How are you playing your precious MONO Vinyl?

I believe most records from 1955 on use RIAA. My phono-stage has additional equalization settings for EMI, Columbia and FFRR (Decca) but I don't have any records (mono or otherwise) that were mastered with those curves. The 1950s OGs I have already use RIAA.

dogberry

that ’damage’ comment was from AI, sorry I reposted it.

It is true that an advanced stylus shape with much larger contact area makes less wear (than spherical/elliptical shapes), thus over a lot of plays (unlikely with a large collection), increased wear will occur using either a conical or elliptical shape, due to both less contact area and typically higher tracking force.

Wear is normal, I would not use the word ’damage’ for wear, even though I prefer light tracking linear stylus shapes (Stereo or Mono) (1.0g; 1.25g) because of the reduced wear while hearing preferred performance.

My previously worn LP’s (mine from High School/recently bought) (played with prior spherical/elliptical stylus shapes) sound both better and quieter when thoroughly cleaned (vigorously scrubbed) and now played with linear contact profiles.

• "from AI: (contains errors):

• "True Mono vs. Stereo Cartridges:

• It’s important to note that a "true mono" cartridge has only two pins, (wrong) while a stereo cartridge has four. Using a stereo cartridge on a mono LP can cause damage to the record. "

.............. Both my true Mono cartridges have 4 pins .......................... 

MI (uses MM Phono Input) Grado ME+ Elliptical

MC AT33PTG/II Mono rebuilt with advanced stylus shape by VAS

My choice of SUT was lucky in every way, it has 3 front selectable inputs for my 3 arms, thus only 1 out to my preamp’s MM Phono In

and it has PASS for my MM and Grado MI, and 4 optional xfactors and resultant impedances for Low Output MC. 

Multiple arms: Choice of Tonearms, Height Adjustment, SUT, solving high/low multiple inputs, I got help with it all here, and my choices turned out to be both good and lucky

I don’t use height adjustment for ’perfect’ SRA/VTA, that’s too fussy for me, I go for the standard ’arm level when stylus down in the groove’, and interchangeable cartridge’s playing heights do vary. I put these levels on the arm, back near the pivot, with a speck of tack, balance them, then add tracking weight .... You can leave it on or off depending on .....

amazon, 10 inexpensive levels to put on Tonearm

SUT Info

Until my 2019 Overhaul, I avoided Low Output MC because they ALL had HUM back when I was younger (ears better then too). This SUT has ZERO HUM, and is not fussy where you put it. I have had it in several locations, now it is under the Plinth, facing right side, near the TT81 motor, facing the preamp and amp. 

I have an SME-309 tonearm  which has a removable headshell. I have both the Orthofon Cadenza Black & the Cadenza Mono on different shells, with the same hardware on my GAE. When spinning mono's, I just change the heads, check the azimuth & toggle the mono switch on my ModWright 9.0.

I have  over 40 mono Lps & counting. 

OP

I looked at the specs of your intended Mono Phono EQ, it is versatile but ’locked in’ to Mono, seems unnecessarily so to me, certainly for my mixed use of 3 arms and ’mostly Stereo, frequently Mono’ which I think is fairly common. I also do not have space for Multiple TT’s, perhaps you do.

I would think it thru, research other options, and consider both Stereo/Mono/removable Headshells/Arm Height/methods of hookup and selection/input limitations because I think I’m done and then along comes Beryllium or an interesting Sapphire Tube Cantilever.

and if I was willing to spend the $, starting fresh I would prefer gain and impedance for LOMC were independent rather than my SUT whereby the impedance is ’resultant’ on the gain choice, i.e. 4 fixed relationships. There are cartridges that would not work well in any of my SUT’s 4 choices (most suts probably).

It has it’s own RIAA, Line Level Out, easy in some respects, however that omits the possibility of using my preamp’s MM Phono stage which I have chosen over every other RIAA phono I have heard here. Actually the mx110z has two identical selectable MM Phono RIAA inputs, and is more limited with only 1 aux line in.

Aurorasound EQ-100

It has two inputs, one must be MC, that’s limiting, AND it has no method of passing on a Stereo Signal, what will you be using for your Stereo Cartridges?

It seems to me a Stereo Pass option would be easy.

I suppose 

OP

Sorry it didn't occur to me, I just took a look at your impressive Stereo LP setups

https://www.audiogon.com/systems/11092

Awesome, carry on, you know what where why far more than I