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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
 
Fleib: Well there's a thought. The ATMono3/LP can be so inexpensive ($112.65) that it might be worth retipping with a microline right away. Like AT's upscale cartridge it's internally wired with PCOCC. I am a big fan of MicroLine. Not only does it sound good, it tracks like a mofo, is easy on the records, and can be good for up to 4,000 hours (according to what I heard from an analog specialty store).

The 0.7 conical stylus of the AT-33MONO and ATMONO3/LP may have its advantages, however. I think that profile may be why that mono cart does so well both on true vintage mono pressings and present-day reissues. A MicroLine might do better on moderns, worse on vintage.
lewm
12,840 posts
 
I know much less about the subject of stylus tip shape than does Fleib, but I don't see a problem using a conical (also known as "spherical") tip to play a mono LP.  The "more advanced" shapes, from elliptical on up, were designed primarily to enhance reproduction from stereo LPs, or in the case of Shibata and related shapes, from quadraphonic LPs.

Fleib, In your quote from the Miyajima website, surely you do not mean to poke fun at the poor English of what must be a translation from Japanese?  First, we don't even know who translated the passage; it might be computer-generated. Second, the paragraph is nevertheless understandable, and in fact the sense of it is that their mono cartridge might indeed damage the grooves of a stereo LP. (Obviously, "ditch" means "groove".) Thus it is not at all fair to dismiss the author as a "dumbass".  The other thing I wonder at is that the author appears to be agreeing with you; you earlier suggested that the Zero could damage a stereo LP, and I cited a reference to the contrary. (I think it was from a review of the Zero by Fremer.)  I also still maintain that it would be a rare event indeed if one accidentally put a mono cartridge down on a stereo LP, a situation that would be quickly sensed and corrected, even if I am incorrect as regards the potential for damage. 

The question regarding tip shape for me more has to do with whether 0.7mil diameter (of a conical) is good for modern era re-pressings of mono LPs.

fleib
1,124 posts
 

Lew,

I plainly said the reviewer is a dumb ass, whoever that might have been. I'm going by what you said, not having read the review myself. The Zero will damage a stereo groove or they wouldn't have put that caveat on their site.  The cart does have some vertical compliance, 10cu, but is only designed for lateral movement. 

I believe the AT mono carts have .65 mil tips. Close enough.  Of course you can play a mono or stereo LP with a spherical. People do it all the time with a DL102 or 103 and numerous inexpensive carts.  I assume you would want detail with mono records as with your stereo ones. Do you listen to your stereo records with a spherical tip? 

The smaller minor radius of a more advanced tip profile will give you more information in mono, just as it does in stereo. I can hear loss of detail, especially in harmonic content, in comparison to my stereo carts with advanced tips. The mono cart has a better presentation with mono records and spatial clues are improved. Sometimes things are revealed in the mix which are not noticed before, but for detail, it's like listening to a stereo record with a spherical tipped cart. 

Regards,



lewm
12,840 posts
 
Sorry. I get it; you meant to say that the person who claimed that the Zero would not damage a stereo groove was incorrect, and you cite the blurb from the Miyajima website as evidence.  Seems like you're correct. Fremer misspoke, if it was Fremer.

Now, as to your critique of spherical styli, I have no basis to argue the point.  It's been many decades since I ran a spherical stylus across an LP.  However, to be as scientific about this subject as possible, which is "not very", you would have to say that your personal experience of a spherical stylus in comparison to some other shape, is your subjective opinion. In other words, it's anecdotal, not necessarily statistically valid.  I speak here only of spherical stylus on mono LP.  I would readily concede that a spherical stylus can be beaten, on a stereo LP, by other shapes.   What mono cartridge with spherical tip have you auditioned? Thanks for your patience.
fleib
1,124 posts
 

If we're talking microgroove - reissues, mid '50s or later (my assumption), then a mono record is no different in that respect than a stereo LP.  You're making this more mysterious than it is.  I've given you this Ortofon link before:

http://ortofon.com/hifi/products/mono-series

Spherical styli were the most commonly used geometry up to the beginning of the 1960s. Consequently, most records from the first 15 years of microgroove records have been played with a spherical stylus. This will not, however, mean that mono has to be played with a spherical stylus. In fact, elliptical types as well as line contact types can be highly beneficial for mono records from the mid 1950s and upwards (see figures below). The line contact types, specifically, will ensure an improved high frequency response due to the slim shape. Also the distortion from the pinching effect, which occurs when the stylus is pushed upwards due narrow high frequency grooves, will be reduced substantially.

Replaying an old mono record, which probably has been played only with a 25µm spherical stylus can be replayed in a different unworn location of the groove by using an 18µm spherical stylus or, even better, an elliptical or line contact stylus. Choosing one of these diamond profiles will dramatically increase the stylus’ ability to reproduce the inscription with detail and accuracy.

Regards,

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