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proton posted:The sound is scratchy off and on for certain frequencies for a good 15 minutes after being turned on. Is this normal ? After that its pretty much flawless. Is that just the way these old units are ? It could be a bad capacitor like something_clever says, but you should also be looking for cracked solder points. It's typical for old electronics that the solder will crack and cause "crackling" sound due to sparks. This is due to repeated heat expansion and contraction over the years. When the amp has been powered for a while, the sparks have heated the solder joint so the metal expands and the cracks disappear, causing the sparks (and crackling) to stop. What I would do is to take out the circuit boards and use a magnifying glass to inpect every solder joint on major components, like large caps and transistors. Look particularly closely at the high voltage part. When you find something suspicious, re-solder it. I hear this problem is more common in newer, cheap, electronics where the components are placed by robots and then machine soldered, because this process calls for higher tolerances and thus larger holes in the PCB, making the components' weight rest completely on the solder joint instead of being "cramped" into the hole like it would be if manually mounted.
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Aug 20, 2009 09:29
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I just picked up a friend's old Onkyo belt-drive turntable along with a new Denon PP2 preamp. He's fitted the player with an Ortofon cartridge which sounds pretty good. Now, I get a fairly audible rumble as soon as the needle hits the plastic. I've concluded that it's motor rumble, because just putting my ear against the dust cover, I can hear that same tone as soon as the motor starts. Now, this unit is from the early 80's at least, so I expect some maintenance is due. Is there anything in particular I can do? I took off the bottom and it looks like this from below:  Click here for the full 2048x1732 image.
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Sep 4, 2009 20:26
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The Stygian posted:You can take off the dust cover while it's playing, for one. Another little 'trick' I've found to reduce surface noise a bit (and increase the bass quite a bit too!) is to put an empty jewel CD case under each foot of the turntable. Works a treat with my Rega P3-24. Dustcover? Yeah, there is one of those, I guess. Haven't used it. I don't see how the jewel cases would help, since the vibrations are coming from inside of the record player. It's already standing on pretty soft rubber feet as well. (Also, if I ever need more bass I will be happy to adjust my receiver EQ.)
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Sep 7, 2009 09:34
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vibrantglow posted:My Harmon/Kardon HK670 (made in either '79 or '80) has started to make very loud crackling sounds through the speakers when I turn it on. It also does this when I turn it off, and continues to do so for up to a minute. If it keeps going after you cut power, I agree it sounds like it's the capacitors.
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Sep 18, 2009 08:41
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Quartknee posted:I read that the Shure is a Moving Coil cartridge, will this work with my current equipment? A moving coil (MC) cartridge would most likely not work with your integrated preamp, since the output levels are much lower for such cartridges. Don't worry though, according to this web site, what you ordered is actually a moving magnet (MM) cartridge, which should work fine since that's the "old sort" (and still the most common).
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Feb 12, 2010 11:35
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Static and only one channel seems to indicate that your cartridge is incorrectly wired, or a connection is loose. I guess you could start with checking the phono cables for bad connection, then proceed to check the connections to your cartridge, then check the wires inside the tonearm (since those are the most difficult to get to).
Hippie Hedgehog fucked around with this message at 14:00 on Feb 20, 2010 |
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Feb 20, 2010 13:57
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Soopafly posted:My Technics SL-1600 Mk 2's start-stop button and tonearm lift have never worked (inherited it from my parents) and I've decided to try and fix it. Never heard of a hydraulic turntable before, but a google search proves me wrong. On the other hand, a quick google for "sl-1600 cueing" also finds references to a drive belt being the culprit, so check that out.
