Il_Presidente

Well, up again just for completeness' sake. I brought TT and phono to a serious workshop and it turned out that...they are fine. Totally. In the end it seems that the problem lies within my very own flat. Looks like the Telecom central nearby causes too much interference and the TT picks it up. This thing happens also to my electric guitars (minus the one with active pickups) Well, looks like I can forget about analog audio....

Ok I ran again severl tests: -TT + preamp + amp = noise -TT + preamp + amp (but using another entrance instead of AUX) = again, noise - just preamp + amp (no TT plugged) = NO noise (someone suggested to try this, too) -TT + amp = noise I thought nothing could come out (as my amp has no phono) but actually I can hear something if I crank the volume all the way up So, I started focusing on just the TT. Back in the day I tried with a cheaper preamp, too, and the hissing noise was even worse. Removing the plate, I tried to play a little with the motor's screws but nothing changes I inspected the internal wiring: the wires that come from the cartrige, all the way inside the tonearm up to the rca jacks seem properly connected. Four wires, two for each channel and the ground wire, too. I can't tell if there is something wrong with the power unit...so I'll start focusing on the cartridge...I'll try to unplug/re-plug the tiny wires...

Problem with the Technics is that the cartridge is MC (it's a late '70s TT). When I switch the phono stage to MC it doesn't give the hissing already. Well sound with the Technicsa was a mess anyway, but for other reasons. Now that we are at it, what would be a good phono stage for the Ortofon 2M Red? My Pro-Ject phono box cost already over 100 euros...

No, speakers are not close to the TT My friends have TTs with built in preamp. I could try the phono stage just with the Technics TT...but it was so bad already that I can't consider thisa a proper test. I tried to hook up the TT to the Onkyo without preamp. That Onkyo had no phono stage but somehow it manage to produce some sounds (we had to turn up the volume to unimaginable levels...) well it was soft but we couldn't hear the hissing...

Ok, I experimented a bit. I'm quite sure now it's not a bad ground issue. I mean, ok if I take away a ground cable it gets worse, but everything is properly grounded and any extra ground cable doesn't change a thing. You must excuse my english (I'm Italian) but I have to describe the noise again: it is not a humming (the usual bad-ground low-pitched humming) but more properly it's a high-pitched hissing. I went to a friend's house and I hooked up TT and preamp to his Onkyo amplifier...and we got the same issue. I guess that, the time I tried with the Yamaha soundbar, it worked because the bar is not powerful enough or somehow it cuts those high frequencies. Am I a dick that can't even set his own amp? Well maybe. I'm a newbie with analog audio, but come on it can't be so difficult to hook up TT! Do I really have to look into the amp EQ and trim the frequencies?!? Anyway, I really hope it's nothing related to the turntable. I don't want to open it up and check if the wiring is done properly...but then again what sould I do? Change preamp? Change cartridge? I spent already more than 400 euros for TT + preamp, I can't believe a friend of mine with a cheap Audio-Technica plugged into a mini hi-fi is doing better :-(

Later I'll ground the shit out of it

I'm sorry but I can't figure how to do that: the ground cable is part of the cable that connectsa TT with preamp. I can't connect the TT directly to the amp because neither have phono exit (that's why I need preamp in the first place). Yes I heard about the motor screws but it was on earlier models and I don't get that kind of hum -I guess-. Anyway I will try to play with those screws too.

Yeah. The more I think about it, the more I realize all clues point to the preamp. The only thing holding me back is that I tried both TT and preamp with a soundbar (in another home) and they worked fine AND I forgot to mention that I actually have another cheap preamp (15 bucks), I tried to use it but the noise gets even worse.

Thank you, I will check the cartridge connections asap. By looking at them everything seems fine, but I have to test their connection still. What about the small screw? WhaT's its correct position? Anyway, I doubt that it has something to do with the TT. I tried it in another place and everything was fine. Tomorrow I will hook it up to yet another amplifier in another house. Maybe it's stupid but...I have a telecom central near home...could it be the one generating some interference for the cartridge to pick up?

Actually I have just one cable with the ground extension, and I use it to plug TT and preamp. Are you suggesting to switch this cable with the other one plugged, and ground preamp and amp? Do you mean the pro-ject TT or the phono box? I tried them in another house and they work fine...I will try them again tomorrow, in another house with another amplifier.

Well, hi everyone, this is my first post. I signed in because this issue is driving me crazy and I’m desperately looking for a solution. It seems that I have an issue with my setup: there is a constant buzzing noise and I can’t get rid of it. I hope someone here can help. Turntable Pro-Ject Debut Carbon DC with Ortofon 2M Red cartridge Phono pre-amp Pro-Ject Phono Box Amplifier Pioneer VSX-818V Speakers Indiana Line Tesi 542 I get this annoying static noise/humming as soon as I turn on the amp and swtich it to AUX channel. I don’t need to crank up the volume, it is always audible. I’ve got other stuff plugged to the amp, all digital (tv, blu-ray, media player), none suffering from the same issue. Things I’ve done: -To move any component (turntable, preamp…) or to touch the cables doesn’t affect the noise. -TT is connected with preamp using the default Debut cable: shielded, gold-plated and grounded. If I disconnect the ground the noise gets worse. -Preamp was connected to amp with an entry-level cable. I upgraded to a better one, double shielded and gold plated (we are talking about a 20 euros price anyway) but nothing changes. -If I touch the connections between cartridge and arm the noise gets worse (is it my body acting as an antenna?) -Preamp has a MM/MC switch (2M Red is MM). If I switch to MC the noise disappears but of course sound quality is deeply affected. -I tried to get rid of the amp: I hooked both TT and preamp to my computer (which is placed in another room, by the way), using a rca stereo cable plugged into an external Sound Blaster box. Nothing changes, noise again. -I bought a Hama shielding filter, supposedly a ‘ground loop breaker’. Tried connecting it everywhere but nothing changes, it gets worse. -Power units (TT and preamp) are connected in the same plug as the amplifier. I tried several sockets/plugs but nothing changes. Additional info: -I tried a couple of TTs. One being an old 70s Technics, beaten down and unreliable (even worse noise). The other one was an Audio-Technica with built-in phono (thus skipping my Phono Box) and this one showed no noise or humming. I’m sorry but I can’t remember the model…I don’t even know if it had a MC or MM cartridge…but for sure it was less expensive than the Debut Carbon. -In another house, I tried and plugged both TT and preamp to a Yamaha YHT-S401 soundbar and the noise disappeared (well there was just a low end noise but I had to crank up the volume to hear it). Any idea? Tomorrow I will go and buy an additional ground plug to ground the preamp, it’s the only other thing I can imagine to try, even if I doubt I’m actually affected by a ground loop.