How are you playing your precious MONO Vinyl?

 

lalitk OP

1st: is it a True Mono Cartridge? Always ask that. No signal generated by vertical motion is what you want.

next: what stylus profile shape?

then the cantilever material? because good mono can be VERY Dynamic

tracking force? (a lot has to be right to track lightly and get excellent measurements).

the combination of light tracking with large contact area of advanced stylus shapes is my preference, which has both longer stylus life and less wear to the grooves. Stereo or Mono

last: tech talk/achieved results/specifications, my copper is better than your copper

cartridges, SUT, cameras, at first I want to run from the technical crap, but after a while, it’s not that complicated, I’m a college graduate for god’s sake (art school) .....

Of your choices, two are conical, no way would I consider them, the Grado ME+ is elliptical, Ortofon Quintet Mono is Elliptical, both on aluminum, Ortofon a lot more $ 

I would definitely go for an advanced stylus profile for your system

Hana is Shibata on tapered aluminum

https://www.hanacartridges.com/products/hana-sl-mono-mk-ii 

Ortofon 2M Mono SE VERSION is Shibata (the basic Ortofon 2M Mono is conical)

https://ortofon.com/products/stylus-2m-mono-se

My AT33 Mono, I like MC technology and the tech, but not like the aluminum cantilever or conical tip,

which is why I searched for a broken one, and had VAS rebuild with boron/microridge (nowhere available to purchase).

Yahoo Auctions $40. including Aledo fees/bank fees/shipping in Japan. Air shipping to usa $30 (should have chosen surface ship). VAS $400. total $470. plus 2 round trips 35 min each way, gas and tolls, I call it $600. total. It sounds awesome!

One of my used AT160ml was also Yahoo Auction, win auction cost $160.,

aledo fees/bank fee/ship in Japan to Aleado. ship to usa: $63, total $223.

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I’m a bargain hunter and willing to take risk, you win/you lose: I may lose -$250. on the tonearm I bought from Germany that had to be rewired, time will tell, seller is stalling. Or, it’s total price will be $404. incl customs and shipping to usa + $250  VAS rewire = $654. I’m not crying or giving up yet. My search: the only arm that fits in that location with a removable headshell

 

 

The only mono's I have are reissues which are all lacquered with modern stereo heads these days. I simply use my stereo micro line cartridge and throw the mono switch on my phono preamp and I'm golden. No muss no fuss!  

@faustuss  mono records have been cut with stereo heads since the mid-60s, but they are reconfigured to cut a mono signal, so it's not the same thing. Using a true mono cartridge makes a big difference even with the reissues. They are cut true mono, with the signal in the horizontal grove and nothing but noise/distortion in the vertical part. A true mono cartridge ignores that vertical part to improve signal/noise ratio.

It works fine to use a stereo cartridge with the mono switch engaged, but it still isn't the same as using a mono cartridge, even for modern reissues.

anyone like the idea of MC at33 mono rebuilt with new boron cantilever/new microridge stylus?

here's one on Yahoo Auctions, 20 hours left, with OEM used conical on aluminum. (I bought mine with a broken cantilever)

https://yahoo.aleado.com/lot?auctionID=v1184076322

 

Allow about +$65. extra for Yahoo Auction costs  

have VAS put a new microridge on boron cantilever for +$400.

A totally unique and unavailable combo that sounds awesome!

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If you don't know how Yahoo Auctions work:

Aleado is a bidding agent, you open an account with them and pre-deposit enough money ahead of time for them to bid on your behalf.

Like eBay, you put in your maximum, it only bids enough to win, up to your maximum.

Seller ships to Aleado who verifies that it is what the seller says it is. Aleado gives you several shipping options to choose from, with time estimates.

You confirm which shipping method/cost, they ship, it does not take that long, even surface these days.

Aleado takes a fee

Bank transfer fee

In-Japan Shipping to Aleado by seller

Aleado ships to you.

I have won several auctions, the one mistake I made was fearing long shipping time during covid and choosing $30. airmail, surface would have gotten here eventually. A complete bargain may only be achieved with patience.

Oh yeah, the small print: they might end early, or they might extend the auction by a day or two, just put your max in and let it happen.

faustuss

"The only mono’s I have are reissues which are all lacquered with modern stereo heads these days. I simply use my stereo micro line cartridge and throw the mono switch on my phono preamp and I’m golden. No muss no fuss!" 

Exactly what I did for years, I used to feel sorry for people who didn’t have a MONO switch.

Until, I read here what dwette and I and others who know are saying:

A True Mono Cartridge is BETTER. I clarify that by saying, a little, some, a lot, a whole heck of a lot better (depends on each LP content, engineering, condition).

Many things Phono, I emphasize the difference between ’prefer’ and ’better’. I prefer my mx110z's MM Phono RIAA EQ to any other I have heard in my system, I would not claim it is better, your ears/your system ....

In this case, notice I said BETTER! (In anyone's system)