To @dwette @elliottbnewcombjr point, if you are going through the trouble of maintaining analog setup, buying mono vinyl, then why settle for stereo cart with mono switch. That’s like investing in a classic car, detailing it every weekend, then filling it with 87-octane and calling it “close enough….LOL!
I am committed to the full analog ritual—cleaning vinyl, precision tonearms, chasing dead-quiet backgrounds. I am not going to cheat myself out of the magic of true mono playback.
What I gather after reading here and online, a mono cartridge isn’t just about collapsing channels; its about, reduced noise (no vertical modulation pickup) and matching proper stylus profile for mono grooves.
Once installed, I am hoping for a fuller, more centered imaging that feels solid and alive, not smeared in any possible context.
And what about honoring the original intent of the recording?
Thank you all for your valuable input!