MONO cartridge recommendation

bdp24, I really don't know what you are trying to say.  Using a mono cartridge that was built from a stereo cartridge by internally bridging the two channels is precisely the same thing electrically as using the mono switch on a preamplifier.  Bridging, either inside the cartridge body or at the mono switch, has the effect of cancelling the surface noise from a mono LP, just as you say, by cancelling the signal derived from vertical movement of the stylus tip.  One could argue that deriving the mono signal at the linestage level is possibly less effective than doing it inside the cartridge, because the stereo signal has to pass through RIAA correction and amplification before the noise can be cancelled.  Maybe, just maybe, doing it at the cartridge body is audibly more effective.  Which is one reason (besides the fact that in one of my two systems I have not even a mono switch) that I too am curious to acquire a mono cartridge.

I would wager that 90% or more of "mono" cartridges in the current marketplace are derived by internal bridging. Have fun trying to figure out which cartridges (other than Miyajima, EMT, and perhaps one of the Ortofons) are "true" mono cartridges, if you want to find out whether that is a better way to go; most manufacturers use a lot of double-talk in describing their mono cartridges such that it is usually impossible to be sure. I know this because I spent a great deal of time at their various websites researching mono cartridges and came away disappointed by the total lack of clarity, again with the exception of Miyajima.

I can't answer Lewm's question but I do know my Miyajima Premium BE Mono cartridge sounds great with all my mono LPs.  Unfortunately I don't use it very often because I have to switch tonearms to do so, and I am basically lazy. 

I will take slight exception to some comments made earlier in this thread to the effect that playing mono records with a stereo cartridge results in a lot of noise unless you use a mono switch to parallel the outputs.  I listen to many, many mono LPs with my Benz LP stereo cartridge without a mono switch, and most of these are just as quiet as my old stereo LPs.  A mono cartridge (or a mono switch) will make the noisy LPs quieter, that's true, but I wouldn't want anyone to avoid playing mono records just because they don't have a mono cartridge or a mono switch on their preamp.  

@salectric not sure if it was my comments you were referring to but to clarify. I've no reason to believe (nor have I ever experienced) a reduction in record related noise (i.e. from the playing surface) in using a mono cartridge over a stereo, with or without a mono switch.

However going to a true Mono cartridge may (and often will) induce objectionable hum in your setup. This is intrinsic to the challenges of adding a mono source in a system not designed for it (see the reference below for a discussion of the issue and some solutions)
http://www.durand-tonearms.com/Support/Mono%20connections/monoconnections.html

In my experience having a mono switch or having the ability to lift, or part bypass via a resistor, the ground at the cartridge input to your phono stage or step up is essential to rid your system of this hum

Folkfreak, I wasn't referring to your comments.  In fact, looking over the whole thread I'm not sure who I recalled suggesting that mono records played with a stereo pickup will be too noisy.  Maybe it was another thread on mono cartridges or maybe I just dreamed it.  Sorry for any confusion!

salectric wrote:

In fact, looking over the whole thread I’m not sure who I recalled suggesting that mono records played with a stereo pickup will be too noisy.

That was probably me, but I need to clarify that I was only referring to vintage 1950s-’60s mono LPs, not modern reissues. I have several from both categories. I have several modern mono reissues--the 2014 Beatles EMI/Parlophone reissues, the Capitol Beach Boys reissues including Pet Sounds and Smile, Acoustic Sounds Nat King Cole reissue, etc. All are really quiet, even when played by a stereo cartridge.

OTOH, I have many original 1950s-60s mono LPs rescued from bargain bins for 50-99 cents, that are totally noisy with all 3 of my stereo carts and totally quiet with my one mono cart.