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In Reply to: RE: What competes with the AT33MONO in the ( $600 range? posted by tonyptony on November 26, 2015 at 13:56:01
There aren't many choices and fewer reviews. I went with an imported $330 AT33MONO over the similarly priced Ortofon 2M Mono primarily for the AT's low impedance LOMC characteristics and slightly smaller spherical stylus. The -SE version of the Ortofon is worth considering for its Shibata stylus, but at twice the price of the AT (AFAIK the -SE is only available direct from Ortofon at full MSRP), may or may not be good value.
For 60 or so monos in my collection, the overall improvement of AT33MONO relative to playing mono records through a high-end stereo cartridge is sufficient to put the matter to rest.
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I have an AT33 Mono Anniversary. Not sure what the differences are with the Anniversary, but it is a really good cartridge. I have a lot of mono records and like the sound of the cartridge better than any stereo cartridge in my possession including an Ortofon Cadenza Black. I have thought about a Miyajima Zero, but don't feel compelled to spend the money. The AT 33 Mono Ann. is smooth, detailed, and quiet with good balance across the entire audible spectrum. It tracks very well too. In short there is a lot to like.
The current model is still called 45th Anniversary.
Interesting. When I bought mine a year ago it was a NOS, discontinued item. Not sure what the difference is, if any.
You may be right. However there are still many on eBay and Amazon NIB with 45th Anniversary engraving and box. I purchased from Ebay seller Kenhiro.
Thanks for the helpful info, Dave. Can you give me a sense of how the AT sounds, and what sort of rig it's being used in?
With just ten hours of run in it's early for judgment. So far while spinning mostly the Beatles box and 50's Verve and Riverside jazz, the AT has the hallmarks of what I was hoping for in a mono cartridge. Dynamic and organic, wide and layered soundstage(with none of the receding bullseye pattern of lesser mono), more resolving than expected from a spherical stylus, and quieter in the groove than a stereo cartridge.
It's mounted to one of two SME 3012R arms on a Luxman PD444 into a Pass XP-25 phono stage with switchable inputs. With a mono record the AT does pretty much everything better than a $3K Accuphase AC-5 LOMC stereo cartridge of similar output and compliance on the second SME arm. Relative to the stereo cartridge, the mono cartridge has more center density, liveliness, and tonality, while still sounding neutral across FR.
That was helpful, and a bit surprising. I remember AT MC carts in years past sounding very "hi-fi" - pushing the high frequencies and sounding a bit thin and bleached. From what you said it doesn't seem like the AT33MONO is like that at all. Have you had a chance to hear other monos?
I heard a Miyajima mono at an audio show, but haven't had a mono cartridge since inheriting my grandfather's Magnavox/Garrard console in childhood...
The only other ATs I've owned are ART 7 and 20SS. The vintage 20SS is a tad thin, but the current ART 7 is balanced and refined and pretty close to SOTA.
One data point that leaned toward the AT33MONO was a post by someone who had transitioned from an AT33 stereo cartridge to an AT33MONO. He found the two 33s sounded very different-- the mono unexpectedly smoother and fuller and more listenable than the stereo.
Good luck with whatever you decide. Now that I've heard what a good mono cartridge can do, I'll be cruising for more mono LPs. At about the 150 record mark a Miyajima Zero might be nice...
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