Turntable for mono and stereo LP’s?

Hi.
I want to buy a turntable but I have LP’s in mono and stereo.
Is there any way of having 2 stylus, one for mono and one for stereo in the same turntable or should I have to change it every time depending of the record?
Two turntables for each format?
Thanks.

 

You can use one stylus for both mono and stereo

 

I’ve read about I can do that.
But suppose you can get better audio quality from mono stylus for mono LP’s.

 

Then you have 3 choices:
1) 2 tables : inconvenience being having to have 2 phono pre or switching connexion cables everytime you switch
2) A table with interchangeable headshell and 2 carts : inconvenience being having to readjust tracking force each time
3) A table with 2 arms : inconvenience being cost + same as #1

 

Excellent. Thanks a lot.

 

My suggestion is to start with one turntable, cartridge and stylus. This is what most vinyl users have. If your amplifier doesn't have a "phono" input then you will also need a separate phono preamp to boost the voltage from the cartridge.

I have thousands of vinyl singles and albums. Many of my albums and singles are mono. I have one turntable (Thorens TD 166), with one arm (Rega RB250), one cartridge (Goldring G1042) and one stylus (D42). I use this equipment for playing all of my vinyl (mono and stereo), and it sounds great.

Some people have the money, time and space for a dedicated mono turntable/arm/cartridge. They say that this sounds better, and I believe them. However, I don't have the money, the space or the time. Also my system sounds great playing mono and stereo records using just one turntable. So I'm very happy as I am.

An important thing regarding playing mono records is that they sound better if you are able to merge the left and right channels together to enable a mono signal to be sent to each speaker. Otherwise you will hear music from the centre and pops and crackles and rumbles and scrapes and sibilance from the left and right. For good mono listening, therefore, you will need a mono switch of some kind.

My preamplifier has a mono switch that merges the two channels for me. Other people use an offboard mono switch that they purchased separately. This requires two additional interconnect cables.

So... start with a turntable and a stereo cartridge and, if necessary, a phono preamp. Then listen to your records and enjoy yourself.

After that, you will get to know what additional things you want or don't want.

Finally, you will need to set yourself a budget. You can buy a turntable for < $100 or you can buy one for > $10,000.

And.... you must also look after your records and keep them clean.

 

Just get a mono switch for your amp.

 

Stick to funneling your funds into one turntable and cart. If you are all set up to play records and have no mono switch on your amp, buy a Y cable ($10) and that combines 2 channels into 1. I do this when playing mono records.

Enjoy MONO.

 

Mono sounds better with a mono cart, you can get an arm with detachable headshells and use mono and stereo carts with identical spec bodies and headshells, so no changing balance each time an example being an Ortofon 2M Black, Bronze or Blue for stereo and a 2M Mono for mono, you can even fit a 78 stylus into the mono cart and cover all bases.

 

Over the years I went through the exercise of changing styli or cartridges for playing mono records. Ultimately I decided that I couldn't be bothered, and now just use one cartridge and stylus for all of my records, and it hasn't negatively affected my enjoyment at all.

If my amp had a mono switch, I'd use it, but it doesn't. It's really not a big deal unless the record is very noisy (but I avoid noisy records anyway).

I guess I'm at the point where I no longer want to fiddle around with the equipment and just want to listen to the music.

 

The idea of having to change cartridge etc. whenever I switch from a mono record to a stereo record or vice-versa really doesn’t appeal.

When I play vinyl, it’s often one 7” single after another, with some being in stereo and others in mono.

Having to fiddle around with cartridges etc. when I’m feeling the inspiration to play a particular single to follow the previous one would kill off the inspiration straight away. For me, this makes the idea a non-starter - and it would also have killed off my work as a mobile DJ rather quickly.

If I was more into listening to whole albums then it might be do-able, but that’s not really me.

 

Better phono stages have a mono/stereo switch. My preamp has one as well. The best sonic experience would be using a mono switch somewhere in your line in conjunction with a cart like this Hana model.

