MONO cartridges

Thanks for your response Hevac.
I will try mine at 940 ohms which is the highest loading I have for the pre without ordering new resistor plugs.
Did you try yours at a higher loading before making final load decision? They state the higher the loading, the more open the result.

I have used a Lyra Helikon mono for several years. The loading issue is a matter of personal taste. I usually start on 47k Ohm and work my way down until I hear no improvement. The nominal impedance for most moving coils is around 100 Ohm but this may be too low for the Helikon
In comparing a mono to stereo cartridge on the same record and by switching arms in the turntable arm mount, I can definitely tell you that the groove noise is virtually gone and the image depth improves greatly. If you have more than a few hundred mono lps, and can interchange tonearms easily, a dedicated mono cartridge is the way to go.

i've read all your answers and I would like to say 'Thank you' to all of you.
I went a step ahead.
May I ask, did someone comparisons among mono cartridges? Dorian to Helikon or Titan for example?Or with a SPU?

I have compared EMT TMD25 with Benz Glider mono version on some older mono records. Glider was incorporated into the EMT TMD headshell. The results were, I prefer the TMD25. My interpretation is that the difference lies in the stylus dimensions, the TMD25 being 1mil (25mM) spherical, and the Glider, I assume, having the same stylus, as their stereo version. However, the difference may well be elsewhere. Sorry, I haven't tried playing newer mono records. Maybe, the Glider will shine with them.

I recently found a Sony XL55mono. It is in an integrated headshell, like the FR-7, and is quite heavy (though not quite as heavy as the FR-7). It is a low output MC cart. I have not found specs but I would put it in the 0.2-0.5mV area. It is something of a strange beast - it has a very thin cantilever and appears to run very light VTF despite its heavy mass. I have not found any literature on it and would welcome it if anyone had it.

In any case, it sounds very nice.

Note: it has a headshell ring to stylus tip length which is several mm shorter than the FR-7.