listening to mono

[Paul L.]

I'm wondering how other people on this board listen to mono sources. Do you listen through just one of your speakers or through both?

[Sckott]

One speaker, frontal assault, about 8' away. Many people might not like to do this to their comfy hi-fi, but try it!

[Grant]

Paul, I don't know if that was meant to be an underhanded insult to people like me but FWIW I use BOTH speakers, just as for stereo.

[Unknown]

Use both speakers, unless you are one of those wealthy middle-aged snobs on Phonogram who can afford a dedicated mono listening room to go with your mono Helikon cartridge. ("Of Muffy, the transients are *so* smeared on this Koetsu -- it sounds dreadful! Dreadful, I say!")

Try to find a preamp with a stereo/mono switch. I just got a Adcom GFP-555 really cheap ($140) and that switch can do wonders for cutting down the noise.

Mono sounds weird on headphones.

[Andrew]

Stereo, mono... just stick the aluminum sucker in and let 'er rip! Mono stuff sounds A-OK on my Stax cans, btw.

:rolleyes:

[Paul L.]

Grant,
No insult intended. When I am insulting, it's clear and aboveboard.
I prefer one speaker for mono.

[Grant]

Originally posted by Patrick M:
Use both speakers, unless you are one of those wealthy middle-aged snobs on Phonogram who can afford a dedicated mono listening room to go with your mono Helikon cartridge. ("Of Muffy, the transients are *so* smeared on this Koetsu -- it sounds dreadful! Dreadful, I say!")


This must be unique to England. It's very different in the US.



Try to find a preamp with a stereo/mono switch. I just got a Adcom GFP-555 really cheap ($140) and that switch can do wonders for cutting down the noise.[/QUOTE]

cutting the noise isn't why people listen to mono, and just engaging a mono button is not the same thing. You have different mixes for mono and stereo so you can't always just fold the stereo.



Mono sounds weird on headphones.[/QUOTE]

It shouldn't. If it does something is wrong with your system or the recording you are listening to.

[Grant]

Originally posted by Paul L.:
Grant,
No insult intended. When I am insulting, it's clear and aboveboard.
I prefer one speaker for mono.


Why not just play your mono CD through both speakers?

[Steve Hoffman]

Some folks think it sounds better to detach one speaker when playing something in mono. Helps phasing and other stuff.

I do it sometimes when playing 78's. A nice "pinpoint" source.

Gotta post this. Kids are knocking on the door in costumes. Candy time! :)

[lukpac]

Originally posted by Steve Hoffman:
Gotta post this. Kids are knocking on the door in costumes. Candy time! :)

Is that sonic candy?

[Sckott]

2 Snickers and a couple o' cut-outs! Pillage the Hoffman household!

[Unknown]

OK, I'm trying to be civil here, but I'm curious why Grant has to insult Luke, Luke's hearing, Luke's preferences, and Luke's system, and now me, my knowledge, and my system.

I'm not in England. I'm not posting from England.

Give me a scintilla of credit for knowing the difference between a proper mono mix and folding two stereo channels together for fake mono. Christ, do you really think that's what I was implying? Have you read any of my posts for the last 10 months or so?

Let me spell this out to be perfectly clear: if you are listening to a MONO LP with a STEREO cartridge and you engage the MONO switch on a preamp, it helps to cut noise and improve the sound quality.

I have read that a mono cartridge makes a substantial difference in the playback of a mono LP, but that's out of my price range. Until then, the mono switch on a preamp works nicely for me. YMMV.

When I said listening to mono on headphones was 'weird', it does not imply there is something wrong with my system or my recordings. Rather, I find the sensation of having the one channel coming through the center of your head odd. If I'm going to listen to mono, I would much prefer playback to be through speakers. Clear?

If you have a differing opinion from mine, it doesn't make yours right and mine wrong.

[Matt]

Originally posted by Patrick M:
Let me spell this out to be perfectly clear: if you are listening to a MONO LP with a STEREO cartridge and you engage the MONO switch on a preamp, it helps to cut noise and improve the sound quality.

I have read that a mono cartridge makes a substantial difference in the playback of a mono LP, but that's out of my price range. Until then, the mono switch on a preamp works nicely for me. YMMV.


Does engaging the mono switch on a mono CD have a similar benefit? I don't have the accessories/equipment to test this myself.

[PsychFan]

Originally posted by Patrick M:
Let me spell this out to be perfectly clear: if you are listening to a MONO LP with a STEREO cartridge and you engage the MONO switch on a preamp, it helps to cut noise and improve the sound quality.


My experience tells me Patrick's right on this one. My mono "Kind of Blue" and "Blonde on Blonde" LPs, neither of which is near mint, sound MUCH better with my mono switch pushed in. I've only had a mono switch for a month or two, and before that it annoyed me no end to be listening to the music in mono and the surface noise in stereo! Listening to everything in mono allows the surface noise on an LP to hide or be buried behind the music, so that it's much less apparent and distracting.

I must say I haven't experimented with the mono switch's effects with mono CDs. I should see if I can detect any difference (another fun experiment for the evening) ...

[Steve Hoffman]

Jeff,

Don't use a mono switch with a CD, only with an LP. Trust me.

[Angel]

The reason being that some goofball mastering engineers do mono tape transfers to CD masters on a stereo machine, and when the listener combines the channels on his home stereo, it throws the entire thing out of phase, right?

I'm learning! :D

[Steve Hoffman]

Yes, indeed.

