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advice for mono cartridge

Hi,

I have a Garrard 401 with a Magnepan Unitrac and an SME 3009 Mk II Improved.

I’m thinking about turning one of the tonearms into a dedicated mono setup, probably on the SME 3009 Mk II Improved, as the Magnepan is my main arm and I really like the sound of it for stereo. The SME has a detachable headshell, making it easy to switch back and forth if necessary and I’m used to the sound of the Magnepan, so I don’t really want to change anything there.

I run MM only right now (although I guess I could pick up a step up transformer) and the SME has an effective mass of 9.5g. It also tracks only to 1.5g (although I bought the additional counterweight, which might help with that). It seems like my choice of mono cartridges is thus pretty limited. It seems the Ortofon 2M Mono Special Edition could be a good choice.

At the same time, I’m reading all sorts of contradictory info about whether vertical compliance, which the Ortofon seems to have (as opposed to Miyajima), is a good thing or not and whether a 1 mil or 0.7 mil stylus is best. Some also say a more modern line contact profile (the Ortofon has that) is actually preferable, even for older records, etc. Ortofon seems to say just that in their literature and Michael Fremer seems to agree. Also the Ortofon seems to have internally strapped output, which is somewhat controversial.

I actually heard recently a couple of very high end systems that used Miyajima mono cartridges and they sounded fantastic, huge soundstage, very realistic … but they were also clearly out of my price range, and only fit much heavier tone arms.

I have a mix of older mono pressings and reissues, presumably cut with a stereo cutter head.

I'm looking for advice from people with direct experience.

Considering the above,would the Ortofon 2M mono SE be a good choice? Does anyone see anything else more or less in that price range that might better it? Or should perhaps just wait and switch to a tone arm that would give me better options for mono down the line, perhaps a Fidelity Research FR-24, FR-54 or FR-14, which contrary to the FR-64 and FR-66, can be had for cheap. Budget is a concern overall.

Any input would be appreciated.

Thanks!

Jerome Sabbagh
128x128saxman73
chakster's avatar
chakster
6,144 posts
 
I think any good tonearm can be used with Mono cartridge unless the cartridge compliance and toneam effective moving mass is well matched.

I believe the benefit of the stereo stylus on a true mono (MM) cartridge is higher compliance compared to oldschool mono MC and related stuff.

Higher compliance = better tracking ability. True Mono MM cartridges with higher compliance does not require a heavy oldschool toneamrs designed for low compliance mono carts.

Also a high-end stylus profile on a true Mono cartridge is better for vintage records played for decades with inferior conical styli. High-end profiles like LineContact and Shibata will ride in virgin part of the record groove walls (not touched yet by a conical profile). The music can be extracted from the grooves in much better quality.

All these can improve the sound of an old mono records.

* I'm talking about mono records from the 70's, not from the 50's whichrequire huge stylus. 
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cleeds
5,950 posts
 
chakster
Higher compliance = better tracking ability.
That's not really true. Typically, the best tracking performance is achieved when cartridge compliance is matched to the pickup arm's effective mass. The compliance of a cartridge itself has no inherent correlation to tracking ability.
There are very low compliance cartridges that track like champs.
chakster's avatar
chakster
6,144 posts
 
@cleeds i have all kind of cartridges from very low compliance to very high compliance and i only use well matched carts/arms. Most of the great cartridges does not skip on real music recorded on flat records, unless you will put them on a test record and the tracking ability test depends on the groove modulation. This is a great test for suspension, i'm sure you know that. Hi-Fi Test LP is what i use, there are 4 bands, only amazing cartridges will pass all 4 bands, the last band is the most complicated. 

Also the low compliance cartridges with 2-3g tracking force will skip on warped records, while the high compliance cartridges with 1-2g tracking force never skip on the same warped records. I've noticed a better tracking ability of the High Compliance cartridges over the years.

Mono MC cartridges are normally low compliance. 
Mono MM cartridges are mid or high compliance. 

The Miyajima is an example of the oldschool true mono low compliance.

The Grace F14 MM is an example of the true MONO MM from the golden age of analog. Mid or High compliance, depends on the stylus, but the stylus is stereo with advanced profile like Luminal Trace or even Micro Ridge (not conical).

The whole concept of mono cartridges is much wider that the vision of Miyajima designer. 

And the modern concept of true MONO MC is different, look at Lyra Mono cartridges.   

 
lewm
13,049 posts
 
Stringreen,  Have you ever listened to a mono cartridge (of either type), or does your preamplifier have a mono mode switch and have you used it?  Because, after years of listening to mono LPs with stereo cartridges, I now would never think of doing it again.  Both my preamplifiers in (two systems) have mono switches, and I invariably hear a BIG improvement by just flipping that switch when playing mono LPs.  Much less high frequency hash, for one thing. I urge you to try it.  I own a mono cartridge, as well, but I don't always bother to use it for mono LPs, becasue I am so satisfied by the mono mode switch.
sleepwalker65's avatar
sleepwalker65
832 posts
 
Try this: take the Audio Technica VM540ML stylus and install it in the Audio Technica VM520 mm body. 
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