I have no exposure to mono at all. But I have someone who I built a Paradise for asking for a solution to a dedicated mono setup.
Is he best off using a Y splitter between tonearm lead and into both inputs of a dual mono phonostage?
Or, is he better off getting another single channel of a Paradise and using a y splitter on the output?
Assume cost doesn't matter, and he's using a Majiyma dedicated mono cartridge.
All opinions appreciated.
Is he best off using a Y splitter between tonearm lead and into both inputs of a dual mono phonostage?
Or, is he better off getting another single channel of a Paradise and using a y splitter on the output?
Assume cost doesn't matter, and he's using a Majiyma dedicated mono cartridge.
All opinions appreciated.
Probably isn't a y-splitter that's the best way to go. Maybe better to take the two outputs from the phono preamp and combine them to mono in a mixer or summing amp circuit.
If you use a Y splitter between tonearm into both inputs of a dual mono phono, please remember that the Miyajima is a single core cartridge that will see a halved load impedance
Single channel is the right way and split afterwards. Of course to listen properly in mono you should only have a single speaker...
This shot from a review shows the mono Miyajima Zero has four pins. If this is the one your friend has then I'd just plug it in like a stereo cart and run it like stereo. That's how it was intended to be used.
I can think of reason to have reservations (mostly paralleling unequal channels and the potential for poor summing (bass) out of mono played through dual channel speakers) but if Mr. Miyajima designed it that way there would be a reason.
In cases like this where big bucks are spent on a specialized component, I'm frankly surprised the owner doesn't consider asking the maker what he's thinking and recommends. I certainly would.
In cases like this where big bucks are spent on a specialized component, I'm frankly surprised the owner doesn't consider asking the maker what he's thinking and recommends. I certainly would.
It's called offering flexibility and some retentive types would balk at having leads hanging loose in their headshell. Read his website.
From the manufacturer.
"Miyajima-lab's monaural cartridge has 4 pins.
The monaural signal is branched internally.
Connect the lead wires in the same way as in stereo.
The same sound is output from both speakers."
"Miyajima-lab's monaural cartridge has 4 pins.
The monaural signal is branched internally.
Connect the lead wires in the same way as in stereo.
The same sound is output from both speakers."
Photo at bottom , Left and Right inputs , Left and Right outputs. I guess he did the design for the cart with this use in mind. Perhaps the summing at speaker level was considered in the design.
I looked into this cartridge some time ago and found a picture of its internals. There is one coil only feeding the left and right output pins - they carry exactly the same signal. If you listen via your standard stereo setup with two speakers, best is to use only one channel for the RIAA pre-amp and then feed the signal to your right and left line / power amp inputs. Reason is that if you use a stereo EQ amp with the inputs connected together, even small deviations in both channels due to slightly different EQ will result in degraded performance as the outputs will be slightly different and not exactly the same anymore for an optimal mono listening.
And yes, it is designed with 'left' and 'right' output signals to be used exactly the same way as a stereo cartridge is connected to make it usable for the non tech oriented users. Maybe the underlying thinking is, if you spend such an amount of money for a mono cartridge, your RIAA preamp should be already of adequate quality with excellent match of both channels 😉
And yes, it is designed with 'left' and 'right' output signals to be used exactly the same way as a stereo cartridge is connected to make it usable for the non tech oriented users. Maybe the underlying thinking is, if you spend such an amount of money for a mono cartridge, your RIAA preamp should be already of adequate quality with excellent match of both channels 😉
for line-level, Edcor makes a handy stereo to mono summing transformer box. I use one with CDs.
https://edcorusa.com/products/s2m-s...hing-transformers?_pos=4&_sid=52b9fc47e&_ss=r
https://edcorusa.com/collections/st...to-mono-coupling-box-with-eurostyle-connector
single speaker playback of two channel recordings can be interesting - especially with heavily/fully panned recordings as such from the early days of stereo where the mixer had a left-center-right switch. One can listen to one channel at a time and may not hear the main vocal.
A Karlson K15 with good coax makes a capable mono speaker. The Smith distributed source horn good too as the high frequency element.
for jazz - rock - I would like at least five discrete channels as to control playback
https://edcorusa.com/products/s2m-s...hing-transformers?_pos=4&_sid=52b9fc47e&_ss=r
https://edcorusa.com/collections/st...to-mono-coupling-box-with-eurostyle-connector
single speaker playback of two channel recordings can be interesting - especially with heavily/fully panned recordings as such from the early days of stereo where the mixer had a left-center-right switch. One can listen to one channel at a time and may not hear the main vocal.
A Karlson K15 with good coax makes a capable mono speaker. The Smith distributed source horn good too as the high frequency element.
for jazz - rock - I would like at least five discrete channels as to control playback
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The customer already has a Paradise, there's no channel mismatch, riaa parts are all matched to a fraction of a % across both channels and the outputs are level matched to a couple of mV. They are as closely matched as its possible to make at reasonable expense and without substituting individual transistors to match noise profiles.
I think he's probably best of just using both channels as the designer Intended.
I think he's probably best of just using both channels as the designer Intended.
Hi,
please keep in mind that in the Mono era there existed probabely dozens of different eq curves, some differing greatly from the RIAA standard introduced for the stereo microgroove cut.
Most records will sound from mildly to terribly 'off' because of this eq curve mismatch.
If You're serious about Mono it is probabely rather more important to get the eq thing right than the Q mono vs stereo itself.
I designed a mono pre that elegantly deals with the eq problem.
See on my website, section phono/Monophonic.
You also find a table of pre-RIAA eq curves there (courtesy of audaciti.og)
jauu
Calvin
please keep in mind that in the Mono era there existed probabely dozens of different eq curves, some differing greatly from the RIAA standard introduced for the stereo microgroove cut.
Most records will sound from mildly to terribly 'off' because of this eq curve mismatch.
If You're serious about Mono it is probabely rather more important to get the eq thing right than the Q mono vs stereo itself.
I designed a mono pre that elegantly deals with the eq problem.
See on my website, section phono/Monophonic.
You also find a table of pre-RIAA eq curves there (courtesy of audaciti.og)
jauu
Calvin