VPI Aries 2 platter is creating hum

Hi cbrentc, not really sure what material(s) the original was made from. It looks like solid steel. I tried extra grounding on the platter,tonearm and motor with no success. Hum occurred when cartridge met record only. I have my class A amps on either side of the table about 6" apart. Even though the motor is not attached to the table can it induce hum?

You might be able to play with a sheet of aluminum foil to see if you are getting electromagnetic interference from somewhere, it should act as a barrier to the em source. FWIW, made the same upgrade & did not get any ill effects.

Just call Harry Weisfeld at VPI. The office is open Tuesday thru Thursday 9 to 5. I had a problem a while back, called Harry and he talked me through it. Problem solved.

Thanks for the responses so far. Have e-mailed VPI. Jeff_jones, will play with the aluminum foil. May I ask what differences you heard with the upgraded platter? For the short time the new platter was on, it appeared to produce clearer detail but wasn't as smooth and musical. Probably something that can be resolved by adjustments.

The original platter is a mixture of stainless, acrylic, cork and lead.

I trust that the new acrylic platter and bearing are better sonically, but think that the white-ish acrylic destroys the look of the table (the new platter looks like the afterthought that it is).