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Vintage MONO Cartridge Question ?

I am about to create a dedicated Mono TT system (I have the table and arm), and now need a cartridge.

Which would you choose as your dedicated Mono cartridge:

Ortofon ESL C60 or Concert
Fairchild 225a
Grado Mono Moving Coil

Why ?

I understand that all would need to be rebuilt before I can expect to use reliably.

Thanks !




iopscrl
fleib
1,124 posts
 

How can you completely eliminate the vertical component if the cart has vertical compliance?  Tell the coils not to respond to those movements?

Seems like that's exactly what's attempted, either by connecting stereo MM coils in series, or orienting a coil for lateral movement. Vertical rejection might vary depending on design, but I certainly wouldn't play even a pre microgroove record with a stylus with no vertical compliance.

I believe a "properly" designed mono cart will eliminate objectionable stereo differences between channels and vertical noise will be down at least 30dB.  A mono switch might also give 30dB rejection, but stereo differences will be blended, not eliminated.

iopscrl OP
82 posts
 
A mono cartridge can have vertical compliance.  The Denon 102, and many of the Japanese mono cartridges have vertical compliance.  What is important is that the cartridge contains a single  coil only, and does not generate signal from vertical movement (well there is some, but it is negligible).  A stereo cartridge, adapted for mono by coil alignment, or internal connection generates a vertical signal.  This signal introduces distortion and phase anomalies that are audible.  
 
fleib
1,124 posts
 

It's not possible for any single coil arrangement with vertical compliance to completely reject vertical cantilever movement, Japanese or otherwise. It will generate output from vertical movement.  Look at the spec for vertical rejection.

The adaptation of a stereo cart for mono is designed to cancel vertical output. Once again, look at the spec.

johnnyb53
3,490 posts
 
I don't really care if the specs allow for some vertical crosstalk. When I lower the needle of my *stereo* cartridge (using the damped cueing lever), there is a loud THUMP! When I lower the needle with my AT-MONO3/LP, its landing is TOTALLY INAUDIBLE. If it's inaudible during a severe vertical modulation with no horizontal modulation to obscure it, then it's not going to contribute anything of note when all the groove modulations are in the horizontal plane.  

It's a really good cartridge for a ridiculous price, and the AT33MONO is even better, as it should be.

lewm
6,770 posts
 
In theory, the noise generated by vertical motion of the stylus in a mono cartridge is cancelled by adding the positive and negative signals from each channel, in a mono cartridge that was created from a stereo cartridge.  As I think Fleib is trying to say, since the two channels are never a perfect match, the cancellation effect also can never be absolutely perfect.  The same applies to using the mono switch, if your preamplifier has such.  I don't own any mono cartridge, but I do use a mono switch when playing mono LPs, and the improvement vs playing mono LPs in stereo is enormous, most notably in the area of reduced noise and an increase in the width of the soundstage.  From this I conclude that faux mono cartridges might also work pretty well to generate a mono experience, albeit not perfectly.  Anyway, the OP is not asking us to debate this issue.  He knows what he wants.

A true mono cartridge, which has only one coil, can have vertical compliance without generating any noise as a result, if there is no mechanism to transduce vertical movement into an audio signal.

Another issue, I much prefer 2-channel mono over the idea of using only one of two speakers when listening to mono.  Old habits die hard, I guess.  But this is why I personally have no interest in ancient true mono, 2-pin cartridges from the 50s.  (While I am a big proponent of vintage stereo cartridges.)
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