MONO cartridge recommendation

Roberjerman, Lots of folks seem to agree with you about the Denon DL102, especially where cost is a concern.  (Same goes for the Audio Technica AT33mono) Have you compared the DL102 to any other mono cartridges in your system?  Thanks.

In relation to Salectric’s post, for most of my audio life, which is a long time, I played both stereo and mono LPs with stereo cartridges into a stereo circuit, and I never thought much about it, except I always preferred the results with stereo LPs in that set-up. Then, with the resurgence of interest in mono, and because I had acquired a preamp with a mono switch, I started listening to mono LPs played with a stereo cartridge into a phono stage set for "mono". The results were a revelation, and one can immediately understand the appeal of mono LPs. So, to me the main reason for buying a mono cartridge is because mono LPs sound best in mono, for a lot of reasons that I don’t want to detail. You can achieve mono reproduction either with a mono cartridge or a mono switch on your phono, or both. Among mono cartridges, there are only a few (like the Miyajima and the EMT monos) that were built from the ground up to be mono. Most are stereo cartridges where the two channels are internally bridged. Does this difference in construction make any difference in the quality of the mono output? I simply do not know; the makers of the true mono cartridges would like us to think so. In any case, I can make do with a mono switch only. I don't feel that I "need" a mono cartridge for my system that has a mono switch in the signal path.  My problem is that i have two systems, and the phono stage for one of them does not have a mono switch; I want to buy a mono cartridge for that system, now that I have experienced the benefits of mono reproduction.

Here’s what happens in my system when I flip the mono switch before playing a mono LP with a stereo cartridge: The LP surface noise goes down significantly. The highs coalesce and sound more defined and extended. Instruments are easier to pick out in a band or orchestra. The bass acquires greater definition and actually seems to add another octave on the low end. There is actually a semblance of a stereo effect, too, because the brain picks up cues from the sound pressure and phase differences picked up by the microphone. What’s not to like?

thanks for the input everyone. ..just a (silly?) question.

my preamp does have a mono switch. and if i actually do use  a mono cartridge would i also use the mono button on the preamp? or just use as stereo ?

thanks

Unless you have a hum problem there’s no need to also use the mono switch and if you have a mono cart. Anyway try it both ways and see what sounds best to you. The mono switch will help cancel hum if that is an issue. Mono cartridges are prone to severe hum problems 

mofimadness wrote:

I also have an Audio Technica AT-Mono/3. It’s a pretty decent little cart and isn’t very expensive.

I have that cartridge, too. It’s officially imported and sold by LpGear for $189.99. I got mine through a Japanese storefront on Amazon for a mere $112 and change two years ago. Dollar-to-Yen exchanges fluctuate over time and it’s currently $127.95 from that vendor.

Here are the 20 Amazon customer reviews for this cartridge: https://www.amazon.com/Audio-Technica-AT-MONO3-LP-Moving-Cartridge/dp/B0002ERE2Q/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1509037302&sr=8-1&keywords=audio+technica+at-mono3%2FLP

I really like this cartridge. I won’t dispute that you might get some higher highs and lower lows from more expensive mono carts, but there is a fundamental honesty to this cartridge that I find endearing. It has a full, rich tonal balance while maintaining good detail. Internal wiring is PCOCC (monocrystal) copper.

I bought mine specifically for playing my 2014 release of the Beatles mono LP collection. After playing that colIection with a stereo cart for a full year, I was not disappointed with the mono cart; in fact I was enlightened. I also found that I had far more mono LPs than I realized, both modern reissues (e.g., Beach Boys) and vintage LPs of all kinds pulled from thrift shops, antique pavilions, and bargain bins.

Right now I’m listening to a 1969 mono Capitol pressing of "Echoes of a 16th Century Cathedral" performed by the Roger Wagner Chorale. I got it for 49 cents at an antiques pavilion, and all the music is intact and with the mono cartridge the presentation is dead quiet. With a stereo cartridge it is unbearably noisy.

My wife, who grew up singing sacred vocal works, loves this album. It also quiets down the dogs.

I also have vintage mono jazz, a genuine Everest mono pressing of a Mozart woodwind ensemble, another 1969 mono pressing of the Vince Guaraldi Trio of "You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown," reissues of Miles Davis on Prestige and Riverside, some Gene Krupa, etc.

True, I don’t have a collection of mono cartridges for comparison, but when I find what I’m looking for, I stop looking.