 

This does partially depend what type of mono LPs you have. If we are talking about mono records from the mid-‘60s or later, I’d start out with a better stereo cartridge rather than splitting the budget to two cartridges. Mono LPs will sound better if you have a mono switch somewhere in the chain, but they will play just fine even without it. I have a switch on my phono stage, and mono sounds great using the switch with my stereo cartridge.

A mono cartridge should be even more improvement, but having to buy two cartridges may mean a compromise in the overall quality of gear you are able to fit in budget. I am of course just assuming budget is a concern. If the sky is the limit, then by all means, consider multiple tables/arms/cartridges!

 

OP - tell me a little more about your LP collection - do you own a lot of mono pressings? Then, are they "modern" mono pressings mainly, or how far back do they extend?

Then do you currently own a TT? You said you "were looking to buy" -- are you an experienced vinyl person, or just getting into it and asking the "what if" scenarios? (This question is more aimed at how much you want to bite off out of the chute).

Just seeking to understand further, as with many questions on forums you'll get plenty of "here's what I do" couched as the "right" way to do it........ without really seeking to understand what you are trying to do or what YOUR motivations / situation are.......

..... but I could not give good advice from your post as I really don't have a clear picture of your situation, LP's, skills, desire, what you are trying to really solve, etc.

PS - I have a lot of current and practical experience in this area, and came from a "just push a button" frame of reference to now where I own multiple cartridges / turntables and play different cartridges depending on what era the LP is from........... so have done both. NOTE - this is NOT for everyone, and can cost extra $$$, time and trial and error. Many are OK with just pressing a button....... you have to ask yourself what you have a tolerance for.

 

Yes, when your mono LPs were cut and how many mono records you actually have are important pieces of information before anyone can really advise you. A modern fine line sylus in a 1950s mono LP is probably not ideal, for example.

 

Let me splash a big bucket of cold water on you....

This IS NOT a DJ forum. That means if you want to DJ, you'll be getting the WRONG advice here. What you need for DJing 7'' singles is two sturdy direct drive TTs, good sturdy DJ carts with CONICAL styli, and a DJ mixer. Depending on your situation and what you plan to do, you may also need an amp of some kind and a set of PA speakers. How do I know this? One of my good friends is a DJ.

Now, most DJ mixers do not come with mono switches. If you can find a good one that has one, go for it. If not, I suggest you buy a mono switch box from one of the members here that makes one, or figure how to make one yourself. It's a pretty simple device. You'll need an extra set of RCAs to make the switch box work, and if you want the ability to sum to mono BEFORE you input into your mixer, you will need two switchboxes.

This might not sound appealing to you, but I'm not aware of another way to make it work, sorry. My friend just plays his mono 7''s in stereo because he doesn't want to hassle with the switchboxes. Pretty much any mono record pressed after the late 50s is going to made with a stereo cutter head anyway.

 

Before you start reading : I singled out your reply, because you know I know you dabbled in DL-102's, GE, and other 25um and 18um solutions, and I know you own older pressings. (because we've exchanged on it in the past on PM and threads).

So just curious, is it you now are more tolerant to playing that 1951 Columbia blue label pressing with a modern stereo cartridge, and OK with that over-riding groove noise inherent with a fine point rolling around and bouncing off the walls in a large, U shaped groove? Or did you stop trying to play the older stuff and stick with modern mono pressings? (I know, loaded question )

BTW, I think I read in another thread you are up to 4K now LP's............ same here........ right around the same number these days! LOL Let me ask -- do you sometimes pause for a sec on what to play next???

Anyway, as someone (me) who just purchased an Ortofon SPU Mono G, and has an Ortofon CG25Di on the way..... and had used a DL-102 to date in past 25um situations....... and has been floored by how good some of these 1950's Columbian blue labels, RCA Victor, Mercury Olympians are truly pressed........................ anyway, I'll stop!

 

I use two tables, one stereo, one mono. The mono table has a mono cart of course and I have a mono switch on my 3-input phono preamp. If you have the space, it's a nice solution. If you're table can accommodate two arms, great, but you'll want either a mono switch on the preamp or have it hardwired for mono.

 

Here we go again. I get fed up when someone tries to chastise me without good cause. And I really dislike SHOUTING in posts.