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Mar 8, 2010 14:29
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Chumpion posted:Haha, yeah I was just thinking about this and decided to come back to see if I could quickly clean it up before someone called me out on it. Guess not. I can't find your turntable online, but generally my advice is to start with the cartridge or stylus, particularly if it came with the factory-installed crap. Then speakers, then I guess turntable if it's a noisy one. Amp comes last. Hippie Hedgehog fucked around with this message at 21:26 on Apr 5, 2010 |
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Apr 5, 2010 21:23
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BrownBomber posted:It has an ADC cartridge (I'm not sure where the cartridge model number is or where on the cartridge that is written)- my father suggests just buying a new cartridge. I'm very new to this- can I buy just about any cartridge and stick it on the head? (it looks like a 'half inch mount' but I'm not 100% sure even after reading the model) ? do I have to buy a particular kind of cartridge? are there any recommendations of places in Canada to buy cartridges from? Check out this page which even has a service manual for that player: http://www.vinylengine.com/library/technics/sl-2000.shtml I think any cartridge will work fine, just make sure it's possible to mount it on the tonearm/headshell.
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May 1, 2010 13:47
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Comatoast posted:I bought some AV123 bookshelf speakers based on recommendations all over the forums. They are very nice in the upper range, but the bass is extremely lacking for my taste. Am I simply expecting too much of bookshelf speakers? Would a set of powered bookshelf speakers have more low-end kick? Powered speakers of a certain design will sound the same as an externally powered speaker of the same design. The only difference is that the amplifier is placed inside the speaker cabinet in one case and outside it in the other case. The bass output from your speakers is rarely a function of how they are powered, but rather of how the speaker is designed. I guess that lacking bass due to amplifier concerns might happen if the amp is grossly underpowered, which is unlikely with bookshelf speakers, but then again you didn't tell us what amplifier you're using (or even which model speaker).
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May 11, 2010 10:26
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Comatoast posted:The speakers are from AV123, model # ELT525M. link Yeah, since those speakers' specs are "-3dB at 60 Hz", you should expect them to be somewhat lacking in the low bass. It's kind of expected for a 5.25" driver. As someone else said, they could work fine with a subwoofer thrown into the mix.
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May 17, 2010 15:55
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mysticp posted:The turntable is not grounded just yet, is this necessary? It has the wire connected but I have the turntable too far from something I can ground it to so I need to extend the wire. What will grounding do for me? You're supposed to attach it to grounding post on your pre-amp (or integrated amp) to eliminate problems when the amp and turntable have different ground levels. If you're not hearing a ground loop hum (at 50Hz or 60Hz, depending on your location), you don't need to worry. mysticp posted:Also is it worth me bi-wiring the speakers? No.
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May 19, 2010 12:17
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iamthejeff posted:I have an Akai AA-1050 stereo receiver, and sometimes the right channel cuts out or goes very quiet. Usually fiddling with the knobs a bit, or turning it off then on again fixes it. From what I understand, this is a pretty decent tuner so I'd like to clean it out or fix it myself Sounds more like something is broken in there; a component is failing or a solder joint is going bad. Does it occur particularly ofter when the receiver is warm, or cold?
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Aug 28, 2010 15:52
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Not an Anthem posted:Should I rip open the case [...]? Yes. The answer to that question is always yes.  Do you have a multimeter with an Ohm-meter function? Can you borrow one? It will be very useful to you in determining whether a cable is broken or if it's the motor that's broken down.
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Sep 27, 2010 10:02
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I've suddenly realized that all of my old vinyl must be worn to hell. After listening to a virgin reissue of Dire Straits' Communiqué yesterday, it's obvious that my cartridge is not all that bad. No crackling, no popping, no distorsion, very nice stereo separation. I can easily tell when the tape hiss kicks in as a song begins. That album is really well recorded and mixed. This is exciting, but has the potential to be expensive if I decide I need more new vinyl... Can anyone recommend a cheap online store (preferably in Europe) that has a good selection and will ship to Sweden? Hippie Hedgehog fucked around with this message at 14:49 on Jun 22, 2011 |
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Jun 22, 2011 14:47
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Doc Spratley posted:HH, do you clean your records in any way? I've heard some great results revitalizing those old discs with a good wet clean and vacuum dry. I don't really have the facilities to do that. What would I need? Edit: I've got this carbon fiber brush... Hippie Hedgehog fucked around with this message at 23:31 on Jun 22, 2011 |
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Jun 22, 2011 23:29
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strtj posted:That brush plus some soap and water is really all you need. Wet the record, being careful not to get any water on the label. Get a little soapy water, dish soap works fine, and dip your record brush in it. Go over each side in a circular motion a few times. Rinse the record, let it dry, and that's all there is to it! There are definitely fancier solutions, and I have no doubt that they produce superior results, but I've had good luck cleaning records this way. Thanks for the tips! I'll try it on one of the records with less nostalgic value. Most of the records I'm having problems with are my dad's, and he used to lug them around and DJ back in like 1970 or so, so that's why I'm assuming it's wear rather than dirt that gives them a quite pronounced distorsion.
