So Weird- No Stylus Contact Woofer Pumping with Hana ML and Elac PPA-2

Weekend results- using a signal generator I input square waves into the phono pre at all three possible inputs, input 1 RCA, input 2 RCA, and input 2 balanced XLR. All three output clean square waves at normal operating frequencies at various amplitudes. I couldn’t trip it up. So I’m eliminating the preamp as a culprit.

I reinstalled the XLR and using the Hi-Fi news test record 300 hz bias test track 6, just for the 300 hz signal, I again got the woofer pumping. The signal rides the rising and falling baseline. With the cartridge lifted but over the record the signal is flat, rising and falling. 

Also I input square waves at the phono cable end and scoped the cartridge end with the cartridge connected- all square with the left and right showing a slight amplitude difference. My next plan is to try to bypass the arm and phono cable wiring with an alternate set up mounted external to the arm to see if the problem repeats.

Somebody asked for a video of the o-scope display

Enjoy

https://youtube.com/shorts/O9GJToBeZAk?feature=share

SOLVED- Short answer, my fault. The Audio Note silver litz is notoriously difficult to work with and in this case my reach exceeded my grasp. The o-scope trace of the left vs the right channel was different by about 15%. I figured there had to be something there to explore. I desoldered the wires to take a look under the microscope and saw very few clean areas free of urethane. Every connection point was wildly different.
 

I picked up an el cheapo solder pot so I would theoretically have an advantage clearing the goop. The trouble with el cheapo Amazon solder pot is that the temp controller swings too wide. Just when a wire was almost there- zap- melted in the pot. I need 13” of wire and at some point my second wire ended up at 12”. No more Audio Note wires.

I reinstalled the original Mogami set. This was designed for MC cartridges and despite my concern for the mass that the original setup adds, with the Hana ML it worked out to a tone arm resonance of 10 hz. The original set is copper and unlike the Audio Note it’s obviously larger than a human hair. It has the added advantage of existing within my skill and equipment set.

At any rate, the effect of static on the cartridge is gone. To be honest the circa 1970/80’s wiring sounds very good. I had originally pulled the factory set because it’s curiously heavy and the mass was too much for a 2M Black, I also suspected an electrical mismatch in design.

The PPA-2 using balanced input and balanced output is a different animal than in single end mode. It wipes the floor with its unbalanced self. More transient energy by a mile. It really comes alive.

This thread is solved, if nothing else, if someone else tumbles into this scenario it may help.