Mono Mania

摘要

Even the most fervent vinyl addict must contain himself when it comes to mono. For many, merely contemplating the purchase of a cartridge specifically for mono LP playback is about as relevant a move as buying an 8-track player. One fact, though, undermines such wariness: Sundazed and Classic Records are still issuing brand-new mono LPs, so we're not talking solely about old vinyl. And why are Classic and Sundazed doing this? Simple: mono LPs can and do sound incredible... especially when the original was recorded strictly in mono. Most of us, however, have two-speaker systems, and we're not about to set up single-channel rigs, so we need modern, stereo-compatible mono cartridges, which is what Lyra, Decca, Grado and a few others are producing to satisfy the increasing interest in mono. Jonathan Carr has addressed this concern by designing Lyra's monaural cartridges with two separate mono coils wound on top of each other. The cartridge suspension, cantilever and stylus are identical for the monaural cartridges to their corresponding stereo versions, while Lyra's new proprietary line-contact stylus was developed to track with equal facility on both stereo and mono records. Lyra stresses that its mono cartridges, including the Dorian reviewed here, are 'totally safe to play any microgroove record from 1948 and onwards.' Dorian's stylus size is specified to suit all microgroove records, whether they be monaural or stereo.