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Vinyl revival puts 150-year-old Japanese needle maker in the groove

Jico offers thousands of models to audiophiles in 100 countries

Small-town Japanese manufacturer Jico carries around 2,200 kinds of record needles. (Photo by Takahisa Tamura)

KOBE, Japan -- Finicky music lovers are everywhere. With deep faith in analog sounds, audiophiles across the world have been ordering hundreds of record needles a month from a manufacturer in a quiet Sea of Japan town.

The rising sales have enabled a comeback for Nippon Precision Jewel Industry, a once-struggling needle maker dating back nearly 150 years.

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