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Jul 7, 2011 12:24
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So, what do you think about this amazing new record cleaning technology? Sounds ludicrous, looks like a lot of work, reportedly works fine.
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Sep 20, 2011 09:00
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plester1 posted:I used to not have a problem with this because it would only take about 30 seconds to "warm up" and then I could operate normally. However, its been getting worse, taking up to 5 minutes or longer to finally work. Sometimes it won't resolve itself at all anymore unless I power it off and try again to start it up. If a problem goes away after warming up, it's usually a cracked solder joint. They are caused in old equipment by repeated warming up and cooling down. As the components warm up, the solder expands and the cracks are "mended" until you turn the equipment off again. This usually happens around the high-current components. In an amplifier, I guess this would be either at the big amplifier transistors, or one of the big capacitors in the power supply. As usual, exercise great caution when measuring or re-soldering stuff in the power supply, those caps can kill you if you don't discharge them before touching the leads.
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Oct 7, 2011 09:25
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Dumbledore 64 posted:If wiggling the cable fixes it, even temporarily, then it's 100% without a doubt the cable. Weeeell... It could also be the socket that the cable plugs into that needs re-soldering. But start with replacing the cable.
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Dec 7, 2011 08:10
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Gram-O-Phone posted:You won't need interconnects (unless you want to hook up your PC/CD player/iPod as well) as the turntable arm will have them attached. As for speaker cable, just get some decent gauge (thick) wire to avoid strangling the signal. I use Van Damme Blue Series Studio Grade stuff which is good quality and inexpensive. He'll surely need RCA interconnects between turntable and pre-amp, and pre-amp and receiver? That said, all RCA cables are basically equal. Don't pay more than you would for a big mac. =)
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Jan 24, 2012 14:09
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Sledgehammer posted:I have a question about resistance. I have a pair of Pioneer SP-BS41-LR bookshelf speakers with nominal impedance of 6 ohms and maximum input power of 130W. I was thinking about driving these with an Outlaw RR2150 receiver which delivers 100 watts per channel into 8 ohms. Would this combo be at risk of over-driving the speakers or blowing them out or would it be budget audio nirvana? You've got it slightly backwards - you want the amp to be able to deliver more wattage than the speakers are rated for, otherwise you risk clipping when you crank the volume. Clipping blows speakers, not overpowered amps. Someone correct me if I'm wrong here, but my understanding is that whether or not the amp can drive your speakers loudly enough for you depends on three things: 1. How loud do you like it? 2. What is the actual maximum output wattage of the amp? (And you can't trust marketing numbers.) 3. What is the sensitivity rating of the speakers? Your amp will be designed to function optimally on certain impedance levels, that's why it's rated at 8 ohms, and few manufacturers will give numbers for other impedances. It depends on whether the amp can deliver a high current or a high voltage, and other complicated electrical stuff I don't really know about. =)
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Feb 4, 2012 14:20
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wickerpedia posted:I'm using a Rega Planar 2 with a Bias 2 cartridge and RB250 tonearm going into my McIntosh MA6300. Speakers are Martin Logan Electro Motions. I've had the Rega for three years, and just recently upgraded to the McIntosh integrated amp. Now I'm finding that the Rega's imperfections are really shining through. What imperfections can you hear? I mean, you'd need to figure out if they're caused by the turntable or by the cartridge. Are we talking about a general lack of fidelity, or do you have more specific problems like wow/flutter, rumble, anything else?
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May 5, 2012 10:33
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alg posted:You should let that receiver breathe
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May 8, 2012 15:43
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Basic Beater posted:Would there be any problems with plugging my turntable into something like this so it stops spinning if I fall asleep while listening to a record? I guess it should be OK. Save some wear on that needle. It doesn't tick, does it? I hate stuff that ticks.
