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RE: Listening to digital/vinyl and then mono

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In Reply to: RE: Listening to digital/vinyl and then mono posted by coffee-phil on September 11, 2017 at 13:35:28

I might ask the same questions.

Yes I have a true mono cartridge. And a stereo cartridge. And if one has a preamp with a mono switch that is all the is required to sum the stereo output.

I have been doing this demo for years at shows. One table, two of the same arms. One arm has a Miyajima Madake stereo cartridge the other arm has a Miyajima Zero mono. Everyone, everytime is floored at how much better the mono cartridge sounds with mono records. The stereo is not even close. Summed stereo is flat, boring, lifeless compared to true mono. For the skeptics before the demo we offer a Zero for free if they don't hear a big difference. Of course if they do think the Zero is better they have to buy one that is the deal.

Miyajima Madake, $5895 retail, Miyajima Zero, $1995.

Follow Ups:

RE: Listening to digital/vinyl and then mono - coffee-phil 14:40:57 09/11/17 (1)
OK,

Fair question. First off my equipment is a bit more "common folk" than what you are using. The mono cartridge is a GE RPX which is a classic mono cartridge which existed before the advent of stereo records. Maybe not state of the art but seems to have a cult following. The Stereo cartridge is a Sonus Blue which is kind of at the top of the "common folk" group. The summing is done in my legacy mono preamp after ~ 10 dB of gain, but before any EQ. The summing is effective which can be demoed by switching to vertical on a lateral record or lateral on a vertical record.

I won't deny what you are hearing but as much as I like my RPX I can't honestly say it is better than my Sonus. In fact I'm struck with how similar those two cartridges sound.

Phil
- RE: Listening to digital/vinyl and then mono - kentaja 14:50:56 09/11/17 (0)
  The Miyajima Zero is probably the finest cartridge I have ever heard stereo or mono. The Madake in so many is a much better cartridge than the Zero but even at nearly (3) times the cost of the Zero there is a certain magic that the Zero has that is missing with the Madake.
  My mono set-up is down at the moment. Last night I wanted to listen to some of my mono discs. I did not make it through one cut of the mono disc. It is just not the same. I want a true mono cartridge for my mono discs.
  I used to be happy with mono discs using a summed stereo cartridge. Then I made a bad audiophile mistake and listened to mono records with a true mono cartridge. Wrong thing to do unfortunately. Now I can't go back.
  
  Edits: 09/11/17

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