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A new player in the quality Mono cartridge game

For awhile there, if you wanted a mono cart to get the most out your new mono Beatles collection, other mono reissues, or vintage mono LPs, there were the budget offerings from Grado, a big price gap, and then the more expensive good stuff. The elliptical mono Grado goes for around $150.

But now the Audio Technica AT MONO3/LP, a HOMC, is available in the US. The link goes to the official importer, LpGear, who prices this $299.99 cart at $189.99. However, I also found that this cart is available from Amazon for $112.65. Worried that the unofficial import puts your purchase at risk? For a mere $12 extra you can buy a 2-year protection warranty.

I ordered mine via Amazon Prime on Sat. Oct. 24 and it arrived today.

This thing is NICE! 1.2mV output, which is plenty, conical stylus (don't know if it's nude or not, but it *sounds* nude), tracking force range 1.5-2.5g. I'm breaking mine in at around 2g.

Even fresh out of the box, this cart's a revelation. I started with "Within You Without You" from the new Beatles Mono vinyl reissue. It's really something when you play a mono record with a cartridge that produces no signal in the vertical plane. The noise floor drops down to the indiscernible. In fact, even cueing the needle makes very little sound thru the speakers.

Everything on Sgt. Pepper's sounded richer, lusher, more distinct, more dynamic, with great treble extension and no hint of sibilance. I followed it with Analogue Productions' 3-LP 45 rpm remaster of Nat King Cole's "After Midnight." Fan-TASTIC! I thought Nat was in the room before, but the dynamics, transparency, and truth-in-timbre reached a height I hadn't heard on my rig up to now.

I finished my mini-audition with a *real* mono record, an original mono Columbia Masterworks pressing of "Grand Canyon Suite" performed by Eugene Ormandy and The Phily Phil. Again, smoother, quieter, more dynamics. It showed its age a little bit, but I think I could bring this 55-yr-old record close to the reissues with a steam cleaning. Even without it it was very satisfying.

Folks, if you have nothing but the new Beatles mono reissues and have an easy way to switch cartridges or set up a mono rig, this cart is so worth it.

Right now I have around 13 Beatles mono LPs, two Beach Boys reissues, the Nat King Cole, some old Columbia Masterworks and shaded dog Orthophonics, mono reissues of Prestige and Miles Davis LPs, and some mono pressings of '60s pop.

I'm thinking of separating all my mono vinyl into its own shelf so--when I mount the AT Mono3 LP--I don't have to sort through my entire collection to play the compatible LPs.

BTW, if you decide to go after this cartridge, make sure you get the AT MONO3/LP cartridge, which is for mono LPS, and *NOT* the AT MONO3/SP cartridge, which is for 78s.
johnnyb53
johnnyb53 OP
3,510 posts
 

11-09-15: Lewm
Johnny, What is a "phono head with a mono switch"?
I just meant a mono switch at the phono stage instead of the line stage. Beyond that I don't know and don't care. The mono switch is a footnote in the history of high fidelity. Handy if you need one, just another switch if you don't. These days if you want a mono switch, you have to shop for 40-50 yr-old preamps or integrated amps, order a custom unit or DIY.

Since I have a TT with interchangeable headshells (as do you), I'm happy to swap carts in about a minute. The ATMONO33/LP (you know, the topic of this thread?) starts off right with PCOCC copper wiring, extracts a pure mono signal at the source, suppresses the vertical plane a minimum 30dB, and just sounds quiet, smooth, luscious, and right.

This cartridge makes my latter day mono reissues sound cleaner and more dynamic. My '50s and '60s thrift shop mono albums have gone from unlistenably noisy to very enjoyable.

For anyone with some mono albums who has an interchangeble headshell, second tonearm, or rack space for a mono turntable, I highly recommend going the mono cartridge route. For $112.65 you can get a $300 list (built and sounds like it) HO moving coil true mono cart that'll light up anyone's mono collection

I'm done talking about mono switches.
bdp24's avatar
bdp24
9,510 posts
 
"$1000 Quicksilver". Right Lewm, and an ARC LS-1 (the last ARC line stage to include a Mode switch, I believe) can be had for even less. I send mine the signal from the tape out jacks on my main pre, and send the LS-1's output (main, not tape, as the Mode switch is after the tape output jacks in the circuit) back to an input on the main pre, to listen to Mono. Sometimes!
lewm
12,562 posts
 
I think of these threads as if I were in a conversation with a bunch of friends who have interests in common with mine. In the context of such a conversation, one can disagree occasionally, and there should be no hard feelings because of it. Johnny, did you wish to restrict the discussion you engendered only to the wonderfulness of your bargain basement mono cartridge? If so, I apologize, and I'm done here.
Ag insider logo xs@2x
cleeds
5,710 posts
 
11-10-15: Johnnyb53
" ... These days if you want a mono switch, you have to shop for 40-50 yr-old preamps or integrated amps, order a custom unit or DIY."

Sorry, but this is mistaken. Many modern preamps include mono switches, including ARC.
dover
2,188 posts
 
Here is why a true mono cartridge will sound better on mono playback than using a stereo cartridge with a mono switch -
From the Ortofon website -
If you play a mono record with a stereo cartridge you will not achieve the same signal in the two channels due to imperfections such as crosstalk, noise, phase errors, tracking error, antiskating and distortion. This difference between the channels will result in an unstable and partially fuzzy image. A mono switch, to some extent, can improve this.
Playing the same record with a mono cartridge will have none of the aforementioned problems, as this cartridge only produces one signal, which afterwards is directed to both channels in the system. This will provide a much more forceful and stable image with a fuller sound.
Another significant advantage of using a mono cartridge to play mono records is the absence of response to vertical movement. This means that a mono cartridge is essentially impervious to the pinching effect which comes into action when the stylus is pushed vertically upward in very narrow grooves. In addition, the response to dust, dirt and wear will be reduced substantially as the vertical component will not be heard. The final result will be a much more clean and noiseless reproduction of the mono record. These effects simply cannot be achieved merely by the use of a mono switch.
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