Beatles Mono Box - best way to listen?

Unplug a speaker of choice!

 

It may do something but not necessarily related to the soundstage. When you do a straight sum between the left and right channels you may experience a 3db rise in level. Some preamps compensate for that.

As some of you may know, when you do a straight fold down from a stereo mix, the sounds that are in the center (common to both channels) can end up being louder than sounds that are just in one side or the other.

 

Can't tell if you're kidding or not, but that's actually an interesting solution!! It's never crossed my mind to do that, but I'm going to try it!!

 

He's not kidding. I don't do it because I can't be bothered to reposition a speaker each time I listen to a mono recording...

Dale

 

Here's a question I should know the answer to, but I don't.

If the same signal is coming out the left and right, aren't you going to have problems with cancellation?

 

Not if it's the same exact signal. It's pretty simple math.

If there is any cancellation at all the two signals were not the same.

 

Yeah, good idea! I've got on/off switches on the back of my Behringer studio monitors, so obviously, it's easier than unplugging a speaker.

Mono sounds great when it's all coming from one speaker...it reminds me of the times I'd listen to my grandpa's old radio.

By the way, be sure to start with the first album "Please Please Me" and then continue in chronological order.

 

You know how the mono freaks are.

 

Only if you are using a mono cartridge.

 

And we do know there's no cancellation with these mono Beatles cds cos someone tested them here!

 

Only if they are out of phase with each other. Room reflections, nodes etc. can have an impact, but this is no less true of stereo.

If you want to go nuts you could unplug one speaker and move the live one to the center for a "true" mono experience.

 

Mono music is better through speakers than headphones.

 

Room acoustics will have no effect whatsoever on electronic cancellations when the mono button is engaged if the combined signals are the same.

As to whether you will hear a mono image centered between your speakers, yes the room can most definitely come into play there.

These are two very different things.

 

dude it's a mix, not a new pet dog.

I think newbies will survive the experience unscathed and some may actually enjoy/prefer the differences!

 

The only time I use the mono switch on my preamp is with a poorly mixed stereo recording (e.g., hard left-right pan). I hear a slight degradation in sound quality with the mono switch engaged. That's why I rarely use it and never with a mono recording.

 

Mono recordings should be listened to through only one speaker. It always amazes me how few people know this, and do it.

 

The signals from each channel might be the same, but in practice many factors come into play with room acoustics that can cause cancellations of even identical mono signals. This is especially true if one speaker is closer to the side wall than the other because you will be getting reflected sound at different times. In practice these cancellations are likely to be small, and not worth worrying about unless your room acoustics are really messed up.

 

If you possess any early blues CD’s, such as Robert Johnson, you have a mono CD.

 

Yes, these are acoustic cancellations which I did mention in my reply. These are totally unrelated to electronic cancellations which can happen when you electronically sum two signals.

 

Oh crap, I've been listening wrong for the last 40 years.

 

Maybe he could have meant "cancellation in the room"? -- which is definitely possible with two different speakers reproducing the same signal, depending on the acoustics of the particular room ...


Oh nevermind, already addressed ...

 

I'm looking all over my home theater's audio menu and I can't find the 1.0 option anywhere.

I'll be giving the mono set its first spin with headphones, for better or worse. As someone whose working definition of Beatles music is in the '87 CDs (well, and an old 8-track of the Red album - does that count?), I'm looking forward to enjoying the "new" mixes.

 

Nice try.

 

You know, one could use a home theater receiver with Dolby Pro Logic II to steer the mono signal to the center-channel speaker only. Assuming the bass management settings on the receiver and/or subwoofer are correctly configured (and the center-channel speaker actually sounds good), I would think the "hard mono" sound in the room would be pretty decent....

(This is just a theory, of course!)

 

Valid question.

Summing the channels (L+R) or using the mono button (same thing) is great for mono LPs. Often, it will cancel out some of the noise. The mono button is also useful for getting hard-to-reach FM stations on an old school receiver.

No need for mono button with a mono CD. Same signal out of both speakers and no less noise if you sum the channels.

On speakers that image well, the mono sound will appear in the middle of your two speakers. I call this W-I-D-E mono.

For fun, you can disconnect one speaker for that original "artistic intent" feeling.

Ken