New Rega Fono MM causing buzz.

I just got a Rega Fono MM to replace the Cambridge phono pre that I was using with my P6. Had no buzz or hum issues with the Cambridge, but now have a distinct buzz at moderate volume with the Rega unit. I have checked all connections, and moved the phono pre about 18 inches from the TT. No joy. The buzz goes away when I switch to CD, but is still there when the PSU is turned off and the pre is on and amp is on the input I use for phono. Any ideas where I should be looking? Thanks.

 

Did you ground it? If so, how?

 

I didn't ground it as I understand the ground is in the left channel cable from the TT (Rega P6). Should I be grounding it some other way?

 

Try grounding the PSU.


rega tt psu buzz fix

 

What you described is a grounding issue. You can do either of two things ;

1. Connect a wire to your phono preamp's grounding lug nut and touch the other end on any metallic surface you can find on your turntable and amp. Eventually, you'll likely experience silence while connecting to a specific one and that'll be your answer.

2. Use a cheater plug which is a 3-prong to 2-prong converter for your phono preamp's power cord. In some cases, the reason why these symptoms may occur is due to the ground being interrupted which would likely explain why you encountered the problem with one component but not the other.

I've used this one successfully on a Parasound JC3 Jr which had caused the problem in my system.

https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B00EAR9KU0/

 

Thanks Strat-mangler. I’ll do that and report back.

 

I had the same problem with a Rega fono mini, so I opened it and found that there is piece of metal which works as grounding wire and it was detached from the metal chassis. Soldered it and the buzz disappeared

 

Thanks Danilo. Not sure I want to start taking the thing apart. I'll try what Strat-Mangler recommends first and go from there. If that doesn't work I'll contact the dealer or Rega.

 

@Strat-Mangler. Tried grounding to the amp and the TT. No joy. Although it is hard to find bare metal on either. I also tried putting the Cambridge back in and still got the buzz. The only other change I made was switching the positions of the amp and the CD player which put the amp a lot closer to the TT. Might try switching them back. Still, the buzz is only when the amp is in TT mode, no buzz on CD or any other input. The TT has always been only a few inches from the right speaker, but it was never an issue before. It has all the hallmarks of a grounding issue as you say. Frustrating. I'll try to post some pics.

 

Also, the buzz is from both speakers, if that means anything.

 

Try putting the phono preamp away from the speakers and amp. Some are sensitive to this.

 

Cheers. Will do.

 

That's exactly what I did, I added a ground on the PSU and connected it to the fono MM and voilà! No more hum or buzz.

 

I had a similar issue with my brand new fono mm mk3 (buzzing at moderate volume) and was able to narrow down issue to preamp itself.

I decided to open and have a look and it appeared that ground wire was not even connected to screw on chasis. Hard to tell for sure as it could have disconnected when I removed front panel, but when I connected properly to chasis and reclosed the case it solved the issue.

Really not sure what to make of this but wanted to share in case it helps anyone else. Is it possible the ground connection was overlooked? Seems like an odd oversight for an otherwise amazing preamp.

Sounds brilliant now.

 

Ok I think I was off base here - the cause of the buzz was actually a small space heater in the next room. Lesson learned.

 

Rega stages buzz anywhere near the transformer from an amp or power supply or anything else. Try and locate it clear of any other components., especially anything directly above or below.

 

I had the same issue, although my ground wire is not integrated in the interlink cable itself. It turned out to be a bad connection between the interlink and my table, which ha d a fairly loose fit. Switching cables solved the problem.
There is however still a faint hum, when I turn up the volume above 60%.

 

Thank you

Just fixed my issue

 

Ah ha. Good suggestion. I’ll try moving them as far apart as possible. The buzz is only audible at high volume so it has not really been a problem but still one of those annoying little things that I’d like to get rid of.

 

No buzz at alll here since I added a ground to the PSU and connected it to the fono mk3.

 

Yeah, that’s what ae86gts was demonstrating a few posts back. I’ll try that as a last resort, but don’t want to start messing with the psu while it’s under warranty.