Hopefully some of these goofy folk will read your post and never do it again! :mad:

[Grant]

"OK, I'm trying to be civil here, but I'm curious why Grant has to insult Luke, Luke's hearing, Luke's preferences, and Luke's system, and now me, my knowledge, and my system."

Luke and I go way back. I think he knows i'm not insulting him at all. I never insulted his hearing. I never insulted his listening preferences. I just pointed out that most stereo lovers of Luke's ilk like headphones because they exaggerate the stereo effect. No? You also need to point out where I insulted you. I think you are a bit overly sensitive. You also sound like you have a short fuse.

You are not in England. My bad. It sounded like it.

"Give me a scintilla of credit for knowing the difference between a proper mono mix and folding two stereo channels together for fake mono. Christ, do you really think that's what I was implying? Have you read any of my posts for the last 10 months or so?"

Many hard-core stereo lovers think that mono is so UNimportant that we can just engage the mono button and everything will be honky dory.

"Let me spell this out to be perfectly clear: if you are listening to a MONO LP with a STEREO cartridge and you engage the MONO switch on a preamp, it helps to cut noise and improve the sound quality."

DUH! I know that! But, I don't recall when vinly playback entered the discussion. I was refering to CD. If you meant vinyl playback you should have mentioned it. I play vinyl too but It's not part of my regular listening habit so I don't naturally think of it. Is THAT clear?

"When I said listening to mono on headphones was 'weird', it does not imply there is something wrong with my system or my recordings. Rather, I find the sensation of having the one channel coming through the center of your head odd. If I'm going to listen to mono, I would much prefer playback to be through speakers. Clear?"

Well, *I* don't think of it as odd. It sounds as natural to me as stereo. BTW, I don't use cans except for detail work. Different strokes...

"If you have a differing opinion from mine, it doesn't make yours right and mine wrong."

You're going to have to point out where I ever said that *I* was right and you or anyone else wasn't. Clear? Ya dig?

BTW, I know this isn't the BSN site www.bsnpubs.com (http://www.bsnpubs.com) but I am used to being criticized for my preference for SOME mono mixes. YOU just put me in defense mode.

[ November 01, 2001: Message edited by: Grant T. ]

[lukpac]

Originally posted by Grant T.:
DUH! I know that! But, I don't recall when vinly playback entered the discussion. I was refering to CD. If you meant vinyl playback you should have mentioned it. I play vinyl too but It's not part of my regular listening habit so I don't naturally think of it. Is THAT clear?

Go back and read Patrick's original post. It's the 4th one in this thread. He makes specific mention of cartridges and preamps. Also the Phonogram list, which I believe is mostly vinyl based.

And, while I know you're busting my balls, your tone lately has implied that it's somehow bad or wrong to listen using headphones, and that it's more "proper" to use speakers.

[Grant]

Originally posted by Luke Pacholski:


Go back and read Patrick's original post. It's the 4th one in this thread. He makes specific mention of cartridges and preamps. Also the Phonogram list, which I believe is mostly vinyl based.

And, while I know you're busting my balls, your tone lately has implied that it's somehow bad or wrong to listen using headphones, and that it's more "proper" to use speakers.

First Luke, notice that Patrick DID NOT mention ANYTHING about vinyl UNTIL his lengthy reply to me.

Second, I know people have been attacking you for things like Jon Astley and such but if you reread my posts CAREFULLY you would see that I am not busting your balls.

FWIW, I don't PERSONALLY listen to cans as regular listening because the music wasn't MIXED that way.

[Grant]

Originally posted by Grant T.:


Yes, I overlooked that, but my gripe was with Paul, NOT Patrick, until now.

Second, I know people have been attacking you for things like Jon Astley and such but if you reread my posts CAREFULLY you would see that I am not busting your balls.

FWIW, I don't PERSONALLY listen to cans as regular listening because the music wasn't MIXED that way.

[Grant]

BTW, why has everyone been flippin' lately? I know life ain't like it was two months ago before the attacks, but mellow out everybody! It's MUSIC!

[lukpac]

Originally posted by Grant T.:
First Luke, notice that Patrick DID NOT mention ANYTHING about vinyl UNTIL his lengthy reply to me.

What about this:

"Use both speakers, unless you are one of those wealthy middle-aged snobs on Phonogram who can afford a dedicated mono listening room to go with your mono Helikon cartridge. ("Of Muffy, the transients are *so* smeared on this Koetsu -- it sounds dreadful! Dreadful, I say!")"

No, he didn't say "vinyl". Did he need to? What else do you use a cartridge for?

[Grant]

So Patrick did, NOT Paul, whom I originally had an issue with. Patrick, Paul, whatever! Jeeez!

*I* was NOT talking about vinyl, and if PAUL was he should have mentioned it in the original post.

I sure wish PAUL would respond. He started it!

*I* think PATRICK was being overly sensitive. I was being defensive, and YOU, Luke, are probably feeling persecuted.

Everybody, *I* did NOT reply to PAUL with any hostility. I have NOT been criticizing Luke. If anything, I support him in his claims against Jon Astly but disagree with him on mono. Period. Luke likes headphones, more power to him. Many people prefer 'phones. I don't. I have good, quality ones, I just prefer some space between me and the transducer. Mono doesn't bother me. Not everyone in the world is so obsessed with stereo and vinyl. I don't like vinyl but it is a reality. I like mono mixes, not because of the technology, but for the mix itself IF it differs from the stereo mix. Some emotionally troubled people have a problem with that. Tough sh**! DAMN!

[ November 01, 2001: Message edited by: Grant T. ]

[pigmode]

huh?