Why mono?

Thom, Mike, Jazdoc:

Would each of you state if your experience with variability in mono playbacks happens with newer mono reissues, with older original monos, or with both?

Thanx

Zaikes, the Herron line stages offer both mono and phase switching, even by remote. And there may be others, I know Joule-Electra has a mono selector on their linestage.

http://www.herronaudio.com/

So saying linestages won't ever again provide a mono switch is not correct. Of course many brands don't. And a disturbing number (to me at least) omit a balance control as well.

My experience is with original, older monos.

Recently snagged a mono first pressing of Mile Davis' "Round About Midnight" from 1955 and it absolutely wipes the floor with my other two stereo versions.

Another recent purchase was Barney Kessel, Ray Brown and Shelley Manne's "Poll Winners 3" from 1962?...one of the best sounding LPs I own.

I also recently rediscovered some original Mercury Living Presence monos and they are spectacular.

Again (and similar to current vinyl releases) pressing and recording quality will vary.

I was with Win at Robin's and the Miyajima Mono is one of the best cartridges made, perhaps the best. It was certainly the best sound that I have heard from vinyl and at it's asking price that's pretty darn amazing

Would each of you state if your experience with variability in mono playbacks happens with newer mono reissues, with older original monos, or with both?

as far as early 50's to mid-60's Classical and Jazz, and a few pop/rock; they are simply better in detail, dynamics, and natural ambience than a stereo cartridge playing the same Lp. in my system; when i use the 'mono' button on my darTZeel preamp with a stereo cartridge playing a mono Lp i cannot hear any difference (or have not so far).

even very good stereo cartridges tend to sound a bit bound up and bunched together in the middle. the Mono cartridge presents the musical components in a more natural space from speaker to speaker. there is an openness and freedom to the music. i don't want to go overboard in representing the overall presentation; 'better' in this case does not approach what the best stereo recordings can do in terms of space; but the music is well communicated.

i have quite a few mono reissues including all the 45rpm AP and Music Matters reissues. those are also mostly better on the mono cartridge in the same way. i have a bunch of the mono Super Analog Disc Decca reissues which are uniformily better with the mono cartridge.

i am in the early stages of my relationship with mono Lps and so i expect to attain further truths about this subject. will more expensive mono cartridges take me significantly further in performance? will i still be loving monos a year or two from now? or will it be a passing phase?

those are still questions.

stay tuned.