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Re: Help/questions about mono phonocartridges

Thank you both (Vinyl1 and Peter Fowler). I am much better educated now. Permit me one last set of questions.

Clearly the Lyra Helicon and Titan Mono cartridges are designed and optimized for mono - generators and stylus tip. The Dorian is a very good cost compromise with a microridge stylus.

Are any of the other cartridges, besides Denon, optimized for mono like Lyra or are they only electrically-enabled by cross-wiring and by using a stylus similar to the Dorian microridge?

I noted in an advertisement that the Shelter 501MKII mono was much more expensive than its stereo mate. Has this cartridge been redesigned and optimized for mono, or does the higher price simply reflect new engineering costs and lost economies of scale?

Finally, and maybe most important, would a Helicon Mono perform in my VPI MKIV/SME 309 set-up close to its potential or would the advantage of this cartridge be significantly compromised by compliance or other feature of the set-up?

For reference, most of the classical mono records I have are RCA/Mercury original recordings from the late 50 and 60s, generally in excellent condition. The others are folk,pop, rock on various labels from the 60s. That may provide some insight about groove dimensions.

Thank you.





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