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A new player in the quality Mono cartridge game

For awhile there, if you wanted a mono cart to get the most out your new mono Beatles collection, other mono reissues, or vintage mono LPs, there were the budget offerings from Grado, a big price gap, and then the more expensive good stuff. The elliptical mono Grado goes for around $150.

But now the Audio Technica AT MONO3/LP, a HOMC, is available in the US. The link goes to the official importer, LpGear, who prices this $299.99 cart at $189.99. However, I also found that this cart is available from Amazon for $112.65. Worried that the unofficial import puts your purchase at risk? For a mere $12 extra you can buy a 2-year protection warranty.

I ordered mine via Amazon Prime on Sat. Oct. 24 and it arrived today.

This thing is NICE! 1.2mV output, which is plenty, conical stylus (don't know if it's nude or not, but it *sounds* nude), tracking force range 1.5-2.5g. I'm breaking mine in at around 2g.

Even fresh out of the box, this cart's a revelation. I started with "Within You Without You" from the new Beatles Mono vinyl reissue. It's really something when you play a mono record with a cartridge that produces no signal in the vertical plane. The noise floor drops down to the indiscernible. In fact, even cueing the needle makes very little sound thru the speakers.

Everything on Sgt. Pepper's sounded richer, lusher, more distinct, more dynamic, with great treble extension and no hint of sibilance. I followed it with Analogue Productions' 3-LP 45 rpm remaster of Nat King Cole's "After Midnight." Fan-TASTIC! I thought Nat was in the room before, but the dynamics, transparency, and truth-in-timbre reached a height I hadn't heard on my rig up to now.

I finished my mini-audition with a *real* mono record, an original mono Columbia Masterworks pressing of "Grand Canyon Suite" performed by Eugene Ormandy and The Phily Phil. Again, smoother, quieter, more dynamics. It showed its age a little bit, but I think I could bring this 55-yr-old record close to the reissues with a steam cleaning. Even without it it was very satisfying.

Folks, if you have nothing but the new Beatles mono reissues and have an easy way to switch cartridges or set up a mono rig, this cart is so worth it.

Right now I have around 13 Beatles mono LPs, two Beach Boys reissues, the Nat King Cole, some old Columbia Masterworks and shaded dog Orthophonics, mono reissues of Prestige and Miles Davis LPs, and some mono pressings of '60s pop.

I'm thinking of separating all my mono vinyl into its own shelf so--when I mount the AT Mono3 LP--I don't have to sort through my entire collection to play the compatible LPs.

BTW, if you decide to go after this cartridge, make sure you get the AT MONO3/LP cartridge, which is for mono LPS, and *NOT* the AT MONO3/SP cartridge, which is for 78s.
johnnyb53

Showing 13 responses by fleib

fleib
1,124 posts
 
Whoa, I lost track of this thread and there's some misinformation here.
*Modern mono pressings are pressed like stereo pressings--horizontal modulations for one channel, vertical modulations for the other channel.*

Modern mono pressings are microgroove with groove walls at 45°. Unlike a stereo pressing, each groove wall is a mirror image of the other.
With this in mind it's easy to see the advantage a mono cart has in playing such records. With a stereo cart there are output differences between channels which should be identical playing a mono record. A mono switch will blend these differences, not eliminate them. Any alignment, azimuth, anti-skate etc. imbalance will smear the signal.

Elimination of vertical noise is a great advantage with a mono cart as Johnnyb says. This can be dramatic with some older or beat up records. For microgroove mono you will have a similar advantage with advanced profile tips as with stereo. Ortofon, Lyra, Soundsmith make some mono carts with extended contact tips.

Conventional MM/MI, manipulate the connection of the coils to eliminate vertical output. MCs do so with the orientation of the coils and armature. According to AT, the MONO3 and 33 have identical construction style which results in 30dB of vertical rejection @ 1KHz.
AFAIK AT never made a mono MM.

The microgroove was invented in 1948 and adopted mostly through the '50s. Pre microgroove pressings from the early '50s or before might sound better with a 1 mil stylus. LpGear still has the Ortofon OM D25M with 1 mil tip. I've never used it, but Ortofon has it listed in their historical data as lateral output. You might be able to use other OM styli as well.
fleib
1,124 posts
 
Lewm,
I wasn't quoting you. I was quoting Johnny, and that was about the construction of a mono microgroove. However, your contention that a modern mono cartridge is a stereo cart with the channels bridged, is incorrect.

I can see how you might think that with a MM/MI type and vertical rejection might not be perfect, but it is significant. A MM/MI uses a magnetic field which effects the pole pieces/coils. The magnet(s) move in direct response to the cantilever. Vertical cantilever movements corresponding field is cancelled by manipulating the coil connections.

2 coils connected in parallel - total inductance like parallel resistors.
2 equal tightly coupled coils - the total inductance is close to that of each single coil. If the polarity of one coil is reversed, total inductance is near zero.

