Mono cartridges

More stable imaging and they're quieter.

Jim

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So, from a value perspective am I better off upgrading my stereo cartridge or adding a mono cart and another arm?

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Less than 10% of my LPs are mono. But my question is whether a better stereo cartridge is more of an upgrade (currently I use Dynavector XV1S)

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Sorry to be confusing. Let me try this:

Logically, while it may be true that all other things being equal a mono cart is better for mono LPs, in my experience all other things are rarely equal. One thing that is clearly not equal unless one has no budgetary restrictions (hah!) is cost. That is, to add a mono cart to a stereo system costs a) for the cart, b) for the arm or arm wand, c) for mounting stuff. That leaves me logically with a dilemma: qualitatively is the mono over stereo cart advantage bigger or smaller than what the same investment in a better stereo cart or phono preamp or arm or TT would bring?

That is a relevant question if I listen 50% to mono records. As you point out, it is an even bigger question if I listen, as I do to mostly stereo records.

In part this question is one for reviewers: how does one calibrate the size of the benefit of one system upgrade relative to another possible system upgrade?

To be sure this is clear, I might observe that a basic solid-state preamp would be better for rock music and a basic tube preamp would be better for classical. Just accept the example; the point is the logic. But I might further observe that buying a high end preamp, either tube or SS, for the same money as the first two preamps, would be better on both rock and classical.

Therefore, I am thinking that it is insufficient to know that one type of basic product is better than another under certain conditions. It is also important to know what the same money could do if invested in a single product of higher quality.

Final analogous example of this: I could observe, if I were running a Nissan 350Z in SCCA road racing, that adding a Mini Cooper S would allow me to go faster in SCCA autocross (situational optimization). But for the same money it might be possible to go faster in both situations with a Corvette Z06 (intrinsic quality optimization).

Hope that helps.

PS, as you say, it matters what quality level you start with. Maybe the XV1S is about as good as it gets.

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I am using an XV1S, which I think is 'up there' with the best.

If you listen to a lot of mono, then you might want to plop for an other arm/mono version of the XV1S (or another mono cartridge). Is it worth it? I guess only you can decide - again it would depend on how much of your time is spent listening to mono. I suspect that for most current audiophiles mono would be low on the list of priorities.

In part this question is one for reviewers: how does one calibrate the size of the benefit of one system upgrade relative to another possible system upgrade?

I'm not a reviewer, but I guess this would depend on who you ask. Ifyou subscribe to the Linn philosophy, you spend 90% or so of your money on the source. This is porbably excessive to most people :) Others would say buy the best speakers that you can afford.

With all due respect to reviewers and dealers, in the end, it's what your ears tell you. It's your money and you're going to live with the system. Fyi, I never buy anything unless I can have it at home for a few days (cartridge excepted unfortunately).

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Dear All,

I am a classical music lover who is particularly fond of historical performances. By and large, I should say that most of the greatest historical recordings are on good old 78-rpm shellacs. Many are on mono LPs. A lot – but not that many – are on stereo LPs. Now, I am going analogue and while for the older recordings originally on 78-rpm shellacs I will continue to rely on CD transfers (or will get LP transfers, if any), I plan to purchase a lot of mono LPs. As I wish to listen to my (future) mono LP collection in what arguably is the best possible way, I am determined to purchase a turntable with two tonearms, one fitted with a stereo cart and the other one with a mono cart (no room for two ‘tables). In fact, a still obscure Italian manufacturer of outstanding tube gear, Gino “Genius” Trifirò, is manufacturing both a dual-mono phonostage and a mono phonostage for me – I expect wonders, whatever the cartridge(s).

While I dream of the new DaVinci In UniSon ‘table with two DaVinci Grandezza tonearms, my current budget does not allow me to go that far, as it is in the region of the 7,500 to 10,000 bucks for the entire turntable plus stereo arm/cart plus mono arm/cart set-up (cabling not included). Not that much, I’m afraid, buy still enough to get decent stuff to start with.

Any recommendations? (Please bear in mind that my system consist of an ECC82-based preamp and 845-based power amps driving (heavenly) the fabulous Quad 2905s.)

The lowest priced alternative I’m considering is the two-arm version of the Pro-Ject RPM 10 (it can be done), with two Pro-Ject 10cc Evolution arms (or one Pro-Ject 10cc Evolution arm and a Pro-Ject 12cc Evolution arm) and two Benz-Micro Glider carts (one stereo, the other mono). I find the Pro-Ject RPM 10 is a truly great ‘table and I love the Glider. More costly alternatives I am contemplating include, as far as the turntable is concerned, the Transrotor ZET-1 or ZET-3, the Sheu Premier Mk III, etc.

This is definitely not the kind of set-ups Mr. Valin normally listens to, but I would pretty much appreciate his thoughts, as well as those of all other TAS reviewers and forumers.

Thanks in advance for your help!

Ruggero

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Zeb wrote:Another option would be to go the VPI route. Most of their basic tables have an upgrade path, and the design of the JMW arm (removable arm wand) makes it extremely easy to swap cartridges.

Thanks Zeb.

I had considered the removable shell option, not the removable arm wand one. That's interesting, all the more so since I've read and heard great things about VPI 'tables and JMW arms (never had the chance to listen to them, though). However, the two arms concept derives from the (rather radical) idea --which I would like to stick by-- to have two dedicated phonostages, one for stereo recordings, one for monos.

Ciao,

Ruggero

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I agree with Zeb.  I have the VPI Aries and use 2 different arms: the 10.5 with a Denon low output MC cart and a 10 with a Benz Micro mono cart.  Swapping from stereo to mono takes mere seconds.

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