WHY and What are you Listening to?

[S Clark]

Pulled out a copy of "The New World Symphony" by Dvorak last night on Epic with George Szell thr Cleveland Symphony.  Played the first side noting how everything was coming from the center.
Turned the LP, sure enough, it's a mono vinyl from 1959.  Played the back half with a mono cartridge to a very different sound.  Moved it over to the Mono Classical stack. 

[Nick B]

Pulled out a copy of "The New World Symphony" by Dvorak last night on Epic with George Szell thr Cleveland Symphony.  Played the first side noting how everything was coming from the center.
Turned the LP, sure enough, it's a mono vinyl from 1959.  Played the back half with a mono cartridge to a very different sound.  Moved it over to the Mono Classical stack. 

What arm do you use with what table and which tables are mono vs stereo?

[S Clark]

This is the table in my big room, the Vyger Timor.  I've got a Pioneer Exclusive P3 tonearm (the EA-03) with a Dynavector 20x2L on a pod, and a plinth mounted Jelco 370H with a Benz Ace Ebony modified to mono by Steve Leung of VAS.     
The photo is stock and not my arm set up. 


In my smaller room, I've got a Victor TT81 with a pod (courtesy of Dave E) mounted Jelco750E, and a Technics SP10II with a Syntec S220 arm with a Denon 102 mono cartridge.

Here is the Pioneer arm:

[Nick B]

This is the table in my big room, the Vyger Timor.  I've got a Pioneer Exclusive P3 tonearm (the EA-03) with a Dynavector 20x2L on a pod, and a plinth mounted Jelco 370H with a Benz Ace Ebony modified to mono by Steve Leung of VAS.     
The photo is stock and not my arm set up. 


In my smaller room, I've got a Victor TT81 with a pod (courtesy of Dave E) mounted Jelco750E, and a Technics SP10II with a Syntec S220 arm with a Denon 102 mono cartridge.

Here is the Pioneer arm:

What nice vinyl gear. I've not heard mono in my house. Don't recall one mono album I've ever owned. A couple of years ago, I sold and delivered my Basis Ovation table to a nice guy down in so. California. Last I heard he was working with Basis to get their Vector tonearm to fit the armboard with an adapter plate. I tried to sell the Graham arm as a package deal, but had to sell it separately to another guy in so. California. Never heard back from him either if he could find or afford a good table.

[P.I.]

This is the table in my big room, the Vyger Timor.  I've got a Pioneer Exclusive P3 tonearm (the EA-03) with a Dynavector 20x2L on a pod, and a plinth mounted Jelco 370H with a Benz Ace Ebony modified to mono by Steve Leung of VAS.     
The photo is stock and not my arm set up. 


In my smaller room, I've got a Victor TT81 with a pod (courtesy of Dave E) mounted Jelco750E, and a Technics SP10II with a Syntec S220 arm with a Denon 102 mono cartridge.

Here is the Pioneer arm:

What nice vinyl gear. I've not heard mono in my house. Don't recall one mono album I've ever owned. A couple of years ago, I sold and delivered my Basis Ovation table to a nice guy down in so. California. Last I heard he was working with Basis to get their Vector tonearm to fit the armboard with an adapter plate. I tried to sell the Graham arm as a package deal, but had to sell it separately to another guy in so. California. Never heard back from him either if he could find or afford a good table.

The last mono album I bought was John Mayall and the Bluesbreakers with Eric Clapton. K-mart: 1967.

[S Clark]

1967 was about when mono lathes began to disappear.  After that time, even "mono" records were cut with stereo lathes with different shape cutting styli.  My two mono cartridges reflect that change as well.  My older Denon 102 is a conical stylus and plays old mono lps in a smooth and forgiving way. The Benz is a modern line contact styli.  I can get a clean sound out of a pretty banged up older mono lp compared to a later stereo if it was cut with a conical cutter.  And it affects my record buying.  I stay away from buying anything stereo below NM-, whereas I'll go down to even VG in old mono.   
There may still be a few of those old Scully/Westrex lathes, rebuilt a time or two, still out there cutting away... but they've got to be ancient. 

[S Clark]

William Ackerman- "Passage"
Founder of Windham Hill records, and influential "new age" guitarist.
Came in from putting in some hours trimming and painting a new door... and I was whipped.  You listen this genre and you just float in the music. 

[Nick B]

William Ackerman- "Passage"
Founder of Windham Hill records, and influential "new age" guitarist.
Came in from putting in some hours trimming and painting a new door... and I was whipped.  You listen this genre and you just float in the music. 

Just what I needed 🎶🎶   I just had 4 shelves put up in the garage. Now I'm dusting, hosing my plastic stands and all the boxes from the move. It was worth paying the guy....and he did quality work too 👍

[P.I.]

William Ackerman- "Passage"
Founder of Windham Hill records, and influential "new age" guitarist.
Came in from putting in some hours trimming and painting a new door... and I was whipped.  You listen this genre and you just float in the music. 

Just what I needed 🎶🎶   I just had 4 shelves put up in the garage. Now I'm dusting, hosing my plastic stands and all the boxes from the move. It was worth paying the guy....and he did quality work too 👍

[S Clark]

The Complete Chopin Waltzes  w. Artur Rubinstein on RCA
LM 1892
This is a 1956 mono first pressing.  And with a dedicated mono cartridge, it sounds pretty amazing. 
As I've aged, I've come to appreciate Rubinstein more as a very balanced and mature interpreter of the piano. 

[S Clark]

It's time to resurrect this thread.  Tell us what you've been listening to.

I cherry picked a buddy's vinyl collection before he sold it.  So I've been listening to a handful this morning...







The Telac I already had, so I knew what a good recording it is.  The Reference Recording is something new to me... and excellent.   About another dozen to go.   

[Nick B]

Nice to resurrect this thread as you say. But sadly, I have a sick..or petulant...preamp that only wants to play out of the right channel. I'm awaiting word if the warranty will extend to the second owner (me) 🤷‍♀️

Will be in the mood to play some rock when it gets fixed.....

[S Clark]

One channel?  No problem.   The answer is mono from the 50's and 60's. 
Check out Sviatoslav Ricter's performance in Sophia, Bulgaria in 1958... or the early Beatles.   
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CitIXrkQfzo

[Nick B]

One channel?  No problem.   The answer is mono from the 50's and 60's. 
Check out Sviatoslav Ricter's performance in Sophia, Bulgaria in 1958... or the early Beatles.   
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CitIXrkQfzo

And what a simple an elegant solution and I can also save on tubes! But seriously, I've not owned a mono cartridge and really can't remember hearing mono at shows either. That would be fun 👍

[S Clark]

Have you found a tech that can repair your Supratek here in the states?  I see they are still around, down under.