The AT mono MCs have a horizontal coil. In theory output is horizontal. In reality spec is 30dB vert rej @ 1K.
Scroll down here for mono explanation:
http://ortofon.com/hifi/products/mono-series

Regards,

fleib
1,124 posts
 
Lew, I suspect a mono MM/MI does not have better vertical rejection than a mono MC. This is due to relying on the magnetic field for determining cantilever direction, but this is a guess. How they work is confusing and that's why I tried to describe it in general terms. I haven't seen a vertical rejection spec for a mono MM/MI, not from Ortofon or anyone else.

I estimate the vertical rejection at 1kHz, when you deploy the mono switch on a preamplifier whilst playing a mono LP with a stereo cartridge, is near zero, or very low. Most of my mono records are like yours, in good shape or Japanese reissues. I'm just getting into vintage mono, but the mono switch w/stereo cart did almost nothing to render a noisy copy listenable. Maybe Johnny can quantify that better.

Did you read my (neobop) post on Asylum mono thread? I'm not refuting theory. I'm stating fact. No doubt you would find new enjoyment with your mono records and appropriate cart. Considering your equipment, I guess your choice would be between detail and romance.
Happy listening,
fleib
1,124 posts
 
The mono switch on most preamps will function with any source, not just phono. In one of those links they were talking about some separate phono stages which include a mono switch. If you try to duplicate this with Y adaptors there are impedance/load considerations which could alter the sound, depending on where you combine/split channels.

Most of my listening is with a preamp w/o mono switch or with a passive preamp. I tried Y adaptors both on the phono signal going into the preamp, and on the preamp output. Both of these approaches were unsatisfactory. SQ was degraded to the extent that any noise reduction didn't matter. I didn't think to try it in a tape monitor loop. Also, I used solid body Y adaptors w/Teflon or nylon insulation.

I also have an old Mitsubishi tuner-preamp with a great sounding tuner which I use on a second system. It has a mono switch. This is where the mono switch did not provide adequate noise reduction with a stereo cart playing a compromised mono record. For the price of the MONO3, trying one was a no-brainer. A beat-up copy of Mozart Requiem, formerly unlistenable had noise reduced about 95%. It was astounding. SQ was still imperfect. This is an old wide groove pressing and I think the tip was bottoming out in-groove. This is where you need a 1 mil tip.

Although it seems that all microgroove mono pressings sound much better with this cart, it occurs to me that my direct comparisons to a stereo cart + mono switch, are limited.
Perhaps someone else made similar comparisons?

I went to a thrift store and bought some old mono records which looked to be in decent shape. I wouldn't have considered them with stereo pressings. Results should be interesting.
fleib
1,124 posts
 
Lew,
I'll try the mono switch again. It did help, but not like a mono cart.
Something to consider - there is always a difference between channels with a stereo cart. Any small azimuth difference will contribute, as will skating. There is no perfect anti-skating setting. Skating varies with groove velocity and offset angle. Except for 2 null points on the record, there is always a phase difference between channels w/pivoting arm.

These differences are combined with a mono switch and eliminated with a mono cart. I'll dig out that Mozart record, clean some thrift store finds and test the mono switch again.
Regards,
fleib
1,124 posts
 
Lew,
I tried the test again, with a Victor Z-1E cart going into the Mitsu. I cleaned the Mozart again and it wasn't nearly as noisy. Maybe the stylus mucked out the groove? Results were not as dramatic. The mono switch took care of most clicks/pops. I also played a couple of sides of Lee Morgan Vol 3, and Brownie Eyes, both "modern" pressings in good shape.

In all cases the MONO3 had a superior presentation, more natural sounding, like as the recording was intended. The Z-1 had superior resolution on the reissues. It sounded crappy on Mozart, grainy and hard to take, where the MONO was far better, but still substandard.

Considering your collection, I think it will require a very good mono cart to fit in.
Regards,
fleib
1,124 posts
 
A true mono cart is one with no vertical compliance. Such carts usually track at more than 3g. Tip size is another factor. A 1 mil tip can be used on a stereo record, but I wouldn't want one tracking with excessive weight. For a discussion of this, here's a VE thread. Poster Guest, is Luckydog:
http://www.vinylengine.com/turntable_forum/viewtopic.php?f=19&t=48089

From AT:
The AT33Mono is made specifically for use on mono systems. It has a horizontal coil, and so in principle only generates electricity horizontally.

The AT33Mono produces sound to a very high quality because it does not easily pick up unnecessary strain components from distorted or scratched records, producing audio that you couldn't possibly get from a stereo cartridge.

The AT33Mono also has appropriate compliance in the vertical direction, so will not cause damage to stereo records. Enjoy those well-known classic mono records of yesteryear with the AT33Mono.

That does not sound like bridged channels to me. Even MMs with mono output are not bridged (strapped or parallel connection). The coils are connected in in such a way to cancel most vertical cantilever movement. As long as a cart, either MC or MM, has vertical compliance, vertical rejection will be imperfect. Nevertheless, Ortofon is correct about using a stereo cart on a mono record. A mono switch cancels 30dB of vert noise on a mono record, but can not correct stereo differences described.

