Miyajima is correct.
Mono Cartridge Stylus
So a while back there was a thread about mono cartridges like the Miyajima. There was some confusion about stylus size and what should be used for mono re-pressings versus the original mono pressings.
So Miyajima claims that their 0.7 stylus is optimal for modern mono re-pressings and that their 1.0 stylus is for those earlier mono pressings that began in 1950. Columbia introduced the Microgroove pressing in 1948. The Microgroove pressing offers 300-400 grooves per inch and AI claims that the correct stylus for these pressings is 0.7. I will say that I don't believe Miyajima to be entirely wrong, as there were labels that still used wider grooves however, I believe nearly all of the major labels eventually adopted the Microgroove band width thus making it the norm by the early to mid 1950's.
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@billstevenson Why are they correct?
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Any collector of mono records will probably wind up with a mix of microgroove and pre-microgroove records. Miyajima has catered to this market for many years and makes stylii for both types of records. If you are interested in collecting and playing these records you are going to have to make a decision about whether you want to be able to play both. It depends on what you want to collect and listen to. If you only want to collect reissues, then you only need microgroove capability and that will simplify your requirements. |
@billstevenson You're essentially saying the same thing that I posted. Miyajima doesn't mention Microgroove pressings. About stylus size of Zero MONO |
Maybe we are, but I want to be clear. A 0.7 mil stylus often sounds terrible on a pre-Microgroove record, and a 1.0 mil stylus might jump right out of the grooves of a Microgroove record. This is why Miyajima and others make both and why collectors seeking best performance need both. It is not correct that both stylli can trace all generations of mono records in all cases. Very demanding material requires proper matching. |
This is why I posted the preferred stylus size of 0.7 for Microgroove pressings. Miyajima overlooks the Microgroove pressing altogether. I have a fairly large mono vinyl collection and most of them are Microgroove. I'd say one eighth of my collection is modern re-pressings. I'm currently using a 1.0 sized elliptical stylus and haven't had any noticeable issues but if I were to order another mono cartridge, I believe the 0.7 stylus would make the most sense. Or if there's a stylus size between 0.7 and 1.0, that might even be better. |
@kennyc I'm referring to their description as to what stylus type is best for what type of pressing. About stylus size of Zero MONO
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@billstevenson There was confusion on a previous thread about the difference between Microgroove mono pressings and the earliest vinyl mono pressings. Even though I mentioned on that previous thread, that Microgroove pressings had a narrower band width than the early mono pressings that weren't Microgroove, it appeared as though none of us knew what stylus would be best for Microgroove records. When I was able to sort it out and get this information (assuming that AI is correct), I wanted to post it so that other monophiles also understood the differences. I didn't want to keep it all to myself, what fun would that be? |
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