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How are you playing your precious MONO Vinyl?

I am about to invest in MONO Vinyl playback setup.

The goal -  pure, undiluted music straight down the center. 

The plan - dedicated 2nd tonearm + mono cartridge + phono

After 6 long months of waiting, my Woodsong plinth with dual arm boards schedule to arrive next month. 

I came across a product that peaked my interest. The Monaural Phono Amplifier - Aurorasound EQ-100. No reviews, so I am wondering if anyone tried it yet? 

⬆️ Is EQ-100 or something similar, absolute necessary from a purist perspective or should I take the pragmatic path and use the ‘Mono’ switch on my Integrated with a built in phono?

There are ofcourse pros and cons to both approaches so I am seeking advice from folks who have  compared  both options or adopted another alternative in their vinyl setup. 

Thank you for your time! 

lalitk
lewm
13,538 posts
 

Elliot, You wrote,

"Everyone, 

the Aurorasound EQ-100 is uniquely different, from the manual:

"When a stereo cartridge is used, any vertical signal on a record is cancelled by an internal circuit of EQ-100. Only the R+L horizontal signal are detected to assure a superior sound stage with less noise."

Cancelling any vertical input seems to me FAR better than producing the noise and then summing the noise in both channels, that is my biggest objection and what I referred to as MUD on top of the Mono Content (Dual Mud?)."

First, the long sentence about how the Aurora works can be applied to any stereo preamplifier when the mono switch is activated. That is what they all do, and that is why HF noise from the LP surface irregularities is reduced, not enhanced, compared to playing a mono LP in stereo mode with a stereo cartridge.  Then in your second paragraph you revert back to this idea of "summing". Just forget it. It's a semantic twister. None of this is to say that I disagree with your contention that using a mono cartridge is superior to using a stereo cartridge plus mono switch. I am in no position to disagree, because I don't use a mono cartridge at all.  Although I do own a Shelter mono cartridge that has been sitting in a box for about 5 years.

For you guys who do use a mono cartridge to feed a stereo phono stage, consider that the two channels of your phono are unlikely to be absolutely identical in all measurable aspects of their performance. Thus the output from one channel may differ very slightly from that of the other channel, thus introducing, say, phase differences or slight differences in distortion or frequency response. Thus there could be an audible difference possibly between activating the mono switch and not activating it. And results might differ from one system to another, particularly because humans are reporting on what they hear. Nevertheless, I urge those of you with mono cartridges to try it both ways, mono switch on vs mono switch off, and report back.

elliottbnewcombjr
5,824 posts
 

note that Most (not all) Mono Cartridges' compliance material is designed to RESTRICT vertical movement.

from Audio Technica,

"Generally speaking, it is possible to play a mono LP using a stereo phono cartridge, but if it is a true mono record, better performance can be obtained by using a true mono cartridge. So, what defines a true mono record? Vinyl records can be either mono or stereo and each differs greatly in the way that it is recorded and cut. Cutting refers to the mechanical process of imprinting the recorded signal into the record surface. A heated cutting stylus literally cuts the signal into the soft surface of a lacquer-coated blank disc from which vinyl copies will ultimately be made. True mono records are cut laterally: The cutting stylus moves from side to side, cutting the same signal in both record groove walls. We refer to this as horizontal modulation. The playback stylus, therefore, requires compliance (movement) in the horizontal direction only. By contrast, stereo records are cut in both lateral and vertical directions. The cutting stylus moves not only from side to side but up and down as well, therefore the stereo playback stylus requires compliance in both directions.

A stereo cartridge will never quite faithfully reproduce the true mono signal accurately because it is not restricted to horizontal compliance only. Some phase and tracking errors will exist. Additionally, there will be some amount of cross talk between the cartridge’s independent left and right channels. A true mono cartridge eliminates these problems by producing only one signal and distributing the signal to both channels equally; the signal appearing in the left and right channels will be identical. This arrangement produces a sound that is more focused (centred) and has more weight (punch). An additional benefit of the design is that of surface noise reduction. When the same exact signal is reproduced at the same time by two speakers, the signal-to-noise ratio is improved.

Note: A mono cartridge should not be used to play back a stereo LP record unless it is specifically stated that the cartridge has appropriate compliance in the vertical direction. Our AT33MONO moving coil cartridge is one such cartridge.

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random finds re: Mono Switch might improve even when using a true mono cartridge

Below from Ortofon's mono cartridge page ...



Advantages of using a mono cartridge to play mono records
If you play a mono record with a stereo cartridge you will not achieve the same signal in the two channels due to imperfections such as crosstalk, noise, phase errors, tracking error, antiskating and distortion. This difference between the channels will result in an unstable and partially fuzzy image. A mono switch, to some extent, can improve this.

Playing the same record with a mono cartridge will have none of the aforementioned problems, as this cartridge only produces one signal, which afterwards is directed to both channels in the system. This will provide a much more forceful and stable image with a fuller sound.

Another significant advantage of using a mono cartridge to play mono records is the absence of response to vertical movement. This means that a mono cartridge is essentially impervious to the pinching effect which comes into action when the stylus is pushed vertically upward in very narrow grooves. In addition, the response to dust, dirt and wear will be reduced substantially as the vertical component will not be heard. The final result will be a much more clean and noiseless reproduction of the mono record. These effects simply cannot be achieved merely by the use of a mono switch.
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https://michaelfidler.com/articles/phono-stage-mono-switching/

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because a stereo cartridge has no choice but respond in both planes, anything internally that causes phase shifts or differences in inductance and capacitance will affect the output when summed.

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On a mono Lp the only things in the vertical plane are noise and distortion.

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look for Graham Slee's comments here

https://www.hifisystemcomponents.com/forum/mono-switch_topic4830.html

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Note that you really only need a mono switch for LPs made before 1968 or so. Mono records made after that are cut with a stereo lathe.

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viridian's avatar
viridian
5,217 posts
 

https://www.whatsbestforum.com/threads/how-are-you-playing-your-precious-mono-vinyl.40759/#post-1049552

dwette
282 posts
 

@elliottbnewcombjr 

Note that you really only need a mono switch for LPs made before 1968 or so. Mono records made after that are cut with a stereo lathe.

That’s correct but not 100% correct. When mono records are cut with a stereo lathe, the cutting head is reconfigured for cutting mono. It’s not quite the same thing as cutting stereo. Kevin Gray has explained that in one of his interviews or white papers (I can’t remember which).

Use a mono switch for mono records cut since the mid-60s too. It can improve the sound and reduce noise.

lalitk's avatar
lalitk OP
5,654 posts
 

Thank you all for your feedback. Lot of good advice / information here for anyone looking to dip their toes into mono playback. For clarity, I do not intend to play mono vinyl with a stereo cart or swap headshell’s. I want my mono playback setup as ‘set it and forget it’. 

And I do not own any pre RIAA mono Vinyl yet but still remain curious to hear back from anyone have a direct experience with EQ-100. I think it’s an interesting product with really cool retro design. 

@elliottbnewcombjr 

RE: Woodsong plinth…not sure what kind of feet I’ll get with my plinth. Chris assured me his best work to date so I am really looking forward to experiencing the final product. 

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