SH Spotlight If you have a turntable you need to play your mono records in true MONO. How to do it cheaply..

Reaching around to the back of my cabinet is not a simple or quick thing to do. Once ok. Ongoing no.

 

That's actually harder for me. My table and pre amp are not far from each other and accessible. The distance and hook up to my receiver is more of a hassle. But that's just my problem.

 

You can't just pull your phono pre-amp out the front of the cabinet? That's what I do. Lovely set up, by the way.

 

Thanks Yeah I'll probably do that. It's just that the cables now just make it so it's a bit of a pain.

I guess I'll listen. My guess is I'll hear a difference as I compare but if I stick to my normal set up ill probably enjoy the sound. I played the first foir mono Beatles w my normal stereo setup and I was stunned how great they sounded.

 

You'll get the greatest benefit from playing back old used mono records. You can revive some VG copies with a double Y set up.

 

I bought a Y splitter cable and then a Y plug for the other end of the cable in preparation for my Beatles Mono Box.

When I plug them in I get a low level static type hum that clearly isn't there without the Y set up. Any ideas what might be caution it? Cheap Y plug or cable? An earthing issue?

 

This is what I found on the web for construction of a mono/stereo switch box. BTW there are none at all already made that I can find - something as simple as this I would have thought would have been out there but seems not.

From here http://londonjazzcollector.wordpress.com/for-audiophiles/mono-stereo/ the shopping list is thus:


. Two pairs of phono sockets—the best quality you can afford,

· A double pole single throw toggle switch—quality not important,,

· Sufficient length of wire (preferably silver) to make the connections,

· An ABS box to fit it into.

In the ‘on’ position the switch connects either just the two signal wires to each other (left and right) or both the signal wires to each other and the earth wires to each other, depending on the source going into the switch. Both configurations can be tried. With the switch off the signal and earth simply go from the input phono sockets to the output phono sockets of the box.

This thread at Audio Karma also has a wealth of info:

http://www.audiokarma.org/forums/showthread.php?t=385486

 

I've not read through the thread, but... if there are soundstage/imaging problems with playing mono recordings on a stereo vinyl setup, don't those same problems exist with stereo records? It's just that you can't really sum stereo records because they're stereo. Is vinyl better at mono than stereo?

 

I couldnt get some Y splitters but I bought a 3 hole phono plug socket (from turntable) & One male (male stuck in one of the holes of the 3 hole plug) to 2 male ( to stick in back of amplifier). I think I'm getting the desired effect where sound in central in middle & indeed sounds more punchy less surface noise . I have played some Beatles/Jefferson Airplane/Kinks/Stones Beggars Banquet. All good.

 

I gave the salesman at the Shack a slip of paper with the product name and the part numbers. He first tried to sell me something else! I told him that it was not what I wanted/needed. He then went and got one of the 2 correct y-cables, and said, "Here you go." I told him I need the other one as well, but he told me I didn't need it. He then asked me what I was trying to do but he gave no clue as to what I told him. He then got the other y-cable for me. I paid him and went home and hitched them up and got great mono sound!

 

A few seconds of plugging for great mono sound and a few to undo for stereo sound.

 

do you guys think this type of set up is still needed for the "new" Beatles mono LP's ??
or is this only needed for "old" releases??

 

Yes and yes.

 

Thank you
Now off to radio shack

 

Here's something that I hadn't thought of and now I want to ask about: I have an Ortofon OM 78 cartridge to play 78 RPM records. Maybe I can use it to play mono LPs by means of a different stylus?

 

It works very nicely, groove noise is reduced and centred right down the middle of the soundstage. Provides a nice alternative for anyone without a mono cartridge or mono button on their pre-amp or amplifier.

 

Agreed, but not everyone has as elevate phono preamp. I don't. Which is why I'm going to install my switch box in the tape loop (and keep the cassette deck wired in too...). Bought the parts today.

 

Hi All,

I have no issues doing the standard pre-amp to amp routine, but am still having issues with the Tape Monitor way. Using the Tape Monitor way, I have the Y-Cable going from my Pre-Amp to the Tape Out. From here is where I seem to be confusing myself. Just by pressing the Tape Monitor button on and off I get sound to mute. However when I go from the AUX setting to Phono setting I get 'Sound 1' and 'Sound 2'. Sound 1 being much more bright and sound 2 being a little more 'muffled' (for lack of a better term). This can't be it, right? I am not going from Mono to Stereo just by flipping back from AUX and Phono, right?

Thanks!

 

Thanks to Steve and others for the suggestion of using y cables for mono playback. I set up my TT using this technique and played some of the new Beatles mono records. Everything worked very well.

 

To answer moomaloo's question, I do exactly as he enquired - my y cables go out from my tape-out sockets and loop back into the tape-in sockets (it helps that I don't have a tape deck on my set up anymore).

It works great - to hear the double-Y in action, all I need to do is hit the Tape monitor button on my amp, without any fiddling around the back, pulling plugs and wires out.

It's not for everyone - you need spare in/out sockets in your amp and MUST have a monitor switch to hear what's going through the loop - but an extremely effective solution, for me at least.

 

Glad it works, I might give it a try.

 

I made a simple mono/stereo switch box. Makes life a lot easier...no switching cables/Y adapters.

Very easy to put together.

Here's a few pics if anyone is interested.

 

Is it better to do the Y-cable thing between the tonearm and phono stage or between the phono stage and amplifier? The signal is more delicate between the tonearm and phono stage. Adding additional cabling in that stage could do more damage to the signal there?

 

If you scroll down on the Beatlesdrops page you can hear a 'without' and 'with' y -cable comparison sample clip using the new Beatles Mono vinyl...... as others have noted, there is a slight loss of high-end to my ears. (as these were cut with a Stereo lathe)

These new pressings are so quiet that I don't think it is necessary to use the y-cable, but many have and like the results.

The y-cable technique that Steve mentions is Great for most old vinyl records, and I use it all the time. On any mono records before 1968 you shouldn't hear any difference, as those would have been cut on mono lathes.

Btw,...... I use two female rca y-plugs, along with one barrel connector, instead of cables.

Cheers

'Tone