I wrote what I wrote from the perspective of having been a mobile DJ for 10 years in my 20s and 30s. My console - a Roger Squire Roadrunner - was stereo, but it also had a mono switch that got used not only for mono records but also for tricky venues wherein feedback was excessive and switching to mono helped to reduce it so that I could keep the volume nice and high. It also had a handy presence control to boost upper mid-range and counteract the sound-absorbing properties of loads of bodies dancing in front of the speakers.

These days, I just spark off from one single to another in my lounge, sometimes when we have friends round and sometimes alone. I was doing it this evening until I saw your post.

 

No one is trying to chastise you. I'm simply pointing out that you may be getting bad advice or inappropriate advice from some people here. They'll recommend audiophile equipment because that's what they know.

I had to look up the console you mentioned. Console record changers for DJing like that have not been made in decades, and there isn't anything similar out today that I'm aware of (unless you are DJing files). So what I said still applies and would be a basic DJ setup in use from say the mid-80s until today.

If you want to talk DJing, go to a DJ forum and you'll get better advice overall there.

If you want to talk console record changers with ceramic carts, maybe try AudioKarma or something. Little to no one here uses a record changer. I had one when I was younger and don't miss it.

 

I’ll give you a proper reply later when I’m home, but that was a very thoughtful post!

 

Many thanks, but I’m not the OP and I’m not seeking any advice. I was merely observing that having to change cartridges between records wouldn’t work for me. It was an aside to the main thrust of the thread, which is to help the OP.

My comment about my time as a DJ was an attempt at humour. As a DJ, there was always pressure to have the next record and the right record cued up before the current one ended. Sometimes it was a ‘skin of the teeth’ thing. To also have to change the head shell between records would therefore have ended my career before it started.

Once in a while, when I’m asleep, I still have a dream about DJ-ing, and in this dream I fail to get the next record ready, leaving an embarrassing silence. I think that this could be described as an anxiety dream.

Finally, I’m not on this forum because I used to be a DJ or because I want to discuss DJ-ing. I’m just having a chat around the subject of needing to play both mono and stereo records.

 

I enjoy the luxury of 2 TT; one for mono and one for stereo. Works for me, but not for everyone.

I hear an improvement when playing a vintage mono LP via my mono cartridge (Ortofon CG25DI mk3) compared to a stereo cartridge (Shure V15-3, Empire EDR .9, Empire 2000z) in the same arm. There are trade offs, but improvements overwhelm.

I would suggest an arm with changeable headshells. Get a mono cartridge, a stereo cartridge and maybe a Shure 44 or 75 series for 45’s (my 45loving friends believe these cartridges are ideal for old 45s less than ideal condition).

The key is setup.

Take the time to properly install and align -each- cartridge. Really work hard to do the best job you can. Then weigh each cartridge and head shell. Note the weight of the heaviest combination. Then add weight to the others to exactly match the weight of the heaviest. You can use little dots of bluetak or similar for this step. Make sure that each combination static balances at 0 vtf without having to move the counterweight. Once you achieve this point, changing cartridges is a simple matter of changing VTF (and AS if using). Simple and repeatable.

Done.

 

The answer is somewhere in-between... I only have a handful of very early microgroove LPs, and you are correct that those will definitely benefit from being played with a conical stylus.

My earlier remarks overlooked one important detail... in addition to my main turntable, I also have a Dual 1019 set up with a budget Grado Black2 cart for playing beater records. I also have a second headshell with a Pickering NP/AC, and I have both microgroove (conical) and 78 styli, so I suppose I could use that for playing my really early LPs.

But pretty much any of my mono LPs pressed beginning around 1956 or so sound fine when played with a modern stereo tip.

All the time!

I have a DL-103 boxed up, waiting for the day when I again have a suitable tonearm for it...

 

Not offering anything new here, I suppose, but from my own personal perspective...

Ideally, if you have a dedicated collection of mono records, particularly if they are either early original releases and/or better quality reissues, then there are one of two options.

A separate turntable utilizing a mono cartridge, or one turntable designed to accommodate two tonearms.

Everything beyond that comes down to budget and expectations.