Hello Ebalog
I have a Basis TT with a Graham 2.2. I have two wands for the Graham arm. 1 for a Stereo Koetsu Urushi and 1 for a Lyra Helikon Mono. IMHO, this is one of the best investment I have made. I have found that this allows me to purchase used records I would normally pass over if they were stereo. As Eldartford stated in and earlier reply, a mono true cartridge does not send any vertical groove modulation information. This where most of the damage you here on stereo records happens. A stereo cartridge will send the vertical groove info to your preamp even it is in mono mode. The Lyra does sound better than the Koetsu for mono recordings even with my preamp in mono mode because of the missing vertical info. There are a lot of very great recordings out there in mono like the Beatles records, all of them up to the White Album were recorded in mono then channeled or remixed into stereo. IMHO they sound best in mono not stereo.
I would try the extra TT if I were you, that way you can get it used then sell it off. Then add the second tone arm to your current setup if you are happy with it. If you do the extra arm I would get the RB300 with the rewired upgrade and a Shelter 501. I heard it with my setup and it sounded great. Then I purchase the extra wand to complete my setup, I went with the Lyra because I wanted even better sound quality.
Do not use these mono cartridges on 78s as this will destroy both the record and cartridge.
I have a Basis TT with a Graham 2.2. I have two wands for the Graham arm. 1 for a Stereo Koetsu Urushi and 1 for a Lyra Helikon Mono. IMHO, this is one of the best investment I have made. I have found that this allows me to purchase used records I would normally pass over if they were stereo. As Eldartford stated in and earlier reply, a mono true cartridge does not send any vertical groove modulation information. This where most of the damage you here on stereo records happens. A stereo cartridge will send the vertical groove info to your preamp even it is in mono mode. The Lyra does sound better than the Koetsu for mono recordings even with my preamp in mono mode because of the missing vertical info. There are a lot of very great recordings out there in mono like the Beatles records, all of them up to the White Album were recorded in mono then channeled or remixed into stereo. IMHO they sound best in mono not stereo.
I would try the extra TT if I were you, that way you can get it used then sell it off. Then add the second tone arm to your current setup if you are happy with it. If you do the extra arm I would get the RB300 with the rewired upgrade and a Shelter 501. I heard it with my setup and it sounded great. Then I purchase the extra wand to complete my setup, I went with the Lyra because I wanted even better sound quality.
Do not use these mono cartridges on 78s as this will destroy both the record and cartridge.