Mono Switch?

One of the main selling points for me on the Thor TA-3000 phono preamp was that it had a mono switch. These things matter and more manufacturers should be aware of that

so, what does a mono switch do anyways? If I traded out my cartridge for a mono one, and listened to mono records, are you saying the result would be only one speaker play? Man, if so, I want a mono switch too!

Mre2007, this is my understanding of a mono cartridge vs. a stereo cartridge.

A stereo cartridge will play a mono record as mono through both speakers with or without a mono switch. A mono cartridge has a spherical stylus vs. an elliptical one, and the stylus tip diameter is larger than on a stereo stylus, to sit higher up in the record groove. Mono is determined by the lateral motion of stylus in the groove, while the stereo is derived from vertical motion.

So with a mono cartridge, you won't get any spurious vertical movement, which would translate to possible phase cancellation of the mono signal.

Fatparrot:

So, a mono cartridge won't play through both speakers, unless a mono switch is used?

-Marc

Mre2007, a mono cartridge will send the same mono signal to both the left and right channel...with or without a mono switch.