To clarify, my DaVa comment was on stereo and not mono. I haven't heard the mono.
Mono Cartridge Question
You chaps have watched me struggle with the issue of my London Decca Reference being irreplaceable, and then joyfully learning that John Wright has a successor after all. You have seen me buy and test three other MI designs (Nagaoka MP-500, Grado Statement3, Soundsmith Sussurro MkII) along with my older MC cartridges (Ortofon Kontrapunkt C and Benz Micro Ruby 3). Since those struggles have led me to owning two SME turntables and four tonearms, I am now torturing myself with the question of whether one of those four should be home to a dedicated mono cartridge. Remember, I only have one ear and cannot hear stereo at the best of times. A mono cartridge for my few dozen mono recordings would be a matter of reduced surface noise and possibly some improvement in dynamics.
I can get hold of an Ortofon Cadenza Mono (two voice coils so not true mono) for about 1600CDN, and a Miyajima Zero for 3450CDN. So the question is this: am I mad to even think about it? Money is not what it once was before I retired. There is no opportunity to go and hear these before purchase, without spending much more than purchase price on travel.
Shall I "make do" with my rather good stereo carts for my mono LPs or is there something better waiting for me when I get out those Parlophone Beatles LPs?
- ...
- 80 posts total
@dogberry I can't even think of a mono cartridge with both vertical compliance and a micro line stylus. I'm eventually planning on getting the EMT HMD025 mono but the stylus description is; Diamond: SPH 25. Does anyone know this stylus? Also, nothing is said about vertical compliance. |
@goofyfoot If I don’t hear back from the overly laid back guy at londondecca.com by the start of next week I shall be ordering an Ortofon Cadenza Mono, of which Ortofon write:
That should give me some vertical compliance and a more modern profile than a conical stylus. |
- 80 posts total