Almighty TT hum --- help

When I ran into a similar hum trying to use phono inputs which had not previously been used, it turned out that the preamp female phono input jack of one channel had been detached from its internal soldered continuity with the preamp by someone in the past violently twisting off the male jack on the end of the cable from the turntable. This was a hum heard in both channels even though one jack was at fault.

My old time TT went humming in one channel a while back and it turned out to be defective interconnects. If your hum is in both channels your problem likely lies elsewhere.

What does it sound like with the cartridge disconnected?

Thanks for the responses...I just got a chance to do some more investigation today. Here are the results.

1. Using both line level sources (aux and tuner), the hum was still present, as loud and persistant as before.

2. I checked all connections to the cartridge and they appear and feel solid.

3. The hum is both channels, but using headphones, I realized that it is about 50% louder in one channel (left).

4. I disconnected the cartridge entirely and the hum sounded exactly the same.

5. I also found out (accidentally) that the hum was reduced in volume whenever I touched the amp. Does this imply a grounding problem?

I will take off the cover of the amp and see if the phono input jacks have been damaged in some way. Any other suggestions would help. I'd like to think that the TT is the problem (that way MAYBE I can justify buying a new one). I have heard that the 3020 has a good phono stage for its low cost and I definitely had that in mind when I bought it.

While my TT was humming one channel, leaving the interconnects hooked up but unplugging the TT from the wall made it go away. Replacing the TT's worn RCA females didn't help. Renewing the interconnects did.

Since you've got hum on any source it sounds like the amp is the misbehaver. Maybe your amp was in storage/left unpowered for a long time?

I stowed an OK-fine SS Dynaco 120 power amp in a hot Dallas attic. A couple of years later, it powered up and still worked but the transformer hummed in the chassis. Tightening the hold down bolts didn't help. That amp had failed two times prior (over one 8 cent and one 15 cent part respectively), so my solution was to sell it at half its value to someone who was willing to isolate the hum's exact cause. Sorry it's not much help. How attached are you to the NAD?