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!
“Oh, don’t tell me about that $20 repress you bought that was mastered from a dubiously disclosed source mastered and pressed who knows where! ” This reminds me of someone like disheveled, bitter audiophile in a dusty record store, side-eyeing a younger collector holding a shrink-wrapped LP :-) As far believing, I get that we see this differently; we all have our own perspectives. Peace! |
I have stereo and mono versions of the same cartridge. Each is mounted on identical tonearms, both on the same turntable, both running through the same phono-stage. I mentioned this above, but maybe you haven't read through the entire thread. Even with modern mono records – all cut with mono-configured stereo heads since the mid-60s – there is a big improvement playing those mono records with a mono cartridge. Playing them with a stereo cartridge and engaging a mono switch is just not the same thing. It doesn't sound the same. I'm sure it sounds good enough that way to most people with a small investment in mono records, but if one has a sizable collection of monos, it can be worth using a true mono cartridge. This has all been stated already and confirmed by those with experience using mono cartridges. You are welcome to disbelieve it all if you want, but what you claim is not rooted in fact. It's just your opinion, but is it an informed opinion? I am interested to know what mono cartridge you used to play mono records, that leads you to conclude it makes no difference vs using a stereo cartridge and a mono switch. |
Pertinent topic for me. I use2 TT: a Linn LP12 for stereo, and Technics SP15 for mono. I have 2 dedicated mono cartridges, and I will send a Fairchild 225a to a rebuilder for restoration. My current mono cartridges are a Ortofon CG25 DI MKIII- this is a current version of Ortofon's original mono MC cartridge introduced in the late 40's, The other cartridge is a VAS modified Denon 103- one set of coils is removed, and the other set is reoriented for horizontal content. Both cartridges sound a lot different than an adapted stereo cartridge, or pressing the mono button. The Denon sounds better to my ears and in my system. It provides an extremely solid mono image with all of the improvements noted for mono cartridges, along with the extended frequency response of a current cartridge. Solo instruments and small ensembles sound shockingly real and "in the room". It is uncanny to listen to a 70yr old LP that has a silent background and music explodes from the grooves ! Others have noted that most "mono" cartridges are in fact stereo cartridges internally bridged to sum L/R channels to create mono output. These cartridges STILL respond to vertical groove content. A true mono LP does NOT have any vertical content, all signal is cut in the horizontal plane IE side to side. What is left in the vertical plane is noise, dirt etc. A stereo adapted cartridge still reads vertical content, and still includes vertical content in what is summed to create mono output. Some believe that the presence of vertical content that is then summed introduces distortion and phase anomalies that are audible. A TRUE mono cartridge (single coil plane) only responds to horizontal content, and does not reproduce any vertical content- it is immune to the distortion and phase anomalies mentioned earlier. Most listeners note a shocking difference when hearing a true mono cartridge for the first time. Mono LPs pressed from 1948 until the early-mid 60's have a groove width of 1mil. Mono LPs pressed after the mid 60's and including current mono reissue LPs have a groove width of .07mil...a smaller groove width. True mono cartridges from the golden age have 1mil conical stylus profiles, and some believe this larger stylus can damage an LP cut with a modern/smaller groove width. For this reason, many believe that the best compromise is to use a single coil true mono cartridge, with a modern .07mil stylus. Opinion is about equally divided regarding stylus shape, with many supporting conical shapes, and just as many preferring more exotic shapes (elliptical, hyper-elliptical, shibatta etc). Regarding cartridges, phono stages and preamps, it seems that the most preferred and best sounding true mono cartridges are moving coil, that require additional amplification of signal. Some use SUT / step up transformers, some use head amps/active phono stages etc. In my experience the choice of preamp is not as important as making sure you have a true mono cartridge. What is important is to be sure that your preamp has adjustable cartridge loading. Phono EQ is another contentious issue. Some believe that non RIAA EQ coexisted until the early 60s and many report a more satisfying listening experience when playing an LP from the 50's and using a NON RIAA playback curve. So it may be beneficial to consider a preamp that includes adjustable EQ playback curves. There are several preamps that include selectable EQ along with cartridge loading. The OP probably did not realize there was so much to consider regarding mono cartridges and mono LP playback ! Good Luck.
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