Static and Hum: (sound like a U2 album) questions...

Discussion in 'Audio Hardware' started by McGuy, Feb 22, 2018.

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  1. McGuy

    McGuy All Mc, all the time... Thread Starter

    Location:
    Chicago
    I should probably know this by now but I have to issues - neither is a huge deal really.

    1) when I touch anything metal near the turntable, and the tonearm itself, I hear static. And yes, I have a carpeted floor. Is this relatively normal?

    2) when I touch the tonearm, it makes the speakers hum. goes away when I let go.

    And the turntable is grounded in both places - the arm to the ground and the table to the ground on the preamp.

    Again, not a huge deal, just figure I'd ask the experts...
     
    Roycer likes this.
  2. jtiner

    jtiner Forum Resident

    Location:
    Maine
    re: 1 - When you say static, what do you mean? Is it like white noise or a crackle? And is it constant or only when you first touch metal?
    re: 2 - For the turntable ground to be effective, the entire ground path has to be good and complete from the head shell and cartridge to the preamp and from the preamp to the electrical ground. Does the preamp have a grounding plug?
     
    McGuy likes this.
  3. McGuy

    McGuy All Mc, all the time... Thread Starter

    Location:
    Chicago
    it's just static when I touch it. and only when I touch the metal. quick. then goes away. As for the turntable, the table is grounded to where the tonearm wires plug in. It's a VPI, so you'll understand what I mean if you've seen one, hard to explain. And I was incorrect earlier, the turntable is grounded to the MP100 phono preamp. Both grounding wires are secure. I've actually never seen a turntable that grounds to itself, if that makes any sense.
     
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  4. McGuy

    McGuy All Mc, all the time... Thread Starter

    Location:
    Chicago
    and yes, the C28 preamp has a grounding plug but since I don't use it for the TT interconnects, it's empty. Should I ground the preamp anyway to a metal source, like the VTI stand itself?
     
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  5. McGuy

    McGuy All Mc, all the time... Thread Starter

    Location:
    Chicago
    and FWIW, if I turn on everything, no vinyl playing. And I turn up the volume, there is a significant hum from the speakers, which of course gets louder as I turn up the volume. Should there be ZERO hum at all from the speakers if everything is setup perfectly? wondering if I have an issue. And I just checked, all grounding wires are tight on the grounding plugs.
     
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  6. McGuy

    McGuy All Mc, all the time... Thread Starter

    Location:
    Chicago
    Any thoughts on the hum?
     
    Roycer likes this.
  7. Roycer

    Roycer Forum Resident

    Location:
    Wyoming
    Guess I could say welcome to the world of preamps and vinyl
     
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  8. McGuy

    McGuy All Mc, all the time... Thread Starter

    Location:
    Chicago
    Now I'm getting annoyed. I definitely have hum in my speakers and have no idea why. the louder I turn the volume, the louder the hum. and when I touch anything metal on the turntable, it gets louder. All grounding wires are connected correctly.
     
    Roycer likes this.
  9. McGuy

    McGuy All Mc, all the time... Thread Starter

    Location:
    Chicago
    just checked something, hum disappears when I turn OFF the McIntosh MP 100 phono preamp. so...?
     
    Roycer likes this.
  10. McGuy

    McGuy All Mc, all the time... Thread Starter

    Location:
    Chicago
    I took the MP100 out of the mix, hooked it all up to the preamp, same hum issue. Also tried my other non-shielded interconnects, no difference at all, same hum. WTF?

    One thing that does seem to get rid of the hum almost entirely is if I'm touching the grounding screw on the turntable, and also touching both interconnects at the metal portion, it stops...
     
    Last edited: Feb 23, 2018
    Roycer likes this.
  11. Roycer

    Roycer Forum Resident

    Location:
    Wyoming
    If I run the ground to the amp I get hum, if I run ground from TT to preamp (trichord Dino) then its better, although if I turn it up which is not my listening range I have the hum and increase with volume.This is about all of my experience.The static..I live in Wyoming and its winter and dry here so I just ignore it.
     
