How are you playing your precious MONO Vinyl?

I asked essentially this same question a few years ago to the experts at Ortofon and the answer is there is no difference electrically and, therefore, no difference sonically.

The difference between what we are calling a true mono cartridge and a stereo cartridge that has been bridged to produce a mono signal in both channels is presumably that the true mono cartridge has had one of the pair of coils that serve each channel (assuming a MC design) either re-oriented so it does not pick up vertical movement of the cantilever, or there is no coil for that function. So my question really in disguise is what electrical measurement would tell you that? It is interesting that Ortofon responded to your question in the way you describe, because it was my experience a few years ago when I was investigating which cartridges are true mono, and which are not that Ortofon is very vague in describing how they derive their mono cartridges. As I recall, the description of the Quintet mono cartridge in particular was so ambiguous that one could not tell whether it was a true mono or a bridged stereotype. And I think that was deliberate. Surely the engineers at Ortofon do know the different ways to build a mono cartridge and the structural differences that result. Ortofon is not the only cartridge maker that leaves the question open or ambiguous.

@billstevenson If what Ortofon told you is true, then all of us who can hear a difference between a true mono cartridge and the mono button must be mistaken, which seems unlikely.

I spent a long time examining the description they give of the Cadenza Mono (which used the same wording at that time as for stereo Cadenza cartridges, and added the term "dual coil mono") and ended up buying one. It doesn't get used—I'll happily sell it—as it doesn't sound anything like as nice as the Ruby 3 I had converted to mono (coil assembly rotated 45° and the laterally sensitive coil connected to both sets of pins).

Sorry, Doggie, I was editing my post while you submitted yours. Ortofon's use of the term "dual coil mono" sounds like the kind of double talk I read when I researched the Quintet mono. In other words, it sounds like code for a bridged stereo cartridge.

Honestly I do not know.  I have all of the above: true mono cartridges (Myajima and AT), bridged stereo to mono (Ortofon 2M Mono SE - personal fav), and a stereo switch (KAB). all work.  My take is that Ortofon, ever practical, has probably determined the same thing, that is that all these methods all work, therefore, they settled on the bridged stereo to mono approach as the most practical for them.  That is likely true from a manufacturing perspective in allowing them to offer mono versions of cartridges across several models at various price points in both MC and MM.  Also, the number of units sold per annum is probably relatively small.  Again looking at from a practical perspective this makes sense.