Dedicated Mono Vinyl Replay : What Would Be Your Particular Weapons Of Choice ?

[Don_Camillo]

the ideal mono rig, or course starts with just how serious do you want to get? and how much mono listening will you actually do?

I´d like to add what periode mono records do you want to play?

In case you want to dive into shellac you´d need

1) a turntable with variable speed (up to 120 rpm would be best but up to 90 rpm will work for most shellac on the market) - Rek-o-Kut CVS-12 or 16, B-16H, Rondine, L-37 or LP-743 come to mind
2) definetly a phono preamp with variable eq - Hagtech Monogram or Monk Audio come to mind
3) and at least some mono phono cartridges with different stylii sizes what im most cases will point at the vintage ones like GE RPX, Fairchild 225A, Pierre Clement E25B ...
4) with vintage mono phono cartridges you´d better go the vintage tonearm road either. Gray Research 108c and their numerous Japanese copies come to mind.

 

[Mike Lavigne]

I´d like to add what periode mono records do you want to play?

In case you want to dive into shellac you´d need

1) a turntable with variable speed (up to 120 rpm would be best but up to 90 rpm will work for most shellac on the market) - Rek-o-Kut CVS-12 or 16, B-16H, Rondine, L-37 or LP-743 come to mind
2) definetly a phono preamp with variable eq - Hagtech Monogram or Monk Audio come to mind
3) and at least some mono phono cartridges with different stylii sizes what im most cases will point at the vintage ones like GE RPX, Fairchild 225A, Pierre Clement E25B ...
4) with vintage mono phono cartridges you´d better go the vintage tonearm road either. Gray Research 108c and their numerous Japanese copies come to mind.

i took the easy 'later period' route; i have about 100 wide groove early LP mono's from the 50's; and another 800-900 later mono's. so no pre-LP shellacs.

 

[Don_Camillo]

i took the easy 'later period' route ...

Same on my side, but some shellacs in the collection also.

Even with the early mono LPs, I've found that a phono preamp with variable EQ is more valuable than experimenting with a single-speaker. The EQ has a very significant influence on the spatial presentation/ illusion and in particular the plasticity.

By the way: those vintage mono cartidges also work very well on more modern tonearms with high effective mass. My Fairchild 225-A mounted on a Fidelity Research FR-64s sounds sublime - it´s one of the best mono phono cartridges I´ve come along.

 

[Lynnot]

Luxman LXV-OT10 Phono Equalizer Amplifier Review and Measurements

Luxman LXV-OT10 Phono Equalizer Amplifier Review/Measurements Let's take an audio company with nearly 100 years of history. That's Luxman, which has been around since 1925. Now take one of the oldest audiophile magazines in Japan. That's stereo, which was first published in 1963 -- just...

www.audiosciencereview.com

I organized one of these Luxman LXV-OT10 phono amp kits from Japan.
It allows adaption to the most common old mono equalizations.

Look:


And these EQ settings work well, I tried it on a number of records with good results.

Unfortunately, distortion wise this device is far from HiFi. It just doesn't meet my expectations
on sound quality. Upgraded DIY versions exist in Japan and language barriers make it rather
difficult for me to follow the upgrade paths.

Any suggestions for improvement?

Best regards,
Tony

 

[Argonaut]

 

[Argonaut]

Mono in the true sense :

 

[Lynnot]

I Like that vintage JBL.

 

[Argonaut]

I Like that vintage JBL.

Hartsfield (s) are rather wonderful horn transducers, either as per their original concept or paired up in stereo mode … for my part the finest vintage corner horns made .

 

[Argonaut]

@bonzo75 , Kedar could you indicate which of the youtube system recordings that you have posted were sporting a ‘true mono’ cartridge if any ?

 

[bonzo75]

@bonzo75 , Kedar could you indicate which of the youtube system recordings that you have posted were sporting a ‘true mono’ cartridge if any ?

If you search on Dava mono on my YT those are with mono cartridge, all those videos are of Leif’s system.

There are two Miyajima mono videos on the Euronor Kondo (Devils trill and Rach 3)


There are other mono recordings on other systems but those are with various stereo carts.

 

[Argonaut]

Have any member(s) ears on experience of the Ortofon Exclusive Series MC A Mono cartridge ?

 

[Argonaut]

A nice example of how a modest mono vinyl front end can still deliver :

 

[Argonaut]

Some interesting observations by the Contendo creator regarding this mono pressing :

 

[jeff1225]

I just picked up a Nagaoka MONO moving magnet cartridge for the empty MM spot on my phono preamp. Just breaking in but it’s a great cartridge for just $400 from Japan.

 

[hopkins]

Here’s a nice setup. Amazing collection of 78s, in excellent condition.

The Audiophiliac had two videos about the NY Hot Club recently as well.

 

[Don_Camillo]

Interestingly they combine modern Stereo MM cartridges with so called Mono stylii with a vintage early Stereo preamp and 30s or 40s power amp and speaker. I´d rather expect them using vintage real Mono cartridges either

 

[Argonaut]

 

[Don_Camillo]

Well, this channel is quite well-known and always reports on his subjective sound impressions. These are also very understandable in this case, but unfortunately, his conclusions and recommendations are not entirely technically sound.

Modern mono LP reissues no longer have a mono groove but are cut in stereo and can no longer be read with old mono cartridges. The same applies to modern mono cartridges; these are actually stereo cartridges in which both channels are combined to form a so-called sum signal. The same effect can be achieved if the preamplifier or integrated amplifier has a mono switch, as was common in the past.

This sum signal adds both channels in the correct phase, thus eliminating groove noise and crackling by canceling out these signal components. The same thing also happens across the entire frequency response, so that much of the overly loud high-frequency components and components that smear the bass range are also canceled out. This is the technical reason why the resulting sound is softer, rounder, and more harmonious.

The price to pay for this is a rounding radius that doesn't really match the groove of the old mono records, with a modern mono cartridge or when listening to the mono LP with a stereo cartridge and the mono switch engaged. This results in higher pickup distortion and a higher noise level. So it all depends on the period from which the mono record originates.

 

[Argonaut]

Modern mono LP reissues no longer have a mono groove but are cut in stereo and can no longer be read with old mono cartridges. The same applies to modern mono cartridges; these are actually stereo cartridges in which both channels are combined to form a so-called sum signal. The same effect can be achieved if the preamplifier or integrated amplifier has a mono switch, as was common in the past.

I concur , however would opine that the majority of *True Mono* aficionados are aware of the very early 60’s cut off point for mono lathe cut pressings , and are aware that MONO printed on an LP jacket invariably means a stereo groove pressing of a mono recording ergo not ideally compatible with a stereo cartridge for the technical reasons that you mention . Even more obvious being a bar code on the rear of the jacket . A little due diligence into the history and chronology of a pressing issue always recommended .

For my part I only collect true mono cut pressings and utilise true mono cartridges when playing them .

 

[hopkins]

I concur , however would opine that the majority of *True Mono* aficionados are aware of the very early 60’s cut off point for mono lathe cut pressings , and are aware that MONO printed on an LP jacket invariably means a stereo groove pressing of a mono recording ergo not ideally compatible with a stereo cartridge for the technical reasons that you mention . Even more obvious being a bar code on the rear of the jacket . A little due diligence into the history and chronology of a pressing issue always recommended .

For my part I only collect true mono cut pressings and utilise true mono cartridges when playing them .

How can you know whether a pressing is true mono (cut)?