VPI Classic hum

Stringreen

I have a CJ PV5 which doesn't have a balance mode. The last time that I turned my volume up to check for hum and noise, I blew out one of the drivers in my Vandersteens. It cost me $950.00 for that experience. As a result I would be hesitant to recommend that anyone do that. The hum only happened when the stylus touched the record and the motor was running. Now nothing is happening, :-).

I've had my Classic I with the Valhalla wiring, and a Lyra Delos for over two years now, and after three or four different interconnects across my system, three different speaker cables, two different phono preamps, a line preamp and power amp upgrade, I have not experienced any hum so many posters here complain of. I run tube line preamp and monoblocks so I do have what I'd describe as "hiss" when I turn the volume up to about a 90 dB level, but it has no effect on the sound; record imperfections are way more obvious than any hiss during quiet passages. So I'm puzzled by this mysterious hum problem and why the turntable would need any fixing or looking at. It's most likely poorly shielded cartridges than might be picking up some interference. I'm not sure how VPI or a VPI dealer can possibly fix the problem.

Btw, Macster, I also bought my Classic and the rest of my system from Stereo Unlimited in San Diego. If you want to get in touch, feel free to email me at actusreus13@hotmail.com.

I never a problem until I had the bright idea to detoix my Goldring GL2500. The result was a nightmare and I ended up klutzing the stylus.After that I made some interconnect changes and from there I got on the cartridge merry go round to try to solve the problem. Now I'm going back to square one.

Actusreus

IMHO that hiss is a normal tube by product, but I'd talk to Bruce about it. Thanks for the contact info.

Another thing peter lederman at soundsmith told me was that the wire coming out of the tonearm of the classic that plugs into the junction box is un-shielded wire. This wire can pickup interference. I took a single strand of copper wire about the size of a human hair, then spiral wrapped it around the tonearm wire. I left a long piece near the base that I connected to the ground lug on the turntable. I then wrapped both wires in PTFE tape. This did eliminate a small hum issue I had. Those of you with the valhalla wiring, I think valhalla is shielded already so this would be no help to you.

One way or the other, I'm going to resolve this today. I'm taking the table back with my preamp and cassette deck and going through the trouble shooting process with my bud. What I've found is that if I disconnect the belt from the motor (let it wrap it's self around the platter). Then place a record on the table with the arm down touching the record and after that select source monitor on my Nak and plug in a set of head phones to the deck I can clearly hear the motor noise (hum) when I turn the motor on and off. This same hum is what I hear on the tapes that I'm making and now it's really bothering me. So I'm going to take Bifwynne's and Macdadtexas advice and get a Soundsmith Zypher or Dyna 20X2H.