MONO cartridge recommendation


Hi,
I was all set to get the ORTOFON 2M MONO SE cartridge to play the Beatles Mono Vinyl box set.

But it seems they do not offer it in any longer. Anyone have a suggestion on a true Mono cartridge $550-1000 range?

MM or MC in the 2.5mV range for my preamp

thanks 

 mike
mikepaul
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.
London has no info on their website about their mono cartridge, for some reason. I read about it elsewhere, and it is a true mono only, horizontal-modulation only sensing design. It has no magnet & coil for the vertical! Why would that cause hum, I wonder?