I play soprano sax exclusively these days, and in the last few years I have owned far too many, including a Rampone and Cazzani R1 Jazz and a Yani 991. Having bought a JP 243 I no longer think it is worth paying the kind of prices that R&C and Yanagisawa charge. The JP 243 is a fully fledged pro horn, and is every bit as consistent from the top to the bottom of its range as any of the other ones I have played. Both the low notes and high speak very easily, and I actually think they do so better than any of the "pro" horns I have played.
Incidentally, the 243 is also better then the Bauhaus soprano I used to own, a horn which is often seen as the main competition to the 243.
I would say it is well worth paying a little extra and going for 243 rather than the 043. The one-piece design is better than having the removable crook, as there is less chance of the octave mechanism being pushed out of true when applying the mouthpiece, and it is just one less thing to go wrong.
Having played both the 043 and the 243, I think it is true that the 243 is a complete redesign, rather than just a tweaking of the budget horn. The keywork is quiet and fast, the tone is fantastic, and I no longer scan eBay "just in case" something nice turns up. Given how often I used to buy and sell saxes, that is probably the greatest compliment I can give.
All in all, I would say that this horn competes with any soprano sax, at any price.
I play it with a Beechler HR 7S or a Vandoren V5 S35.