  12. McGuy

    McGuy All Mc, all the time... Thread Starter

    Location:
    Chicago
    nothing fixes mine. luckily the guy I go to at Music Direct offered to come out to my house tomorrow (Saturday!) and see what's what. He thinks it could be a junction box issue. Says it has happened before with VPIs. not often but sometimes the wiring is messed up inside the box.
     
    Roycer likes this.
  13. Roycer

    Roycer Forum Resident

    Location:
    Wyoming
    cool,let me know..Where I live I have no audio stores.
     
  14. McGuy

    McGuy All Mc, all the time... Thread Starter

    Location:
    Chicago
    will do. waiting for him to confirm for tomorrow.
     
  15. McGuy

    McGuy All Mc, all the time... Thread Starter

    Location:
    Chicago
    Well, Bes from Music Direct came out to my house just now. And I think my junction box is screwed up anyway after he spent an hour on it. Even called the owner of VPI trying to fix it. Have to bring the table in next week so he can work on it or order a new junction box or possibly a tonearm grounding issue. He used words like farraday, paint and metal on metal contact...went right over my head. Amazing he could take the time to come to my house, which isn't close to his. I gave him a bagel...
     
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  16. Roycer

    Roycer Forum Resident

    Location:
    Wyoming
    Hope all will be good...oh did you put cream cheese on bagel?,,lol
     
  17. McGuy

    McGuy All Mc, all the time... Thread Starter

    Location:
    Chicago
  18. jtiner

    jtiner Forum Resident

    Location:
    Maine
    When I was asking about grounding plugs, I meant the electrical plugs on the gear - three prong vs. polarized. Ultimately the wall plug ground has to make it to your gear via the power cords, interconnects, or ground wires. I know you've got the TT ground connected to the MP100, but how is the MP100 connected to your amp? There's a chance you'd need another ground from the MP100 to your amp, especially if you're using the optical connection.
    Good luck with the dealer - let us know how you make out.
     
  19. McGuy

    McGuy All Mc, all the time... Thread Starter

    Location:
    Chicago
    good question. MP100 to preamp is just via morrow audio MA3 interconnects. we're fairly sure it's a TT issue at this point. but interesting idea to ground the mp100 the preamp.
     
  20. YpsiGypsy

    YpsiGypsy Forum Resident

    Location:
    Michigan, USA
    Anyone use an isolation board?
    VPI suggests it, actually in a vid I saw they suggest a piece of cherry wood with isolation legs.
     
  21. When i touch the tonearm i too get a hum but as soon as let go, its gone. Never understood why it happens but as it has no effect on my musical enjoyment, it does not bother me. My experience with phono stages is that to a greater or lesser degree you will hear a hum when the volume is turned up beyond normal listening levels. Again i cant say it bothers me. No audible hum when playing LPs, so no worries
     
  22. Maltman

    Maltman Somewhat grumpy, but harmless old man.

    Location:
    Vancouver Canada
    Yes, that has been my experience: no audible hum/buzz when it is actually playing a record. I have turned up the volume between tracks and when the stylus is in the dead wax and all I hear is the normal surface noise, no buzz. The buzz occurs when there is no record playing but the phono pre amp is on and the pre amp is set on the phono setting, which is an Aux input. I’m going to change out a couple of interconnects and move the amp a little further away, but if that doesn’t work I’m just going to ignore it as it seems to make no difference to the sound at normal to fairly high listening volume.
    Cheers.
     
    Fishoutofwater likes this.
  23. Folsom

    Folsom Forum Resident

    Location:
    Eastern WA
    Put a cheater plug on your amp and see if it does it. I'm not suggesting this as as solution, just try it.
     
  24. Maltman

    Maltman Somewhat grumpy, but harmless old man.

    Location:
    Vancouver Canada
    Cheater plug, what’s that?
     
  25. Folsom

    Folsom Forum Resident

    Location:
    Eastern WA
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