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May 29, 2012 22:38
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Dumbledore 64 posted:So I've been using the stock rubber turntable mat with my turntable for years. Recently I've gotten the urge to do some upgrades, so I got what seems to be a universally acclaimed mat. The Herbie's Way Excellent II mat: http://herbiesaudiolab.net/ttmat.htm Really, you paid at least $59 for a silicone rubber mat? Man, I really need to show you this new tungsten volume knob I've developed, it blocks cosmic radiation and you can have it for a special price! Really, swapping a rubber mat for a different kind of rubber mat should have almost zero effect. If you're hearing motor rumble, that's either a construction issue in you turntable, or worn out bearings that need to be replaced. If you're not hearing motor rumble now, you still won't hear it after the "upgrade". Well, at least you said the mat will be good looking ... Edit: I can understand the benefit of a clamp or weight for warped records, though. But that one seems a little expensive. Also he writes that "it's designed to add a moderate amount of virtual mass to the record without clamping", and I don' understand what difference that will make. Hippie Hedgehog fucked around with this message at 11:27 on Jun 28, 2012 |
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Jun 28, 2012 11:11
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Ghostnuke posted:My second question is, I'm wondering if there's a way for me to hook up a more modern source to this receiver. It has inputs as pictured below. I know I can't hook anything up to the phono, but can I rig something into the tape input for an mp3 player? I'm really not interested in the whole records thing. For sure, you can rig something up! You might be able to find a 6-pin DIN connector somewhere, new or used, then you just need to figure out which pins are left channel, right channel and ground. Or, take that DIN port out and solder in some RCA instead, if that's easier. Would be an ugly hack though.
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Sep 10, 2012 23:22
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Ghostnuke posted:That's the part that confuses me. Say I find the pinout for that port, how do I convert that many pins into a 3.5mm or whatever? Your standard 3.5mm connector has three poles: tip-ring-sleeve (TRS). Ring is right, tip is is left, sleeve is ground. The same three signals would also be coming from a 60's tape recorder, but in that DIN pinout (which was probably some proprietary standard that we don't know anything about). So you need to find out which pins were being used for what (for instance, by trial and error), then connect the two together.
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Sep 10, 2012 23:32
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I hate how the thrift stores in my town all charge upwards of a hundred bucks for anything that looks even remotely hi-fi. At least the places where did the minimum amount of testing (ie they tried connecting it to mains and it powered up).
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Dec 21, 2012 11:31
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realbez posted:One more question. All I have is a PS3 to play my cds feeding into a yamaha amp and two speakers. Since I've been looking into turntables I've been reading a lot of stuff about bullshit audiophile scams. Is there really any difference between that $50 phono preamp and the $300 one or do they do the same thing? They do the same thing, but they might not do it exactly as well. If you're not sure, try the $50 one first. See if you're not happy with that. Odds are those $250 are (much) better spent on a better cartridge, speakers, or some new vinyl. Edit: I was in a hurry and bought the first phono preamp I could find, which was a NAD PP2 from my local hifi shop. It's nice! It has MM & MC inputs, and I've not had any problems with it in these 2 years since. Hippie Hedgehog fucked around with this message at 00:44 on Dec 28, 2012 |
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Dec 27, 2012 22:29
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http://boingboing.net/2012/12/28/working-record-made-from-ice.htmlquote:Swedish band The Shout Out Louds released a limited edition of 10 promos for their new album that consisted of latex molds that you filled with distilled water, froze, and played on a turntable. Doesn't sound all that good, judging from the video, but I'm kind of impressed they got it working! Hippie Hedgehog fucked around with this message at 14:22 on Dec 31, 2012 |
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Dec 31, 2012 12:09
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A MIRACLE posted:I have hardwood floors and when people stomp around in my house it vibrates through table and the subwoofer makes a lot of noise. Is there a good way to dampen vibrations to the table? Planning a party for the weekend and I don't want crazy dancing in my house to gently caress things up Just save the records for when you're alone, that's how I solve that problem. Spotify is my party DJ.
