Mono Cartridge

andysf

Does anyone have experience with either the Phasemation ...

I had a minor issue with a cart made by PhaseTech, which is what Phasemation previously called itself. Dealer couldn’t help. Distributor and manufacturer did not respond to polite email inquiries. Fool me once ...

I have an SL1200 GAE and it is my primary mono TT, which is the same as your G except for cosmetics.  Currently I have the following mono cartridges for it:  VAS Nova, really good, you can order it with a 1.0 mil stylus I believe.  Ortofon 2M SE, ordered directly from Europe.  This is a Shibata and I am not sure if they make it in 1.0 mil, bit it costs nothing to ask.  Ortofon is very responsive to email.  Audio Technica AT3 Mono, spherical, available in 0.7 or 1.0 mil and a very good cartridge price not withstanding.
Like you I have steered clear of Miyajima cartridges.  I don't like their very high VTF requirements.

You don’t need oldschool conical mono stylus if your mono records are not that old.

For mono from the 60’s, 70’s etc you’d be better with advanced profile on a mono cartridge. Same about modern mono records (cut with stereo cutter head).

Do not buy low compliance Mono MC for your Technics tonearm!

The Grace F14 LC-OFC has only 2 pins, it’s a true mono cartridge, but you can change the styli ! Perfect for Technics tonearm.

Mono MM is better than Mono MC, because you can simply change styli (only on MM).

A mono cartridge with advanced profile is great, read J.Carr’s comment about it.

Those oldschool styli are only for very old record (from the 50’s and related stuff).

If you considering modern MONO MC like ZYX then I think you have mono records from the 70’s and later.
If you want to cover all mono records then an MM with different mono profiles is the best.

Grace F14 LC-OFC (MONO) is very expensive cartridge. On my sample I have RS-14US profile.    

Chakster is absolutely right. New mono records are cut with modern groove geometry and because the groove walls never diverge from one another the groove dimensions never get as large. Point being is you want a modern stylus profile. If you have seriously old Mono records prior to 1960 or so it is another story but this depends on the company. Certainly you are not going to play 78's with a modern stylus. I have plenty of modern mono records. If you love jazz and classical you have no choice. For the ones I have I am not going to bother mounting and aligning another cartridge. If I had two arms now I would keep a MM in one and an MC in the other so it still comes down to mounting another cartridge. I have heard here in this thread that some keep a cheap table on the side to run their Mono records. Not a bad solution. Since I am allergic to direct drive tables maybe I can find an old LP 12 :)

I am a long time record collector with 1000s of "seriously old" recordings from the 50s and 60s.  I already have two .7 mil carts for later records.  Now I am looking for a really good mono cartridge with a 1.0 mil stylus that would be compatible with my Technics 1200 turntable. 

@billstevenson I will check out the VAS mono.  I already have a AT SP Mono. Great cart for the money but I think they only have them in .7 and 2.5 (for 78s).
@chakster  I really want something I can buy now.