Phono noise

Discussion in 'Audio Hardware' started by CMT, Aug 9, 2019.

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  1. CMT

    CMT Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Sebastopol, CA
    I recently noticed a very significant noise problem when my amplifier is in phono mode. It disappears immediately and completely when I turn the integrated amplifier to any auxiliary mode or to the optical mode I use to run my CD player. I stress that the turntable is properly grounded. This isn’t a steady bad ground hum. It’s more like (and probably is) some kind of radio interference. It doesn’t seem to have anything to do with any lights or otherElectrical or electronic devices nearby. Moving the cords that are nearby doesn’t seem to affect it either. Does anybody have any idea what this might be and how to remedy it? I didn’t notice it at first because I was playing mostly modern discs at a fairly low volume. I noticed it only when I played a rather old recording that required me to turn up the volume switch much more than I had up to now. This is a relatively new amplifier. Thanks
     
  2. Ontheone

    Ontheone Poorly Understood Member

    Location:
    Indianapolis
    It's probably noise coming from the cartridge as you have to turn up the volume. What kind of cart and amp are you using? If there is any flexibility on your gain settings you may check to see if dialing it in differently helps. If there is insufficient gain in your phono stage then you may be forced to turn up the volume to the point this noise emerges.
     
    Lucca90 likes this.
  3. CMT

    CMT Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Sebastopol, CA
    It’s a brand new Grado Green cartridge. The amplifier is a brand new Outlaw Audio RR2160 integrated amp.
     
  4. Ontheone

    Ontheone Poorly Understood Member

    Location:
    Indianapolis
    The MM phono you have on that amp at 3.3mV and the Green cart at 5mV should be a decent match. I certainly don't want to ask an insulting question but you don't accidentally have your Outlaw on MC instead of MM do you?
     
  5. F1nut

    F1nut Forum Resident

    Location:
    The Mars Hotel
    It's a receiver not an integrated.
     
    punkmusick likes this.
  6. wownflutter

    wownflutter Nocturnal Member

    Location:
    Indiana
    You might try turning off your modem and see if it makes a difference.
    Mine causes noise sometimes.

    Also, it seems like I read something several years ago about Grados having some noise issues as it gets close to the spindle. It might be something worth researching.
     
    Grant likes this.
  7. Gie663

    Gie663 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Flanders (Belgium)
    Make sure you don’t have powerline adapers at work in your house. In my case they ruined the amplification of my MC cartridge completely. It only got better when I changed from wireless to wired internet connection.
    A dedicated and well-shielded phono cable (with low capacitance) between your turntable and phono preamp will also turn the background noise down. I benefited a lot with a Supra Phono 2rca cable.
    Only when I turn up the volume to unbearable listening level, while not playing a record, there’s still some interference noticeable, but I can live with that.
     
  8. Grant

    Grant Life is a rock, but the radio rolled me!

    Yes! This! My Grado has shielding problems, and it is a common complaint among many Grado users. It's just one if the reasons why I stopped using it an went back to Shure and Audio technica carts..
     
    patient_ot likes this.
  9. Strat-Mangler

    Strat-Mangler Personal Survival Daily Record-Breaker

    Location:
    Toronto
    The likeliest solutions, in my experience are to either move the phono preamp as far away from your turntable as possible or to use a better shielded phono cable.
     
  10. patient_ot

    patient_ot Senior Member

    Location:
    USA
    Get rid of the Grado and get a cart that is well shielded.
     
    Grant likes this.
  11. Adam9

    Adam9 Русский военный корабль, иди на хуй.

    Location:
    Toronto, Canada
    I've experienced this problem although I can't say I actually heard the noise when listening to a record, only when the volume control was turned almost all the way up at which volume I never listen anyway.
    In my case, I found it was equipment dependent: my Rotel amp has this issue while my Yamaha's phono stage is very quiet. Location in my house doesn't seem to matter, upstairs or downstairs.
    Sometimes shifting cables helped but usually the noise returned. It does sound like the same sound, electrical or radio interference as you described.
    Sorry, I don't have a definitive solution.
     
