Rega P3-24 help required.Right Ch. Distortion


Hi,

I'm was wondering if anyone could help me out. I'm currently having issues with my right speaker distorting and showing visibly excessive speaker cone movement.

I have the following system;
Rega p3-24, Elys 2 Cart
Arcam Alpha 7 Integrated Amp
Kef 104 AB

I'm not sure what entirely is the matter as this only seems to happen on the right channel. When playing back via CD, I do not have this issue, the problem starts when the amp is turned up to high volumes. The Woofer and bass reflex both start to shake and then appear to lose control causing the audio to distort.

Has anyone experienced this and any ideas on how to solve this problem?
slinq
Thanks for your feedback, I played about with the location of the TT, and it was just like Miner and Theo suggested that it wasn't isolated properly. I never imagined the isolation causing that severe of a problem. I believed it must have been something wrong with the TT simply due to the severity of the distortion.

Thanks for all your quick responses and helping me solve this issue.
Although I have my Rega P7 on a marble-topped console I can still get feedback by just lightly tapping the door to the console. I sure would have thought my TT would be isolated on a marble slab. I am now looking at various ways to isolate better. Black Diamond Racing makes isolation feet for Rega tables - they are replacement feet. i might give these a try.
Glad your problem was easily identified. Now it's time for a little research.

QUESTION: why would you expect a marble slab to isolate a TT (or any object) from vibration? Would a car manufacturer install marble blocks as shock absorbers? How would the car react when driving over bumps? Small ones would rattle your teeth loose, big ones would launch the car airborne.

The only way to ISOLATE an object from vibrational energies is to eliminate physical connections between the vibration source and the object. Placing your TT in a vacuum chamber that's not in contact with any vibration source would work, but that's impractical without ready access to a space station. (Of course a marble slab does the just opposite: it CONNECTS the object to the vibration source.)

Practically speaking, the best we can do is ATTENUATE vibrations before they reach the TT. Vibrational energies are attenuated when we allow them to generate movement:
- OF the structure(s) between the vibration source and the object, like the springs on a car (but a marble slab is too heavy to move); and/or
- WITHIN the structure(s) between the vibration source and the object, like Dr. Scholl's gel insoles (but a marble slab is too dense and brittle to flex).

The material properties of marble (dense, very brittle) are the opposite of what's required for the attenuation of vibration. That slab is actually making your problem worse. Before you buy anything, ditch it.
Have you checked out the incognito wire for your tone arm? It will take your Rega to a new level.
I need to work around the marble - it is the 'top' on the cabinet - can't ditch it. Many users have employed heavy, dense materials in use for isolation - granite bases for TT, speakers, amps etc. Why not marble?