At wits' end with radio through the speakers!


Hi, i am hoping for some creative ideas here ...

I have "upgraded" to a tubed phono stage with Herron VTPH2A.

I can hear quite clearly radio in the background! Drives me nuts!

I tried:
  1. Moving TT.
  2. Moving preamp.
  3. Moving grounding cable.
  4. Upgraded phono cable (slight improvement but still very clear)
  5. Upgraded audio cables.
  6. Using Ground Control GC1 doo
  7. Inserting shorting plugs.
My system: LP12 clone with aluminum plinth, SME V, DC motor and Dynavector XX2mk2 cart.

2 more data points:

"old" Schiit Mani phono is quiet and cant hear the radio!

Thanks in advance!



fuzzypoodle
Oh brother.
I have the exact same problem(not with a Herron) and no matter what I’ve tried from everybody I’ve spoken to nothing helps. SS or tube. It suddenly started one day and I wonder if some sort of magnetic field developed in my large apartment building that I can do nothing about short of moving which is impossible. Digital is fine. Analog is no longer viable.
Give Keith Herron a call and see what he thinks. Keith is a great guy and easy to reach, from my experience. It doesn’t matter if you didn’t buy it directly from him, he’ll still help you. Good luck!
Thanks everyone for the responses!

so:

Digital stage (Auralic, Chord) are quiet as a mouse.
Phono cable is shielded: Cardas Clear Sygnus.
Talked to Keith Herron. Indeed very approachable and helpful guy. His suggestion is the shielded cables.

One thing i will try now is Clip-on Ferrite Ring i saw in one of the forums. Cheap enough.

The last option is to move to West Virginia ! :)


I had a bad interconnect (connected from amp to tubed phonostage) which was picking up radio interference. Switched with identical interconnects connected to streamer, no interference after that.  Didn't affect the performance of the streamer at all.  Assume maybe damaged shielding - not certain.
I had that problem when a local radio station moved its antenna a half mile from my house back in the 80’s.  I could not get rid of the radio sound playing in the background no matter what I tried. I even tried shielded speaker cables.  Lucky for me the station folded within 6 months and about 3 years later their antenna was dismantled.  There are new houses where the radio station used to be now.