Should I be listening to mono lps, with only 1 speaker?

Discussion in 'Audio Hardware' started by chewy, Jul 23, 2017.

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  1. Doctor Fine

    Doctor Fine "So Hip It Would Blister Your Brain"

    Your mid century room is amazing.
    Probably one of the most beautiful set ups I have seen in years.
    You are a God.
     
    Echoes Myron and btltez like this.
  2. ROFLnaked

    ROFLnaked Forum Resident

    Location:
    California
    Thank you, Dr Fine. Please enjoy a meal for me at Da Caneca's over there in the Ironbound.
     
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  3. Funky54

    Funky54 Coat Hangers do not sound good

    No just put your hand over one ear when you listen.
     
  4. Bob Y

    Bob Y Well-Known Member

    I'll try it, i won't be home for a few more months though, my room is very small though so don't know what the effects would be as opposed to both sides, I love mono.
     
  5. Bob Y

    Bob Y Well-Known Member

    Is that a Fisher 500 receiver below the turntable? I have an 80 but it needs to be restored.
     
  6. inperson

    inperson Senior Member

    Location:
    Ohio
    Does that little TV work?
     
  7. ROFLnaked

    ROFLnaked Forum Resident

    Location:
    California
    Which 80? One of the mono blocks or the 80-C preamp?

    Yes; good eye--this is the TA-500 receiver with EL37 output tubes from 1957. I've owned many 400/500/800 receivers over the years and even the earlier stereo TA-600 & TA-800 models, but this mono 500 receiver is the one I've held onto.
     
  8. ROFLnaked

    ROFLnaked Forum Resident

    Location:
    California
    Yes...but some days better than others.
     
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  9. Bob Y

    Bob Y Well-Known Member

    If I can ever figure out how copy and paste a post a photo I'll show you, haha! It's a mono tuner with preamp. I also have a Fisher 400 receiver, but I don't use it as it needs to be recapped but it sounds great.
     
  10. Ron Scubadiver

    Ron Scubadiver Forum Resident

    Location:
    Houston TX
    Back in the day the hardware was single channel with a single speaker. However, the transition from mono LP's to stereo was relatively fast.
     
  11. HDOM

    HDOM Well-Known Member

    Let me tell you my sperience, whit Miles kind of blue mono 1959 lp;

    I have one needle drop of this mono lp whit a stereo cartridge and another needle drop of this mono lp album whit a mono cartridge;

    Let me start saying that the mono cartridge whit one channel only sound it best, and the best position was to put both my left and right speaket, one above the other, even the mono nedle drop whit 2 chanels sound better this way but the 1 channel eat it, meaning sound it much much better! Even the hdtracks mono version sound it better this way.

    I also put a stereo version needle drop and also the stereo hdtracks or any other stereo cd, this way and it sound it not so good.

    In the old days people did a single mono speaker that i belive, wad constructed better for mono listening, than modern speakers, or i belive if i take one big modern speaker and listen whit one amp channel, it can do some justice! But i guess it never be as good as a mono amp;.
     
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  12. Fifth-Chord

    Fifth-Chord VG+

    Location:
    Columbus, OH
    Good question, enjoying the replies.

    I have a 1972 Sherwood SEL 200 with a mono speaker connection on the rear panel connection and selector switches in the front, which I thought was interesting. I don't know if this was for AM radio, multi channel set up, impedance variations or made to listen to mono recordings but I listened to the mono copy of Revolver a few times going back and forth between a center speaker and 2 channel. I preferred it with 2 channels. However, I have not tried it with a mono cartridge yet.
     
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  13. gregorya

    gregorya I approve of this message

  14. HDOM

    HDOM Well-Known Member

  15. G B Kuipers

    G B Kuipers Forum Resident

    Location:
    Netherlands
    When I had Tannoy Turnberrys I enjoyed using just one speaker for mono Beatles, Beach Boys and Sinatra. Sounded very nice, and period-correct, to me.
     
    HDOM likes this.
  16. Ntotrar

    Ntotrar Forum Resident

    Location:
    Tri-Cities TN
  17. vwestlife

    vwestlife Forum Resident

    Location:
    New Jersey, USA
    In the 1960s there were some dual-speaker mono systems, marketed as "Tandemonic".

    [​IMG]
     
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  18. Clonesteak

    Clonesteak Forum Resident

    Location:
    Kalamazoo, MI
    What if I just put my two speakers front and center next to each other?
    When I listen to Mono I have two speakers but just sounds like it is coming from a center speaker. If both speakers are out putting the same thing not sure there is a benefit or enough of a benefit for me to do a single speaker.
    I love cranking my stereo and play Mono and listen from the next room over and it usually sounds nice and full sounding. Stones or Beatles are great examples from experience.
     
  19. HDOM

    HDOM Well-Known Member

    In a corner or near a corner the 2 speakers, can sound great:D
     
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  20. Clonesteak

    Clonesteak Forum Resident

    Location:
    Kalamazoo, MI
    When I have some time to experiment I will. Thanks HDOM :righton:
     
    HDOM likes this.
  21. Thomas_A

    Thomas_A Forum Resident

    Location:
    Uppsala, Sweden
    There are some things to consider when listening to a centered speaker compared to two speakers angled in stereo configuration (20-30°). A centrally located speaker gives a different timbral response as compared to two stereo speakers that create a central mono phantom image. This is just due to the filtering of our head, body and ears. One can compensate for the timbral change of the stereo system to mimic the true mono source - the difference is a few dB in the frequency curve.
     
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  22. The FRiNgE

    The FRiNgE Forum Resident

    True! I have found bass to be more prominent with two speakers, vs one. Perhaps this occurs because of their summing affect proportionally in the bass region.
     
  23. Thomas_A

    Thomas_A Forum Resident

    Location:
    Uppsala, Sweden
    Agreed, the bass region is a bit different beast to tame due to the nulls and peaks in the room and will be affected by the number and placement of sources. The timbral changes due to the "stereo errors" occurs in the 700-4000 Hz region and are rather subtle but audible.
     
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  24. HDOM

    HDOM Well-Known Member

    No problem, happy halloween:D
     
    Clonesteak likes this.
  25. serendipitydawg

    serendipitydawg Dag nabbit!

    Location:
    Berkshire UK
    Anyone care to recommend what they consider to be the cheapest true-mono cartridge, please.
     
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