Monaural sound reproduction is single channel. Typically there is only one microphone, one loudspeaker, or in the case of headphones or multiple loudspeakers they are fed from a common signal path, and in the case of multiple microphones, mixed into a single signal path at some stage.

Monaural sound has been replaced by stereo sound in most entertainment applications. However it remains the standard for:

History

While some experiments were made with stereophonic recording and reproduction from the early days of the
phonograph in the late 19th century, until the second half of the 20th century monaural was the rule for almost all audio recording.

Monaural sound is normal on such historic media as:

Compatible monaural and stereophonic standards exist for: Although there are some common practices between manufacturers, no monaural standard exists for: See also: binaural recording