  12. regore beltomes

    regore beltomes Forum Resident

    Location:
    Helenville, WI
    Some dimmer switches radiate noise when partially dimmed.
     
    patient_ot likes this.
  13. CMT

    CMT Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Sebastopol, CA
    No, I’m aware that there’s a switch on the back of the machine to choose between MM and MC. It’s probably set to the MM setting.
     
  14. CMT

    CMT Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Sebastopol, CA
    Well, yes there’s a receiver in it too.
     
  15. CMT

    CMT Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Sebastopol, CA
    There is no modem anywhere near the device. The closest modem is upstairs about 50 feet away. Could that still be a problem?

    The Grado humming problem you refer to is one that I have read about as well. But I think that’s something completely different. That’s a humming that happens when the cartridge approaches the spindle and only in some cartridge/turntable combinations. Mine isn’t doing that. The noise continues even if the turntable is turned off but with the phono section of the amplifier chosen. And again, it’s audible only when the volume is turned up very high—higher than is required for the vast majority of records I’ve played so far.
     
  16. CMT

    CMT Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Sebastopol, CA
    Yes, that sounds like the situation. As you say, I don’t hear it at all when listening at the normal volume for most recordings. I only noticed it when I played an older recording that required quite an usually high volume setting to get a good listening level.
     
  17. KT88

    KT88 Senior Member

    To cut to the chase here, have you revealed to us yet whether this "noise" is a hum or a hiss?
    -Bill
     
  18. CMT

    CMT Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Sebastopol, CA
    I meant it’s PROPERLY set to MM.
     
    Grant likes this.
  19. CMT

    CMT Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Sebastopol, CA
    It’s neither really. It’s closer to a hum. Definitely not a hiss. It sounds more like radio interference. It’s not a steady signal of any kind. There are bursts of “activity”. Its fairly random. Sometimes a little louder, sometimes quieter.It’s similar to the sound that a really old and dirty volume knob makes (in my experience) but Sort of like you’re hearing a distant conversation coming in as interference — although, I stress that I’m not hearing voices or conversation. It just has that kind of feel to it.
     
  20. F1nut

    F1nut Forum Resident

    Location:
    The Mars Hotel
    Seems to me the receiver in your receiver is the root cause of the noise. The only solution is to get something different like an integrated amp.
     
  21. Strat-Mangler

    Strat-Mangler Personal Survival Daily Record-Breaker

    Location:
    Toronto
    Have you tried the suggestion regarding another perhaps better shielded phono cable?

    Are there any cell phones or tablets using data remotely near your speakers or amp? If so, turn them off.
     
    Last edited: Aug 10, 2019
  22. Adam9

    Adam9 Русский военный корабль, иди на хуй.

    Location:
    Toronto, Canada
    One of my integrated amps has a similar issue as the OP's and the other one is fine. I had an old cheap Akai receiver which had a very quiet phono stage. I agree that a different component may solve the problem but it doesn't necessarily have to be an integrated amp.
    Another suggestion might be to try a stand-alone phono stage.
     
  23. F1nut

    F1nut Forum Resident

    Location:
    The Mars Hotel
    Ah yes, there is that. :tiphat:
     
    Strat-Mangler likes this.
  24. CMT

    CMT Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Sebastopol, CA
    Yes, there is that, I suppose, but I've just purchased the amplifier and like its sound very much. I'm trying to solve the problem with the amplifier, not throw out the amplifier and buy something new. I have a new cable on order. I'll see if that changes anything. The TT is connected to the amplifier with a rather cheap cable at the moment. I'm hoping the cable will improve the sound and ameliorate this problem at the same time.
     
  25. Grant

    Grant Life is a rock, but the radio rolled me!

    The problem isn't your amp. It's picking up the turntable motor. That's why the hum increases as it gets closer to the center.
     
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