Audio-Technica AT-MONO3/LP/MC Type Moving Coil Mono Cartridge (Japan Import)

First, the odd: this needs an adjustable pre-amp; the output of this is about 20% of a typical moving magnet cartridge, but as a moving coil it is about 200% the output of many moving coils. Allegedly you can just plug it into a stock 47k moving magnet phono stage (the phono input on a classic integrated amp, e.g.), but that sounds a bit anemic to me, and I rate it needs an intermediate preamp setting. Then, the good: pre-amp it right, and this thing sounds nuts, especially on 21st century re-release types of mono vinyl. It seems optimized for this era of "current" mono lathing, which has grooves the same width as stereo. It is big, bright, and punchy. It is a bit top-heavy in accentuating the chiming and percussive top end, but this usually isn't obnoxious, but the vocal mids are less well-integrated; this is not a "woody" or "warm" tonal balance. But it is hifi, if bright, and the bass is good: the bass on 21st century mono (e.g., the 2021 mono re-release of the Who's "Who Sell Out") can be amazing. The stylus is hit-or-miss in how it delivers "old" (pre 1970) mono, which was lathed for a 1.0 mil stylus (this is 0.6 mil). Some records sound great, some sound ok, but weaker in the bass, than they should. I am ambivalent about how it plays 1960s Beatles' or classical mono, e.g. (This effect is not simply due to records having less bass pre-1967.) Beatles & Stones 21st century mono, meanwhile, fares better; again, the bass on rerelease mono is a cool thing. A plus across the board is that this cart has a quieter and less distorted presentation, no matter the age of the mono record, than a stereo stylus playing the same disc. Bottom line: I would rate this as a stylus primarily for recent, re-release mono vinyl. Ortofon and Nagaoka make 1.0 mil styli for mono that I would recommend for older "Lp microgroove" mono.

I placed this cartridge on when ever I play LP mono records vs using my Hana EL LOMC cartridge. The noise level drops because of the use of the Mono stylus and really brings out the vocals in those records. Along with using my Pro-ject phono Tube S preamp, I use the same settings as my Hana EL LOMC at >1000 ohm at 41db. The response level is pretty remarkable at such a low price point. The key is to properly setup the cartridge to your turntable which is vital for getting the maximum return of your investment.Update: This cartridge sounds even better after you break it in after 10 hours of good listening on LP mono records. Plus the break in time seems a lot shorter than my Hana EL LOMC cartridge for stereo records. Also I'm running mine at 2grams as my settings, as directed from the instructions found on the AT website.New Update: This cartridge is now discontinued via AT site. If you can get one on the cheap then I would highly recommend it. Now there are some sold on Ebay at almost double the price by the scum Flipper's who have it to make huge profit. I bought mine for less than 190.00 so Buyer beware...note also high tax and shipping costs for low entry prices and or trying to sell you the SP version, which is made for 78 shellac records.

I have a lot of mono LPs from the 1950s and 1960s (including several hundred 10-inch LPs), and after years of playing them with my usual stereo LP cartridge (the Audio Technica AT440MLa), I decided to give this cartridge a try based on the reviews here. After switching from a stereo cartridge to the AT-MONO3/LP, one reviewer here commented that the difference was like "night and day." In my case, the difference was not nearly so pronounced. The AT-MONO3/LP tracks well and has a pleasing tonal "balance" (not nearly as bright as my AT440MLa). I don't notice much reduction in clicks or pops compared to my usual stereo cartridge, but the MONO3 *does* reduce some of the rumble and low frequency "swish" that my stereo cartridge was picking up; consequently, the bass tends to be a bit crisper and better-defined. Most of my mono records sound marginally better with this cartridge than with the AT440MLa. (I'll call it a 5-10% improvement.) For the current price (around 130 bucks), it's a very, very good cartridge for the money. If you have a lot of mono records and listen to them often, it may well be worth picking one of these up. If you already have a good stereo cartridge that you like, don't expect this to offer a dramatic improvement with mono records -- especially if you have the capability to "sum to mono" from your current stereo cartridge. In my case, my main listening set-up doesn't have a stereo/mono switch, so I keep this on a separate headshell and swap it in when I plan to play more than a couple mono records in succession. I'm delighted that Audio Technica is still making a quality mono cartridge -- and I'm glad I bought mine. Just don't expect miracles.

This is my first MONO cartridge and it is fairly good. The bass are rich and it is not harsh on the heights. The only issue is that picks more hum than the stereo cartridge I use (Benz Micro ACE SL). Anyway they are not in the same price range. To summarize I recommend this cartridge that is really good sonically speaking.