Audio-Technica AT-LP120XUSB - Playing through Reiever I have distotion/high gain

Discussion in 'Audio Hardware' started by nafeasonto, Feb 23, 2021.

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  1. nafeasonto

    nafeasonto Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    United States
    So I just got this, because I wanted to listen to Vinyl's again. I have some brand new ones as well, such as the Star Trek Discovery sound track, Time's End etc.

    For some reason I am getting distortion from my speaker system, basically it's like you are raising the gain too high on your sound system and you start getting the distortion, or when your speakers can't handle that loud of sound.

    Now I know this Turntable has a pre-amp in it, but no way to adjust the volume itself on the turntable, or none that I can find.

    I feel like the pre-amp, and then my amp are amplifying the signal too much and causing the distortion. If I put the TT in Phono mode, I can't hear anything. I have it plugged into my SA/CD input on my receiver. I don't know if there is something I can do to get the volume correct. Even with the receiver on 15 DBS, you can still hear distortion.

    Is there something I am not doing right here?
     
  2. Apesbrain

    Apesbrain Forum Resident

    Location:
    East Coast, USA
    The phono pre-amp switch on the rear of the LP120 should be set to "Line" if using SA/CD input on your receiver. Does your receiver have a "Phono" input? If so, try it but switch the LP120 to "Phono". Otherwise, try another line-level input on your receiver, e.g. AUX, CD. If still distortion, something is wrong. If a friend has a receiver, you could try it there to see if problem goes away.

    The pre-amp inside the LP120 is supposed to amplify the output of the supplied VM95E cartridge without distortion. That said, things are sometimes defective. Trying the turntable in someone else's system would verify whether it is operating properly.
     
    aunitedlemon likes this.
  3. Boltman92124

    Boltman92124 Go Padres!!

    Location:
    San Diego
    You've probably got your TT outputs set incorrectly. Leave the TT plugged into the receiver and switch the line/phono output on the back. Refer to the owners manual on what that switch does as well.
     
    aunitedlemon likes this.
  4. nafeasonto

    nafeasonto Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    United States
    The outputs are fine. Going to try what the above poster said into a different receiver and see if the problem follows.
     
  5. nafeasonto

    nafeasonto Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    United States
    If the problem follows to another receiver, what would be wrong? The pre amp or the cartridge?
     
    Apesbrain likes this.
  6. Boltman92124

    Boltman92124 Go Padres!!

    Location:
    San Diego
    It's pretty easy to have the wrong setting on the TT. AT doesn't mark that switch well. If you're using the internal TT pre-amp, it needs to go into a standard line input. If it is plugged into a phono input on the receiver this way, you will get exactly what your problem is...massive gain and distortion.
     
    Aftermath and SpeedMorris like this.
  7. SpeedMorris

    SpeedMorris Forum Resident

    Location:
    Iowa
    Double whammy in a bad way.
     
  8. Leonthepro

    Leonthepro Skeptically Optimistic

    Location:
    Sweden
    You mean this Times End?
    Theophany – Time's End: Majora's Mask Remixed (2020, Gold Colored, Vinyl)
     
  9. nafeasonto

    nafeasonto Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    United States
    Yes. However there is no phono input on my receiver. The Audio Technica has a switch to switch between line and phono. I am more then confident everything is correct.

    Phono mode, very low, basically not connected to a pre-amp phono line on the Receiver

    Line mode, distortion and over gain.
     
    Last edited: Feb 23, 2021
  10. nafeasonto

    nafeasonto Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    United States
  11. Apesbrain

    Apesbrain Forum Resident

    Location:
    East Coast, USA
    Either, or both. That turntable sold with a pre-mounted Audio-Technica VM95E for which it was designed to properly work. Has the cartridge been changed? Do you have the option to return the table for a replacement?
     
  12. nafeasonto

    nafeasonto Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    United States
    I literally got the TT the other day. So haven't gotten a new cartridge. I am going to try it on my friend's receiver and see if it does the same thing, he has a phono in. So I am going to try it with line in first to a normal RCA connection on his amp (cd, TV) etc etc.

    Then try to his phono in on his receiver. See what happens. If it works in both, then for some reason my AMP and the PRE-AMP don't like each other. Three is a on screen menu for my amp (it's a sony). So i may check it and see if there are any other settings that are not part of the small LCD screen on it.

    I'll do more research when I get home.
     
  13. Leonthepro

    Leonthepro Skeptically Optimistic

    Location:
    Sweden
    Indeed, but that isnt the best LP to test with, as you can see on the Discogs page Ive written about some bad experiences with it, very distorted and bad sounding at least on one of my carts.
     
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