Help me choose a mono cartridge

I am also a fan of Ortofon cartridges. The 2M SE Mono was designed especially for the Beatles Mono Box set - - Here's a link to Ortofon's mono cartridge page that may be of interest to you:

http://ortofon.com/hifi/products/mono-series

I plan to replace my Lyra Helikon Mono cartridge with an Ortofon mono - just haven't decided which one to get yet, as my collection of monaural LPs includes 1950's originals up to current mono reissues from APO and others.

Smoffatt - I don't know for sure - but suspect - the SE model is still available. You may want to check with Ortofon directly to find out. Or you could contact Acoustic Sounds or Needle Doctor.

I was in Austin a few weeks ago and visited Whetsone Audio. Brian DiFrank had a 2m in stock, but I don't know if it was an SE. He's a very accommodating fellow, and you might want to contact him at: [email protected].

lewm - - Sorry if I was unclear in my post:  I said I was thinking of replacing the Helikon mono with an Ortofon mono but wasn't sure which one would be best.  I would not go with the 2M but am looking at either the Cadenza or Quintet. Or . . . perhaps I should get the Helikon repaired.

Trying to get a handle on conical vs elliptical vs fine line and match all that up with my mono collection (1950's originals up to current reissues) is a bit daunting.  Then there's the "best bang for the buck" angle to take into account.  

I finally decided on a new mono cartridge:  ordered an Ortofon Cadenza  mono from Needle Doctor.  They're giving me a $320.00 trade-in credit on an old, worn out Ortofon Jubilee, so the net price for the new cartridge is $960.00.  I'm looking forward to its arrival.

Stringreen - in answer to your question why anyone would want a mono cartridge,  a true mono cartridge picks up modulations in the lateral groove but is insensitive to modulations in the vertical plane.  If you have a less than perfect record with clicks and pops (which tend to reside in the vertical plane), they will be much more silent with a true mono cartridge.  I first learned about this from an old *Listener* article (Jan./Feb. 2002) in which Art Dudley reviewed the Helikon Mono cartridge.  I subsequently bought that cartridge and . . . hearing is believing.  

I have well over 1,000 monaural records in my collection, most of which are pretty old and many of which have clicks/pops that could be heard when played on my stereo rig, which employed an Ortofon Jubilee cartridge.  With the Helikon mono cartridge, however, the extraneous noise - clicks and pops - was much diminished, and my listening experience was more enjoyable.

You won't achieve the same benefits with a stereo cartridge that has strapped coils to simulate a monaural signal or by using the mono button on your preamp. 

Happy listening!