I like to ask whoever is reading this site.
I am not a big audiophile and would like to know what is the difference between stereo and mono.
I listen to my music as it is.
We all know stereo is the standard when we listen to our music.
What makes mono so unique?
So I would like to know.
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In a nutshell, mono means that exactly the same sounds are coming out of both the left and right speakers, while stereo means there are different sounds coming out of both left and right speakers.
Originally, when most hi-fi systems/radios/etc. had one speaker bands would mix down their tracks to sound best in a one speaker environment, hence “mono”. This is why the mono recordings of early Beatles and Stones records are so desired, because the mono mixing was done the way the bands (and their producers) wanted it. The stereo mixes were handled by less capable engineers, and were not really vetted by the band.
There has been a resurgence of “mono” in the vinyl world of late, which frankly is ridiculous. The only way to get the “right” sound out of a mono recording is to have a mono cartridge and a mono amplifier. Not to mention that some stuff is meant to be listened to in stereo (Zeppelin II with all it’s cool panning effects is useless in mono).
There’s a whole pile more that could be written on the subject, but that’s it in a nutshell.
Posted by Alex | September 26, 2010, 3:32 pm