Should all amps have a mono button?

[George]

This may seem a silly question in our age of multi channel surround sound but I can think of at least one very good reason for having a mono button on an amplifier and 2 perhaps debatable reasons.

1. The listener/s may not be centrally positioned between the speakers.

2. The recording may be a stereo re-master of a mono recording and the mono version sounds better?

3. Listening in mono provides a more focused, less complicated, less fatiguing, more relaxing listening experience?

Your thoughts please.

 

[abacus]

1. How many people sit/stand in the sweet spot at a concert, the answer is those in the centre, the rest are off to one side, with mono the sound always comes from one position, whereas in a live concert the volume of the various instruments change depending where you are sitting/standing.

2. Yes, but depending on how it is remastered, summing the channels may cause phase problems

3. Not really, as it doesn’t sound anything like the real thing

4. Each person is different, so just use your system the way it suits you

Hope this helps

Bill

 

[Al ears]

No, but maybe a phono preamp should.

 

[CnoEvil]

I have never used a Mono Button in over 40 years of owning Hifi.....but I would defend to the death your right to have one.

 

[drummerman]

No

 

[insider9]

The fewer circuits in the amp the better. I personally don't even want an inbuilt dac or to be controlls. Regarding your first point OP, balance would be more helpful.

My preamp has mono downmix and I use it to check channel imbalance but only if I'm not bothered to play mono recordings. Since there is a good number of these it's not essential but nice to have feature. I would rather have it in the preamp and not a part of an integrated.

 

[Oldphrt]

When playing mono records a mono button would be very useful. It cuts out a lot of noise and distortion.

 

[Al ears]

When playing mono records a mono button would be very useful. It cuts out a lot of noise and distortion.

Agree, but it's not necessary to fit one to every amplifier just in case you want to do that.

 

[plastic penguin]

If your system has top-notch imaging you shouldn't need to sit in the sweet spot.

Some older recordings that are crud are usually compressed re-masters. Otherwise a good recording is... well, good.

 

[Samd]

are the only Guards Regt to have mono buttons, Welsh as the juniors have them in groups of 5!

Live and learn!

 

[shadders]

Grenadier Guards are the only Guards Regt to have mono buttons, Welsh as the juniors have them in groups of 5!

Live and learn!

Hi,

My preference is Drambuie.

Regards,

Shadders.

 

[Oldphrt]

When playing mono records a mono button would be very useful. It cuts out a lot of noise and distortion.

Agree, but it's not necessary to fit one to every amplifier just in case you want to do that.

A mono button used to be fitted on all amplifiers. Seeing as vinyl is making a comeback perhaps they should be fitted. It's also handy if you have a stereo FM tuner with no mono switch.

 

[chebby]

A mono button used to be fitted on all amplifiers. Seeing as vinyl is making a comeback perhaps they should be fitted. It's also handy if you have a stereo FM tuner with no mono switch.

It is far better to take the time to find a tuner with a mono switch. (Assuming it's being bought used.)

My little Pro-ject tuner has no mono switch but it does have 'signal dependent mono to stereo blend' and will go to mono automatically (when tuning manually*) if the station is too weak. I've tested this function by deliberately tuning to more distant stations and the beacon does flip to mono and clarify the sound.

Not sure a mono switch on the amp would have the same effect.

* Automatic tuning / scannng will only find the strongest signals.

 

[MajorFubar]

Not sure a mono switch on the amp would have the same effect.

It would to a degree. The way a stereo signal is encoded on FM is surpisingly similar to how stereo records are made, in so far as there is not separate L&R but instead there is a combined mono signal and a difference signal. With both records and FM, when you de-multiplex the mono + difference channels into separate left and right, you're left with more noise than what you'd hear in mono. With records, the noise manifests itself as louder vinyl roar and sometimes HF sibilants, while on FM it's increased hiss, depending on signal strength. However an inherrent outcome of the de-muxing process means the noise itself is mono and mosty out of phase, and so with both records and FM, the noise is largely cancelled out when you monauralise the output again.

 

[Al ears]

Not sure a mono switch on the amp would have the same effect.

It would to a degree. The way a stereo signal is encoded on FM is surpisingly similar to how stereo records are made, in so far as there is not separate L&R but instead there is a combined mono signal and a difference signal. With both records and FM, when you de-multiplex the mono + difference channels into separate left and right, you're left with more noise than what you'd hear in mono. With records, the noise manifests itself as louder vinyl roar and sometimes HF sibilants, while on FM it's increased hiss, depending on signal strength. However an inherrent outcome of the de-muxing process means the noise itself is mono and mosty out of phase, and so with both records and FM, the noise is largely cancelled out when you monauralise the output again.

Agree with the Major but judging by the number of people that listen to FM regularly or even the number that currently play LPs, I don't expect to see mono buttons on new amps any time soon.

 

[Vladimir]

My setup has 2 mono switches. *dirol*

What are these for again?

 

[Oldphrt]

Not sure a mono switch on the amp would have the same effect.

It would to a degree. The way a stereo signal is encoded on FM is surpisingly similar to how stereo records are made, in so far as there is not separate L&R but instead there is a combined mono signal and a difference signal. With both records and FM, when you de-multiplex the mono + difference channels into separate left and right, you're left with more noise than what you'd hear in mono. With records, the noise manifests itself as louder vinyl roar and sometimes HF sibilants, while on FM it's increased hiss, depending on signal strength. However an inherrent outcome of the de-muxing process means the noise itself is mono and mosty out of phase, and so with both records and FM, the noise is largely cancelled out when you monauralise the output again.

It cancels because the hiss on the left is out of phase with the hiss on the right. Some tuners had a high blend button which added a capacitor between the left and right channels