How are you playing your precious MONO Vinyl?

I have a dual tonearm, dual cartridge setup for stereo/mono playback. Stereo cartridge is a Lyra Atlas Lambda SL and the mono is a Lyra Atlas Lambda Mono, so essentially stereo and mono versions of the exact same cartridge. Both are mounted on identical tonearms (Clearaudio 12" Universal), and I use a dual phono input Boulder 1108  phono-stage.

This allows me to make a rather equivalent comparison. Playing a mono record using the stereo cartridge and phono-stage mono button engaged sounds great. However, it’s nothing like playing using the dedicated mono cartridge. The latter has a lower noise floor, is more dynamic, more detail, and has vastly improved realism and dimensionality.

[this based on info from the Altas Mono manual]
On mono records, the vertical axis of the groove contains no musical information, but it will frequently have noise, in the form of groove damage and dirt. A true mono cartridge is completely insensitive to the axis, which greatly improves the signal/noise ratio. This is one of the largest benefits to using a mono cartridge and why it sounds so much better than using a stereo cartridge with the mono button engaged on the preamp/phono-stage.

@dwette 

Thanks for sharing. I recognize and understand that a Mono cart should offer a better experience over a stereo cart with Mono switch engaged on your phono. 

My query was more about, whether a purpose built phono like EQ-100 would offer a superior experience over a phono with mono switch. In any case, it’s good to know that a standard phono stage with proper mono summing might get you 90% there….

Once it’s all setup, It will be interesting to hear the recently released 1964 Beatles (Mono) Vinyl set and handful of other classics from that era. 

it’s good to know that a standard phono stage with proper mono summing might get you 90% there

I wouldn’t say that is so. The difference using a true mono cartridge is a lot more substantial. Offhand, I would say using mono summing at the phono-stage or preamp with a stereo cartridge gets you more like 70% there, at the most. At least that’s how I would compare the difference in my setup, where I can try it both ways with nearly identical setups for each.

If you’re using a stereo cartridge, I don’t see how a mono phono-stage would matter, versus summing the mono with a switch on a stereo phono-stage (or at the preamp). The real difference for mono playback is in the mono cartridge itself.

I guess it’s something you have to experience before it sinks in. It’s pretty amazing how much better a true mono cartridge can be, especially with well recorded/mastered albums (like some of the Tone Poet reissues).
 

The OP will be using a mono cartridge.  The query is about whether a dedicated mono phono stage would be superior using the mono cartridge to a stereo phono stage using a mono switch  with a mono cartridge.

Bill