any mono folks out there?

A true mono 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.

Slvrtravel
Just a warning.
I believe the needles profile for mono records made in the 50's and earlier is differant than the mono's made in the 60's and later.

In addition to Hevac1's point on styli size, here is another worry for '50s jazz (or other types). While the RIAA curve was approved around 1955, it was not implemented by all labels for another ten years or more. Therefore, some means of adjustable EQ will help optimize playback of many of these wonderful recordings.

Suggest a search here and on Vinyl Asylum.

Some time ago I did listen to Mono with a Shelter 501 mono cartridge. Very good performance.

Mono rules when the whole chain is in mono. I recently got a second arm wand and a mono version of the Benz LP S cartridge. I only have 30 hours on it but the improvement already is astonishing. I have a great many mono records which I enjoyed for years on a stereo cartridge, but there is simply no comparison; I'll never listen to a mono record through a stereo cartridge again. The ARC Ref 3 and PH-7 both have mono switches. With a stereo cartridge on mono records, I always preferred the PH-7 in mono, but the Ref 3 sounded better running in stereo. Now it's not even close - it's mono all the way.