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How good can a mono cartridge be...?

Can a modest mono cartridge better the performance of a top-of-the-line stereo cartridge?

I am wondering if anyone has practical, first-hand experience with this matter as I am deciding whether or not to invest some money in it. The situation:

1) I am luck to have a top-end tonearm and stereo cartridge
2) I have many mono LPs that sound great on the stereo setup (stereo cart, phono stage, 2 speakers)
3) My turntable will support a 2nd armboard, but my budget would not support a 2nd arm of the quality of my current arm -- nor would I be able to afford a top-of-the-line mono cartridge.

Question: Could a modest arm/mono cartridge actually perform better on mono source material than my top arm/stereo cartridge, all else equal? (No mono switches on the preamp, no mono amp, no single-speaker setup.)

What I'm assuming: If I could mount a top-of-the-line mono cartridge on a 2nd arm of the caliber of my first, then I would assume that it would perform better than my stereo cart on the mono source. Unfortunately, I could not afford to duplicate that setup, so I need to add that "practical" element to the question.

Said another way, on mono LPs...
a) Top arm + top mono cart > Top arm + top stereo cart
b) moderate arm + moderate mono cart > moderate arm + moderate stereo cart
c) moderate arm + moderate mono cart ? ( ?) top arm + top stereo cart

Has anyone experimented with this? Is it worth pursuing for me? I would have to get a 2nd armboard, in addition to the arm + cart.

Thank you!
ebalog
thomasheisig
568 posts
 
will a modest tonearm (say a rega) + a modest mono cartridge (say in the $500-700 range) perform BETTER on mono recordings than my (top-of-the-line) tonearm + (top-of-the-line) stereo cartridge?

Yes for the cartridge. Check out a Shelter 501 mono and you are there. A Mono Cartridge is for Mono Recordings and a Stereo Cart. for Stereo. To compare a cheap Rega Arm with a Top of the Line Tonearm is a different Story.
Try it with a Shelter 501 Mono cartridge, it is not expensive and you will hear your Mono's in a real good Quality.
winegasman
100 posts
 
Hi. I have a humble system so I can't tell you how the "modest" set-up will compare to your superb stereo set-up. Then again, no one from out here can honestly know what might "sound better" to you, since it's a purely subjective experience.

My suggestion, since you are curious, and since I trust that the curiousity will not disappear by itself, is to invest in the modest arm and cart that are in your price range (Rega arm and Shelter 501 cart?) and give it a go.

If it doesn't provide the satisfaction you're wondering about, you can sell both for modest losses. The psychic benefit of definitively answering the question for yourself will be well worth the modest cost.

Good luck!

[By the way, I have a tonearm on my table that allows for swappable headshells and for the past few months I've been using an Ortofon K-B ($1,200 sticker) for stereo and a Grado ME+ ($130) for mono and the Grado has pleased me more for mono -- quieter backgrounds and lusher timbre.]
ebalog OP
31 posts
 
hi tomasheig:
thanks -- i do believe that the modest mono cartridge will likely exceed the performance/satisfaction of the top stereo cartridge on a mono source ... but the problem is that the tonearm will also be lower quality and that could really affect things.

the match is the real question, as the tonearm & cartridge are a "system".

winegasman:
thanks much for the info. i was hoping to avoid any loss, but it may be that i have to go that route. if people threw up all over the idea, then i would want to avoid it.

the problem is that i have to buy a new armboard for my tonearm (~$2-300 -- pretty pricey!), so that kind of stinks. that definitely adds alot to the cost of the experiment and that is cost that cannot be recovered.

i could buy a mono cartridge to try on my current tonearm, BUT.... i wind up in the same position as when i started this conversation -- confirming what i already suspect (a good mono cartrdige can be better than a great stereo cartridge) but getting no practical info to help answer my real question about modest arm + mono cartridge.

I love my tonearm, but it does not allow for easy switching of cartridges. If that was the case, I'd probably purchase a 2nd armwand/headshell.

thank you!
winegasman
100 posts
 
Ebalog,

Another route to consider is getting a second table, one whose cost is about what you'd have to lay out for armboard and modest tonearm. Make that table your dedicated mono table for your experiment. Perhaps a Rega table with the 250 or 300 arm (if those are what you're considering)? Then pick up your modest mono cart. If you like the sound, you can sell the table/arm for not much loss (if you buy used, you might even break even!). Then you can make the investment in the armboard and 2nd arm with the full confidence of knowing that you like the sound you're going to get (unless, for some reason, the arm you choose is terribly mismatched with your table).

Enjoy the ride!
ebalog OP
31 posts
 
i really don't have the space for a 2nd table, but your suggestion is an interesting one as it certainly does minimize the potential loss and allow me to do a test in my own system.

my current table is very high performance, so i could expect that the mono cart + arm would do even better on my primary setup.

interesting though. many thanks!!
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