A monaural system, also known as a monophonic system, is a type of audio system that plays sound through a single channel, usually in the center of the stereo field. Other synonyms for monaural system include single-channel audio, mono recording, and monophonic sound. Mono recording was popular in early decades of the 20th century, and it is still used today in some applications like radio broadcasting. Although monaural system playback has limitations compared to stereo playback, it also has some advantages, like reducing the complexity of audio equipment and ensuring that the sound is audible and clear in all types of speakers.