A read head includes a bottom shield and a bottom isolation layer that electrically isolates the bottom shield. The read head includes left and right reader stacks having respective bottom layers disposed on at least a portion of the bottom isolation layer. The left and right reader stacks are cross-track adjacent to one another. The read head also includes left and right bottom contacts electrically coupled to respective left and right bottom layers. A top shield is configured as a common top contact electrically coupled to respective top layers of the left and right reader stacks.