What to expect from MONO

For mono listening, I always turn my head 90 degrees either left or right of my normal stereo position. Because look, if you want true mono, even with a mono switch, even if you go to a single speaker system, even if you use a single-tubed amp/preamp, etc, you still have to listen with JUST ONE EAR. This is so often overlooked in the literature (but cf "The Van Gough Effect" published somewhere in Boston a couple decades ago). And the ear that sounds best depends on your 'handedness'. Try it for yourself.

To simulate a mono switch and see if this impacts your perceptions, use a male Y connector from Radio Shack to blend the left and right channels and then another Y connector with a female end to split the blended signal to your phonostage

Hello Arch7

Your antiskating could be off. I have the Classic Records mono release and have played it with both a stereo & mono needle. The sound comes from the center. Try a stereo album with a strong singing voice you know should be in the center. If it is not then either your cartridge alignment is off or you are having other issues with your system. Also try near field listening. Move your speakers about 5 feet from your seating location this will eliminate many room issues you do have. I have had issues with my projector screen. It would cause the imaging to move or go to one side or the other no matter what pressings mono or stereo I listened. I found it moved ever so slightly while the music played causing the problem. I now use a tapastry over the screen to solve the problem. So I have learned rooms have a lot to do with imaging of your system and the further you are from your speakers the more it will affect it.

I have a ZYX mono cartridge on my VPI 12.5 arm and about 500 mono LPs. I use two speakers, rather than just one. I have tried it both ways and prefer two speakers, though I can see why some people prefer a single speaker. On my system, with two speakers, I do get a horizontal sound stage with mono, not just a vertical line. The mono horizontal soundstage ranges from 1/4rd to 1/2 of the size of the horizontal soundstage of the stereo version of the same recording played on the same arm with a stereo cartridge, a ZYX UNIverse.