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Feb 7, 2013 22:45
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iostream.h posted:Technics SA-300 and a SL-1200mkII with a Shure M92E installed for $400 locally. Where is "locally"? Prices on used gear are so location-dependent, I don't think I would be able to answer this even if I was an expert (which I'm not). I'm sure it would cost even more here, but  .
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Feb 22, 2013 14:07
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Jerry Cotton posted:Would a full-metal plinth cause a lot of problems? I mean obviously one would have to be careful with insulation but there's these leftover bits of 10 cm steel just strewn about outside the gate at my workplace and I'm sure I could get one of the customer's guys to plasma cut me a suitable piece. In theory, metal would resonate more than wood. (It rings when you strike it, right?) That could be bad. Or negligible. I really don't know how it would work in practice as a turntable plinth.
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Apr 24, 2013 22:38
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Yeah, if you think it sounds good, you're fine. Most modern AV receivers have decent amplifiers, and even though many vintage stereo receivers may objectively be "better", amplifiers generally don't make that much difference to sound unless they are inadequate in wattage. As for speakers, modern speakers are generally technically better as technology has progressed, but you can get old high-end speakers for bargain prices sometimes. Also, some of us just like old stuff because it looks beautiful.
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May 13, 2013 11:44
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Weinertron posted:Now I just need to decide if I want to get a tiny phono pre-amp for now or get a receiver which has a Phono input, which I'm planning to do at some point in the next year anyway. If you're thinking of buying a vintage receiver, that's fine, but do you really want to wait a year before you use your new turntable? If you want a modern surround receiver, you'll have to pay for a top-of-the-line model if you want phono inputs. I'd just go with a separate preamp. You could always sell it later, and they're not expensive.
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Jun 18, 2013 13:13
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Mormon Knight posted:Front display was lit intermittently. It would make a barking sound and then shut off under very light loads. Finicky isn't exactly strong enough. Right now it I can get the lights to come on for about three minutes before it shuts itself off. I have a feeling it is a minor problem; when I listened to it in the store (almost 45 minutes straight of playback with me fussing with the buttons and switches), it seemed to be fine. Something on the drive home and setting it up must have come loose, unsoldered(?), etc.. Yeah, sounds like a loose solder joint or something. You're probably right to let the store deal with it.
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Jul 19, 2013 19:27
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Myrddin_Emrys posted:The thing sounds absolutely incredible and I am very happy with it indeed. However though it does suffer from mild crackling when I adjust the volume. Can anyone tell me how I could get rid of this little problem? Clean the potentiometer with an electronics cleaning agent. Should be carried by all electronics / DIY shops, in spray cans. Make sure the spray is free from lubricants or other things that will leave a residue, as that would attract more dirt in the future and gunk it up completely. Edit: Take the cover off. Each knob (volume etc) is mounted on a small component on a circuit board near the front. That component is called a potentiometer. There's usually a small hole on each pot. Spray it in there, and turn the pot back & forth for a while. Once the spray evaporates completely, you can reconnect the amp and test it. Hippie Hedgehog fucked around with this message at 15:04 on Aug 7, 2013 |
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Aug 7, 2013 14:59
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IQi8FUsZ8OY 3D Printing a record - it sorta works! But is that a regular cartridge she's playing it on? I doub't it's good for the needle. Could probably use a different equalizing curve before printing it, too, to get it to sound balanced on a RIAA preamp.
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Aug 11, 2013 17:09
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Bonxai posted:So I posted on the previous page about my broken receiver (http://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=3021252&userid=0&perpage=40&pagenumber=58#post418106136). Turns out I don't have a replacement available so I'm wondering if there's any way I could fix the one I have, assuming the problem was caused by a short or an overload. If not I'll keep an eye on my local craigslist but I'd rather save this one if I can. Does it do the same if you disconnect all the wires (except power, obviously)? If it does, there must be some internal problem, like a shortcircuit or something. Maybe it could be fixed, who knows without opening it up. Any electronics repair shop should be able to give you a price estimate if they can have a look at it.
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Aug 23, 2013 07:34
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