Turntable choice for mono records

I took advice here, got a basic Grado Mono Cartridge, elliptical stylus on aluminum cantilever. Definitely better than playing mono lp with stereo cart, even if preamp has mono mode.

Next, I searched for an at33 mono body with broken cantilever. $38. yahoo/aledo. shipping was more, total just under $100.

Gave it to Steve at VAS, had him put boron cantilever with advanced stylus. Terrific, and less wear to your lp grooves.

I wanted to go stereo/mono instantly in a listening session, i.e. Jazz greats, late and early lps.

Decided two tonearms ready to go. One of them with removable headshell to switch my mono and stereo and friend's cartridges.

A related issue is how you select/send either arm's signal to your phono stage, and if PASS to use MM cartridge or MC

I went for JVC Plinth PL-2 for two arms, and ended up adding a 3rd compact arm.

Best stereo on the right long arm, best mono on the left; removable headshell rear arm: height/vta super easy for any cartridge.

Luckily, I went SUT (step up transformer) to MM Phono Stage. SUT has  3 front selectable inputs, 4 various loads for MC. rear out to phono stage so you never change cables. fidelity research frt-4

entre-100 similar features

I suggest one great TT, two arms, two great cartridges, option to change cartridges on one arm

I started this discussion about TT with 2 arms

OP,

Unlike me, you have room for two TT's. Nice!

You might consider selecting a TT with 2 arm capability as your 2nd TT, keeps future options wide open. MONO now, future: any other cartridge, your or friends, MM, MC, alternate Mono.

One of those arms could have very easy arm height adjustment to quickly change for individual cartridge height and VTA. Personally, I have experience with My Acos Lustre GST-801; a friend's two Micro Seiki 505's (9" and 12"; another friends Technics EPA-B500

mijostyn

I agree, listening from'anywhere' is a big advantage, in the corner, on the porch, in the kitchen ..

and, our audiophile brains are trained to seek imaging, so sitting dead center, it is hard to completely dispense with that habit.

MONO MODE simply combines L+R and sends that combo to both speakers. 

It DOES NOT reduce any surface noise, warps, debris, any vertical movements picked up by a stereo cartridge, it in fact doubles that, as any L or R are combined, then doubled.

MONO LPs in great shape have less of the above vertical detriments, but ANY are combined and doubled.