Mono cartridges

[speedracer]

I am currently trying out a Lyra Helikon Mono on my Lenco GL75, which is 0.7 tip I think, & it sounds super to me, but most of my mono records are from the '50's & '60's so I believe is the one I should be using, either way I am delighted by the sound of it.

[montesquieu]

I am currently trying out a Lyra Helikon Mono on my Lenco GL75, which is 0.7 tip I think, & it sounds super to me, but most of my mono records are from the '50's & '60's so I believe is the one I should be using, either way I am delighted by the sound of it.

I've had a Helikon stereo as well as a Dorian Mono so I think I have a fair idea of what you are experiencing - I'm quite a fan personally although I'm pretty tied into low compliance these days which rules out any Lyras in my setup. Lyra's approach is rather different to Miyajima or to vintage mono cartridges... they use a fancy, modern 0.7 stylus profile, and also two coils, each oriented for mono (horizontal only pickup) with suspension enabled in all directions so there's no danger of groove damage.

The upshot is a cartridge that sounds a bit different to other mono cartridges. It will pull out more detail - most of the vintage or vintage-inspired mono cartridges use spherical tips, the better to sit in the u-shaped groove of early mono records, rather than the v-shaped ones made by stereo cutters. However the feel may be a bit different to a more vintage approach to mono reproduction which may sound more authentic, with a wider, conical tip and a thicker, wider sound.

Consequently I would say the Helikon is generally better suited to later mono and mono reissues (from the mid to late 60s or even the 1970s onwards) than 1950s and some 1960s mono which has a wider, non v-shaped groove. Though it should still sound a good bit better even with older stuff than an equivalent stereo cartridge.

A lot of the thinking around this is set out in the fascinating link Adam posted earlier - I had come across much of this info before but there are a few gems I was unaware of, and as a mono primer it can hardly be beaten. Great find!

[rockhopper]

http://dgmono.com/2018/04/06/deep-gr...width-mystery/

What a great link

Thanks for posting.

[WESTLOWER]

Link above is not working
Try this
http://dgmono.com/2018/04/06/deep-gr...width-mystery/

[WESTLOWER]

the same chap's blog Deep Groove Mono who wrote the informative article on Mono Groove width etc has just made a data base of
Mono Cartridges that are currently on the market.
pretty helpful if you have the Mono itch and are on the hunt
http://dgmono.com/mono-cartridge-database/

[montesquieu]

the same chap's blog Deep Groove Mono who wrote the informative article on Mono Groove width etc has just made a data base of
Mono Cartridges that are currently on the market.
pretty helpful if you have the Mono itch and are on the hunt
http://dgmono.com/mono-cartridge-database/

Very useful but he's missing quite a few:

- 47 Labs do a Miyabi mono cartridge
- Koetsu do several at different price points
- Ikeda does a quite superlative mono cartridge (would love to get my hands on one)
- Phasemation do one (the mono-PP)
- He misses a few Miyajimas (Kotetu, Premium and Spirit models)

It always surprised me that Peter Qvortrop - a record collector par excellence - doesn't do a mono version of the Io. That would be interesting.

There's a great discussion on Audiogone where Jonathan Carr of Lyra (who apprenticed with Ikeda) sets out his view of mono as a cartridge maker. Essentially he's gone down the route of fancy stylus profiles for maximum data retrieval but I would suggest that's better for later mono .. early in my opinion is better with spherical. Good viewpoint though and he talks about the economics of it being marginal due to low demand https://forum.audiogon.com/discussio...round-1-300-00

[WESTLOWER]

Jonathan Carr in that post talks of such low numbers produced.
A real artisan product. Gives even greater appreciation of whats involved in the process to produce such things.