Mono cartridge recommendation

Sorry about the double post.
Great you are already in waist deep.  Go for it and have fun with mono.  Myajima makes monos in the $1k range also.  At least they used to.

There are lots of opinions on stylus profiles in relation to playing mono LPs.  One side of that issue is addressed pretty well on the Miyajima website, but it is a bit one-sided. I personally have no opinion because no experience; I am still using the mono switch for mono LPs.  So I can only say that makes a major difference for the better, compared to playing mono LPs in stereo.  I do own a Shelter 501 mk2 mono cartridge, but it sits in its sealed packaging; I just never have bothered to set it up. I would tend to doubt or at least wonder whether a mono cartridge, especially one that is derived from a stereo base, would be quieter than using a mono switch, but both are for sure likely to be quieter than playing mono in stereo. 


The brain is a wondrous organ; I swear that I hear some of the better mono LPs in a kind of stereo, in that I can place the instruments and vocalists in front of me.  Whereas in some other (mono) cases, every musician is sitting on every other musician's lap.

I have gone through a lot of mono cartridges.  I think there is a strong consensus that using a true mono cartridge sounds better than using a mono switch.  I have done both and heard the difference. Endless discussion of the subject online if you do a search.   

Couple people mentioned the Miyajima Zero.  Nice cart but well over $2000.  Used to be around $1500 but they bumped the price way up over the last five years. I have some mixed feelings about this company but that is OT.   

I have a Miyajima Premium BE.  It is very nice but I don't think I would call it neutral.  I also have a Phasemation Mono which is equally good, (actually better IMO) just a bit less romantic sounding and more detailed.
A great place to start would be an Audio Technica AT 33 MONO.  Unless you are really serious about mono playback, this might be all the cart you need. It has a rich clear sound.   In your price range and taste, the Hana Mono,  VAS and Soundsmith would all be worth a look. I am looking at a wood body Grado next but these have a more lush presentation that might not be your idea of "neutral".  

I have a VAS mono that is neutral and quite good.  It has an elliptical stylus and an aluminum cantilever.  I have an Audio Technica AT33 mono Anniversary, spherical stylus, aluminum, neutral and also quite good.  Both of these are moving coil.  Finally I have an Ortofon 2M mono SE (this is a modified 2M Black still available in Europe), Shibata, aluminim, neutral, and quite good.  Each of these sounds best on certain records believe it or not, so it is nice to have options.  The most versatile is the VAS, the most bang for the buck is the AT.  They are all good and yes they all sound better than the mono button using a stereo cartridge. 

How many mono records do you have? There are many different mono records (very old mono made before stereo was invented, many mono records after stereo was invented, new mono records made with stereo cutter head). Some of them can be played properly only with specific stylus size, some are better with true mono cartridge but with modern stylus profile (advanced stylus shape). If you have different type of mono from different eras you’d be better with true mono MM but with different styli for different mono records.