Even the Miyajima Zero has some vertical compliance, it's very little and not designed to play a stereo LP.
fleib
1,124 posts
 
If a cart has vertical compliance it is not tracking only horizontally. The question is, the how and why of vertical rejection. Does the cart actually avoid the pitfalls of a stereo cart + mono switch as described in their literature?

They repeatedly refer to their mono offerings as "true mono". If a cart has stereo coils hooked up internally to reject vertical cantilever motion output, can or will it also avoid said pitfalls?
fleib
1,124 posts
 

The Miyajima Zero is a scary cart. My mono reissues (many Japanese) are irreplaceable.  That cart tracks at 3.5g (4g max) with a spherical tip and will tear up a stereo groove.  Seems like a bad idea.  Wonder how many hours till the tip wears out.

I'd be more inclined to check out a Lyra or a Cadenza Mono w/fine line.

Switch from accurate to romantic just for mono?

fleib
1,124 posts
 

Lew,

Accidents happen. Go to Miyajima site and read -
The cartridge of the vertical axis concentration method plays only a monaural LP. It cannot play a stereo LP with this cartridge.

When it played a stereo LP with this cartridge, a sound is that a distortion and a needle do not work lengthwise, and there is the thing that a needle injures the ditch of the LP. 

What does injure the ditch of the LP mean?  The reviewer is a dumbass.

I was talking about tip wear. We already know a Zero will tear up a stereo groove.  How many hours will you get from a spherical tracking at 3.5g ?  I guess it depends on diamond quality and polish.

I think any MM/MI type you look at is going to use stereo coils connected in such a way to cancel vertical output.  MCs like the 33MONO  only have a horizontal coil, but vertical compliance. 

I'd think with your mono collection you'd want a tip with a more advanced profile. The Cadenza mono has a fine line and is less expensive than a Zero. Can't say I've heard it, but my MONO3 has a nice presentation but lacks some resolution compared to better stereo carts.

Regards,

fleib
1,124 posts
 

Johnnyb,

No argument. The presentation is definitely better. It's as if you're hearing the recording as it was meant to be heard. Like me, only more so, Lew has a number of acoustic jazz discs in mono. My comments are made with that in mind.

Given our situation and the fact that Lew has some fabulous equipment, do you think a MONO3 or 33 would compete with a Kleos mono or Cadenza mono?  I can't say for sure, but I kind of doubt it.

It seems like all the Japanese companies only use spherical tips on their mono carts. Until recently there probably wasn't much demand for mono carts, but I'd like similar detail as your ML tip affords in stereo. 

When my MONO3 tip wears out I'll have it replaced with a more advanced one. Maybe a HOMC is a good idea here because response can be tailored with load resistance. In the mean time I am enjoying the cart, but I can't help thinking of what it might sound like with an LC or whatever. Perhaps a 33 with another tip would be a killer?

Regards,


fleib
1,124 posts
 

If we're talking microgroove - reissues, mid '50s or later (my assumption), then a mono record is no different in that respect than a stereo LP.  You're making this more mysterious than it is.  I've given you this Ortofon link before:

http://ortofon.com/hifi/products/mono-series

Spherical styli were the most commonly used geometry up to the beginning of the 1960s. Consequently, most records from the first 15 years of microgroove records have been played with a spherical stylus. This will not, however, mean that mono has to be played with a spherical stylus. In fact, elliptical types as well as line contact types can be highly beneficial for mono records from the mid 1950s and upwards (see figures below). The line contact types, specifically, will ensure an improved high frequency response due to the slim shape. Also the distortion from the pinching effect, which occurs when the stylus is pushed upwards due narrow high frequency grooves, will be reduced substantially.

Replaying an old mono record, which probably has been played only with a 25µm spherical stylus can be replayed in a different unworn location of the groove by using an 18µm spherical stylus or, even better, an elliptical or line contact stylus. Choosing one of these diamond profiles will dramatically increase the stylus’ ability to reproduce the inscription with detail and accuracy.

Regards,

fleib
1,124 posts
 

Lew,

I plainly said the reviewer is a dumb ass, whoever that might have been. I'm going by what you said, not having read the review myself. The Zero will damage a stereo groove or they wouldn't have put that caveat on their site.  The cart does have some vertical compliance, 10cu, but is only designed for lateral movement. 

I believe the AT mono carts have .65 mil tips. Close enough.  Of course you can play a mono or stereo LP with a spherical. People do it all the time with a DL102 or 103 and numerous inexpensive carts.  I assume you would want detail with mono records as with your stereo ones. Do you listen to your stereo records with a spherical tip? 

The smaller minor radius of a more advanced tip profile will give you more information in mono, just as it does in stereo. I can hear loss of detail, especially in harmonic content, in comparison to my stereo carts with advanced tips. The mono cart has a better presentation with mono records and spatial clues are improved. Sometimes things are revealed in the mix which are not noticed before, but for detail, it's like listening to a stereo record with a spherical tipped cart. 

Regards,



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