Mono record sounds like stereo


So I have been playing stereo records for 40 years.  I’ve recently acquired some Verve Japanese reissues. Listening to Metronome All stars tonight and there is clearly separation. I hear horns predominantly on the left and xylophone and drums on the right.  This is on an Ortofon SPU synergy stereo cartridge. Is this normal ?  I’m sorry.  I’m new to Mono.  I bought about 50 verve and Blue notes last week and got some monos on accident.  My system is balanced and the room has extensive treatment so I’m lost !   

128x128adrianleewelch

I just wanted to confirm if my AT-33 mono is MC as I bought it a long time ago

https://www.audio-technica.com/en-eu/cartridges/type/moving-coil/at33mono

this popped up, it happens to be my combo of MC Stereo and MC Mono

https://www.vinylengine.com/turntable_forum/viewtopic.php?t=101429

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Audio Technica AT33PTG/II and AT33 MONO

Post by omegabri » 10 Jan 2018 10:49

Hi guys

I've just finished putting my new Audio Technica AT33PTG/II and AT33 MONO MC cartridges on to two matching Pro-Ject aluminium Signature headshells, and setting them up on my turntable.
I've moved up from an AT440mlb MM cartridge. Having briefly listened to a mixture of lp's, using the new carts, I can say that I am extremely pleased!
The AT33PTG/II gives more positioning of instruments than the AT440mlb (which is still an outstanding cartridge). The sound stage portrayed by my speakers seems to have more depth, the response of the MC cart seems sharper, and draws out more detail.
The AT33 MONO is, to me, simply astonishing! I've never had a dedicated true mono cartridge before, and listening to mono now just blows my mind. Outstanding isn't a good enough term. I'm definitely looking forward to dragging all my mono lp's out now!

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Also mentioned above, I am using my old but nearly new AT-440ML on my Office TT. I used to alternate it with Shure's V15Vxmr, preferred the Shure due to it's damped brush (helped with my flexible flyer wood floors), and it's beryllium cantilever, until I looked sideways at the beryllium and it shattered.

AT's current version of the AT440 is the VM540ML, it is the one I recommend as a 'starter' upgrade MM Stereo cartridge, due to advanced stylus shape, tight channel balance 1.0 db, fairly wide channel separation 28db, fairly light tracking force 2.0g.

https://www.audio-technica.com/en-us/cartridges/type/moving-magnet/vm540ml

Yeah, that’s gonna be an interesting read because that SPU has a conical stylus I believe. So much smaller profile of my blackbird would not duplicate the problem.

Welcome to the jungle. Nowhere in audio can you find more conflicting information than on the subject of mono reproduction and mono cartridges. To begin with most modern mono cartridges are stereo cartridges that have been modified in one way or another to produce mono. Very like flipping the mono switch on your preamp.