Also make sure there are no power cables running in close proximity to the interconnects. If they have to cross, cross at right angles and try to keep separated by a few inches. Using shielded interconnects on the phono might make an improvement and you can also reverse the direction of the interconnects in case the shield is at the wrong end.
Hum/Buzz from Phono Gear -PS Audio 200 HB???
Happy New Year to All!
I have a Clearaudio Virtuoso Wood Cartridge, connected to VPI JMW 9 tonearm mounted to VPI Aries Scout table connected to tubed Art Audio Vinyl One phono preamp connected to Goldpoint Passive switch/volume attenuator, connected to Leveinson 333.5 amp, connected to Thiel 3.6 speakers. Levinson 390S is connected to Goldpoint switcher/attenuator. We are using Granite Audio power chords.
An electrician installed a 30 amp fuse box and 20 amp fuse box piggy backed off the main box with "isolated" grounds and external ground rods. The sockets are all hubble hospital grade outlets. The 30 amp service has a singlr rwist lock outlet for the amp only.
Today We bought 3 grounding rods from Radio Shack.
Multiple experiments:
No grounding = loud buzz/hum
1. Ground the VPI connector block to ground rod = loud buzz/hum
2. Ground the VPI connector block to Phono Preamp Ground = much quieter
3. Ground the Tone Arm & VPI connector block to Phono Preamp Ground = quieter
4. Keep #3 the same but add ground rod = a little quieter
5. Gound the platter spindle to #4 = No Difference.
6. Gound the platter spindle to separate ground rod = no static discharge when cleaning record while spinning.
7. Cheater plug to phono preamp did not help after reaching step 6, however it did help yesterday when no grounding rods were used.
Afer all experimenting, the phono gear eliicits hum audible from 3-1/2 feet in front of speakers, not audible from listening position: listening 9 feet from center of speakers which are 9-1/2 feet apart.
My Levinson 390S CD player elicits the slightested white or waterfall noise with your ear right in the speaker.
Recapping; the noise comming from speakers is audible from 3 feet away, with a slight 60 Hz type "buzz". I disconnected the short RCA interconnects from VPI connector block, got huge hum as if they were an antenna.
Next, I disconnected the interconnects from the preamp and was left with a very soft waterfall, or white noise. I assume it was the tubes. This noise is audible with your ear a few inches from speaker.
The 390S has the slightest waterfall or white noise with your ear right in the speaker. It is currently connected to smaller APC 600 battery backups which improves the sound, as it has AC noise filtering.
I plugged the preamp into the APC 600 backups battery backup and there was a slight gain in noise.
Therefore it is my opinion that the table is not the problem, it is the cartridge, and to some extent the tranformer on premap.
One thing I can not explain is why noise from dishwasher or other appliance or larger APC battery back up is picked up unless the transformer on Vinyl One is defenseless against such sperious electrical garbage in my home circuit.
The larger APC causes a digital sinewave high pitched noise. That is probably due to it's Auto Voltage Regulation.
When turning on light on new fan/light switch adds a great deal of noise to phono -particularly on lower settings.
The final question is would the PS Audio 200 HB with humbuster kill the noise. or should we Just live with it. It's not audible from couch if other appliances,etc are not running.
Any experience to share?? We need APC battery backups due to lighning storms and frequent brownouts.
I have a Clearaudio Virtuoso Wood Cartridge, connected to VPI JMW 9 tonearm mounted to VPI Aries Scout table connected to tubed Art Audio Vinyl One phono preamp connected to Goldpoint Passive switch/volume attenuator, connected to Leveinson 333.5 amp, connected to Thiel 3.6 speakers. Levinson 390S is connected to Goldpoint switcher/attenuator. We are using Granite Audio power chords.
An electrician installed a 30 amp fuse box and 20 amp fuse box piggy backed off the main box with "isolated" grounds and external ground rods. The sockets are all hubble hospital grade outlets. The 30 amp service has a singlr rwist lock outlet for the amp only.
Today We bought 3 grounding rods from Radio Shack.
Multiple experiments:
No grounding = loud buzz/hum
1. Ground the VPI connector block to ground rod = loud buzz/hum
2. Ground the VPI connector block to Phono Preamp Ground = much quieter
3. Ground the Tone Arm & VPI connector block to Phono Preamp Ground = quieter
4. Keep #3 the same but add ground rod = a little quieter
5. Gound the platter spindle to #4 = No Difference.
6. Gound the platter spindle to separate ground rod = no static discharge when cleaning record while spinning.
7. Cheater plug to phono preamp did not help after reaching step 6, however it did help yesterday when no grounding rods were used.
Afer all experimenting, the phono gear eliicits hum audible from 3-1/2 feet in front of speakers, not audible from listening position: listening 9 feet from center of speakers which are 9-1/2 feet apart.
My Levinson 390S CD player elicits the slightested white or waterfall noise with your ear right in the speaker.
Recapping; the noise comming from speakers is audible from 3 feet away, with a slight 60 Hz type "buzz". I disconnected the short RCA interconnects from VPI connector block, got huge hum as if they were an antenna.
Next, I disconnected the interconnects from the preamp and was left with a very soft waterfall, or white noise. I assume it was the tubes. This noise is audible with your ear a few inches from speaker.
The 390S has the slightest waterfall or white noise with your ear right in the speaker. It is currently connected to smaller APC 600 battery backups which improves the sound, as it has AC noise filtering.
I plugged the preamp into the APC 600 backups battery backup and there was a slight gain in noise.
Therefore it is my opinion that the table is not the problem, it is the cartridge, and to some extent the tranformer on premap.
One thing I can not explain is why noise from dishwasher or other appliance or larger APC battery back up is picked up unless the transformer on Vinyl One is defenseless against such sperious electrical garbage in my home circuit.
The larger APC causes a digital sinewave high pitched noise. That is probably due to it's Auto Voltage Regulation.
When turning on light on new fan/light switch adds a great deal of noise to phono -particularly on lower settings.
The final question is would the PS Audio 200 HB with humbuster kill the noise. or should we Just live with it. It's not audible from couch if other appliances,etc are not running.
Any experience to share?? We need APC battery backups due to lighning storms and frequent brownouts.
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- 5 posts total
- 5 posts total