution, it plays CD quality or higher. Music on demand the way it was supposed to be -- convenient while sounding great.

  There are many reviews of the VM95 series of Audio-Technica cartridges, many of them positive, even effusive . I have been biased by the description of AT carts as "bright-sounding" hence have avoided them as my system/room tends to be unforgiving of bright playback. Having finally tried the green AT-VM95E elliptical, I must say that this is not a bright cart, actually falling into the warm side of neutral.  Quiet a well-balanced sound. I won't repeat all the reviews, but one thing that impressed me immediately was the relatively quiet background (coming from a Shure M55E with Jico stylus). Compared to the Shure, the AT is less mid-forward and more extended in the higher frequencies. The VM95 cartridge has a practical advantage -- one can easily swap the stylus to any of the other models, from the conical VM95C all the way to microline VM95ML and shibata VM95SH models. It was a matter of seconds to switch to the blue VM95C.  The conical is more rounded at the lower...