Why mono?

read this....

about Miyajima Mono cartridges

the translation from Japanese makes for interesting reading but it makes some good points.

to echo Jazdoc's comments; i too have the Miyajima Premium Be Mono. it's mounted on my Reed 2P arm on my Garrard 301. it did take some time to break in; and demanded a good setup to sound optimal.

most of my mono Lps sound better on this $1100 retail cartridge than on my Rockport/Lyra Olympos stereo cartridge ($11,000 retail).

this morning i was playing some of my 45rpm Jazz reissues and played a mono on the Rockport/Olympos. for grins i tried it on the Garrard/Miyajima Mono and damn! it sounded a significant degree better.

caution; the Miyajima is one of those 'different' mono cartridges that will harm a stereo Lp.

there are a number of other things to think about with a mono cartridge beyond what Elizabeth mentioned above.

some of them might want a heavier arm than medium compliance arms most of us have. for instance; the Miyajima works on the Triplaner or Reed; but it might work better on a heavier arm.

some mono cartridges have just one magnet, but with the normal 4 output pins. which means you will have a ground loop if you connect like a stereo cartridge is connected. i had to use a splitter into my stereo phono stage and leave one channel disconencted. then i use my 'mono' switch on my preamp. if you don't have a mono switch then you would need to find another solution.

the Lyra Titan i mono has 2 separate mono magnets; which avoids the whole 'ground loop' issue and allows a normal connection. other mono cartridges use normal stereo magnets and simply 'sum' them so a mono signal is sent to the preamp.

as Elizabeth mentioned some use the smaller stereo stylus and others the larger mono stylus.

anyway; even if it sounds complicated it's not; you simply have to understand how the particular mono cartridge you choose will integrate with your system.....and what adjustments might be required.

Zaikesman,

ok, here are a few reasons to go for a Mono cartridge.

--music. early 50's thru early 60's Lps contain among the very best all time musicians and recordings. many only in mono.

--lower noise. a true mono cartridge will be quieter in the groove of a mono Lp than a stereo cartridge used with a preamp in mono.....many times dramatically quieter. i am speaking here of noise from wear and tear or abuse. many mono lps are unlistenable thru a stereo cartridge.

--more dynamic. just the physics of the mono Lp and mono cart.

--mono cartridges have considerably larger and more natural soundstage on mono Lps than stereo cartridges.

--chicks dig mono. :^)

--modestly priced mono cartridges outperform uber-expensive stereo cartridges on most mono lps.

--set up is super critical with mono cartridges. my opinion is that your perception of a stereo cartridge sounding better is mostly the result of a less than optimal setup on the mono cartridge.

Thom,

you wrote;

BTW, Mike L. inadvertently added an extra zero. The Myajima mono series of cartridges runs in the $900 to $1,200 range (there are three mono cartridges in the line).

my use of $11,000 referred to my Lyra Olympos, not the Miyajima Premium BE Mono. what i wrote was;

most of my mono Lps sound better on this $1100 retail cartridge than on my Rockport/Lyra Olympos stereo cartridge ($11,000 retail).

sorry if i did not make my meaning more clear. my point was that this modestly priced Mono cartridge bettered the mighty Olympos on the vast majority of mono Lps.

Would each of you state if your experience with variability in mono playbacks happens with newer mono reissues, with older original monos, or with both?

as far as early 50's to mid-60's Classical and Jazz, and a few pop/rock; they are simply better in detail, dynamics, and natural ambience than a stereo cartridge playing the same Lp. in my system; when i use the 'mono' button on my darTZeel preamp with a stereo cartridge playing a mono Lp i cannot hear any difference (or have not so far).

even very good stereo cartridges tend to sound a bit bound up and bunched together in the middle. the Mono cartridge presents the musical components in a more natural space from speaker to speaker. there is an openness and freedom to the music. i don't want to go overboard in representing the overall presentation; 'better' in this case does not approach what the best stereo recordings can do in terms of space; but the music is well communicated.

i have quite a few mono reissues including all the 45rpm AP and Music Matters reissues. those are also mostly better on the mono cartridge in the same way. i have a bunch of the mono Super Analog Disc Decca reissues which are uniformily better with the mono cartridge.

i am in the early stages of my relationship with mono Lps and so i expect to attain further truths about this subject. will more expensive mono cartridges take me significantly further in performance? will i still be loving monos a year or two from now? or will it be a passing phase?

those are still questions.

stay tuned.