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Strangest Phono Sound I Ever Heard

First of all, Happy TG.  Yesterday, the strangest thing happened with my TT.  I have a Basis 2001 with a Transfiguration Orpheus, running to a Linn Linto.  I've had this setup for well over 7 years without any problems, although I did change the cart once.  So the other day I put on a record and I get this strange sound in the right speaker, almost like mistracking and it started happening consistently.  I checked all the connections and they were noiseless.  I even changed the input on my integrated amp, which works perfectly with my digital.  So I figure maybe the cartridge is messed up so I change the cartridge and when I am doing the alignment, I notice an excessive amount of anti-skate, even though I have it set to minimum.  So I take the counterweight off the anti-skate and it seems better.  I install the new cart and It is making the same mistracking sound in the right channel. Plus, I am getting a sound that sounds like a motorcycle speeding up and slowing down in the right speaker.  It is definitely not a 60-cycle hum.  It sounds like a recording of a motorcycle varying in speed.  I shook all the connections and nothing was loose.  The weirdest thing I've ever heard out of an audio system.  Any ideas?  Again, have a good holiday.  

chayro
dronepunk's avatar
dronepunk
64 posts
 

Did you have your cell phone in your pocket?

RF noise if too close.

chayro OP
2,984 posts
 

So I got the $129 Pro-ject phono stage from Amazon and everything works perfect.  I'm sure I'm the only one in the world using a $5k cartridge with a $129 phono stage.  I'm a little embarrassed to say it doesn't sound horrible at all. You should get one to keep as a spare when your 10k unit craps out and you send it out for repairs. Thank you for your sound suggestions. And @axpert - you're absolutely correct.  Basis is a top-notch company, but before I send the arm into them for a checkup I figured I'd ask if anyone here had the same problem. BTW - AJ had a very different approach to setting anti-skate if you watch his DVD.  He made some great products. 

lewm
13,012 posts
 

Why worry about the tonearm? If I am following correctly, you’ve proven the problem resides with your preamp.

millercarbon's avatar
millercarbon
12,531 posts
 

Sounds like you narrowed it down to the phono stage. While you are working on that, if your 2001 is the one I think it is, the silicone damping fluid in the pods can evaporate over time. This happens so slowly it is hard to notice. Check and see. Another cheap yet effective tune-up, the Origin Live belt and Cartridge Enabler. Finally, if you have an old aftermarket power cord laying around open the motor and solder it in place of the factory black rubber power cord. Any aftermarket cord will be an improvement. This was my very first turntable mod when I did it on my Basis some nearly 30 years ago.

Nice table, you can do a lot with it. These things won't cost much but will sound like they did.

tomic601's avatar
tomic601
12,911 posts
 

The Basis frozen then precision ground belt is difficult to beat…

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