2. analog
  3. 152938-114736

Playing mono records properly without breaking the bank - a phono pre-amp question.

Hi there.. I can use some suggestions for playing mono records properly.I'm about to put together my vinyl system and trying to figure out how to best play mono records without having to either buy a separate TT, have a turntable with two tone arms or have a switchable head-shell, all of which are not an option at the moment.  Someday, I think having two tone arms will be the way, but now I need the most economical way to have a nice experience.
I will have at a minimum, a nice stereo stylus/cartridge, but I'm wondering if I should be focusing my phono-preamp search to those with a dedicated mono switch?  I have a Hegel integrated and there's no mono option. 
Are there  simple ways (contraptions)  other than a phono-preamp with a mono switch, to achieve high quality mono playback with a stereo stylus? My search for the right phono preamp would be much easier if I knew I didn't need to make sure it had mono.

Appreciate any suggestion or direction - would love to hear your person experience playing mono on a generally "stereo" rig.

hrabieh
elliottbnewcombjr
5,545 posts
 
McIntosh MODE Switch detailed in this manual of mx110z tube tuner/preamp

http://www.berners.ch/McIntosh/Downloads/MX110_own.pdf

tone and loudness circuits, filters described also
elliottbnewcombjr
5,545 posts
 
assuming, but not said, the MODE which includes MONO, exists on many but not all McIntosh models.
uberwaltz's avatar
uberwaltz
13,381 posts
 
What would be the result of using a real Mono cartridge with a stereo phono pre?
In other words no mono switch on the phono.
goofyfoot's avatar
goofyfoot
1,380 posts
 
My record collection is mono only so I'm not burdened with the need to switch between stereo and mono. hrebieh, if I were in your situation, I'd buy a second turntable (used and possibly vintage) as a dedicated mono table with a mono cartridge.
lewm
13,195 posts
 
This thread has become a dog's breakfast of conflicting and/or redundant suggestions.  (I just wanted the chance to use the "dog's breakfast" metaphor.)  Anyway, get something with a mono switch to start with, and then decide for yourself if you like listening to mono LPs in mono mode, or not.  I predict you will prefer it.  By the way, a mono mode selector switch is typically in the linestage or high level circuitry, so stand alone phono stages will not usually have such a switch, but there are exceptions to every rule.


Uber, On the perfectionist level, you ask a good question.  The result of using a mono cartridge into a stereo LP begs a few more such questions.  For all intents and purposes, if the mono cartridge provides 4 pins, 2 each for a left and right channel, then the result should be similar to using a mono switch.  For a 2-pinout mono cartridge, you'd have to make an effort to deliver signal to both channels of a stereo input, like a Y-adapter.  If you use a Y-adapter, then each channel of the phono stage looks back at the output Z of the cartridge in parallel with the output Z of the other channel.  That could have a small effect on tonal balance. I'm getting a headache thinking about this.
More to discover