Mono questions

[Bill K Davis]

I just put together an AT95e cartridge with a Dual 1242 turntable. The Dual has a mono ,stereo selector on it. Will changing it to mono affect the play of a mono record, or would I need a mono stylus? I have the first Grateful Dead mono album that does not mention that it is ok to play with stereo equipment. Would I do any harm by playing it in stereo? Finally, when a reciever(Harman Kardon 330C) "pops" when you turn off the power how bad a sign is that? Good listening to you all.

[Resident Loser]

I just put together an AT95e cartridge with a Dual 1242 turntable. The Dual has a mono ,stereo selector on it. Will changing it to mono affect the play of a mono record, or would I need a mono stylus? I have the first Grateful Dead mono album that does not mention that it is ok to play with stereo equipment. Would I do any harm by playing it in stereo? Finally, when a reciever(Harman Kardon 330C) "pops" when you turn off the power how bad a sign is that? Good listening to you all.

...you could play mono discs with stereo carts...vice-versa was a definite no-no...there were older mono records that required cross-wiring of the cart to get all the info contained in the grooves but I think your Dead album post-dates that period by quite some time...It's 78s that really require a special stylus...insofar as the Dual's switch is concerned, try it both ways...mono may lessen the noise levels somewhat.

Re: HK pops...it might just be the power supply capacitors discharging (not entirely abnormal) or dirty switch contacts...If there is a "speaker off" switch, turn 'em off before you hit the power off...a loud enough pop can, in extreme cases, damage your tweeters.

jimHJJ(...good luck...)

...

[Bill K Davis]

Fast ,efficient service,all your stereo needs, call Resident Loser c/o audioreview. Thanks.

[emaidel]

The information you've been given is correct, but there are other factors you may want to consider: the mono record groove is still a good deal larger than that of a stereo LP, and several cartridge manufacturers (notably Pickering and Stanton) once made mono styli to insert into stereo cartridges to insure a better groove/stylus fit.

Additionally, there is what's known as "vertical rumble" that exists on any LP, and which is picked up only when the playback is in the stereo mode (whether or not the source is). Vertical rumble is effectively masked by the music when playing a stereo LP, but is more noticeable when playing a mono LP, as the rumble comes from either channel, and the appa;rent sound source from such an LP seems to come from dead center between the two speakers. Switching your Dual into the "mono" mode will effectively cancel out most vertical rumble. The result is quite subtle, but may still be noticeable, and might be worth giving a try. And, as far as I know, AT never made a mono LP stylus for any of its cartridges.

[nightflier]

Is the pop from your HK a new phenomenon or has this always been the case? I've heard this from even some high-end equipment and it was something to be expected, according to the manufacturer. Also how loud is the pop?

[Bill K Davis]

The pops from the reciever aren't real loud, but are enough to startle me.I find it hard to believe that high end equipment would do this normally. I got it used 2 years ago,it is 32 years old,and has always popped. Is there something different about Harman Kardon amplifiers? They seem heavier and somehow scarier than other electronics. Fantastic thorough answers,:6: thanks.

[nightflier]

I'm not sure about 32 year old equipment, but I have owned three HK receivers and two of them had a very slight pop when they started we cycled on. I've also heard this on a Rotel integrated and an Onkyo receiver. But it was never loud enough to be an issue.

Any EE's out there who can impart some wisdom?