Cartridge rings at certain high frequencies


Hi all, I am new to the forum, and this is my first post. First my system, mainly vinyl based and consists of Linn active Amps & Speakers, with a Michell Gyro modified with the Orb platter, plus an SME 309 arm. Phono pre amp is a Graham Slee reflex C, cables are Nordost. Cartridges are various, but exist on all of them, currently an AT33EV MC.
On certain high frequencies I get a ringing sound, a sort of harmonic, but not truly a harmonic sound. It's not on all albums I play, such as all my 180gm, but shows up on a lot of the 120-140 general vinyl. So far I have tried the following. Checked the arm and cart every setting at least fifty times, so much so I can now set the Azimuth blindfolded and asleep. I thought it was my music room, so in went the rugs, carpets, cushion, sound defuses, traps etc. didn't make any difference, it was still there. The TT does have DensoDamp fitted and the SME doesn't ring at all. The only thing that hasn't been changed is the cable......so I have bought a lot of Linn cable to try, but first thought some of you kind people may hopefully tell me of something that I have missed.
I do have a DS player, not that is used a lot as vinyl is my prime listening pleasure, and I occasionally get the slight ringing, but not as prevalent as with my vinyl setup. Thank for reading and thank you for any assistance that you can provide.
Brian in the UK
brianev
After listening to hundreds of brands as well as constructing and listening to close to 100 of my own IC's and speaker wire's I have not had any kind of ringing from the cables...... How many hours are on the needle? what do you use to clean it? Have you ever heard the exagerated siblilence of a dirty or worn out needle?
Hi, thanks for the reply, all my arrows are pointing the correct way, in all of my cables. But, my Nordost cable, which flat, and about 2 inches wide, and has a large amount of conductors, doesn't have an earth shield of any sort. The cables are just silver soldered into BFA connectors, with the directional arrows on the heat shrink covering on the connectors. So, I am still wondering if this is a problem?
Regards
Brian
Hi, thank for the reply. I originally set my speakers up ( Linn Active) using the Tune Dem method as used by Linn techs, but, that isn't to say it couldn't be improved upon? So, can you please tell me what the Master Set is? Thank you.
Regards
Brian
Cables have arrows on them not because the music flows through them like water through a hose but because they tie the extra shield of the cable to the ground at one end only so that you can have them all "drain" to ground at one place. It's usually best to have all the arrows come together at the preamp so that they are all seeing the same ground but YMMV. BTW, lot's of cables do not even have a seperate shield.
You are probably hearing a standing wave caused by not having the speakers working together. "Master Set" would help this and give you a very much improved musicality to boot.

Rod............
Hi, possibly it could be but I doubt it, and I do suffer from it, but it isn't the same. The tinnitus I can switch off in my head, but this sound is totally different I think? I am due a check on my ears sometime this year, so will ask the question, thanks for the post.
Regards
Brian
Hi, thanks for the reply, I intend to take all my kit apart over the weekend, and the put the new cable into the system, that's if my BFA connectors turn up. I will also remove everything that can resonate, and put in some sound damping things. Then listen and see if there is a difference. A question if I may? Is there a method for finding out the direction of a speaker cable? I know lots of cables do have arrows and markings in the sheathing, and listening is another way, but what if the manufacturer has the arrows wrongly placed? Some manufacturers only put direction arrows on the heat shrink, and if these are wrong, can it be checked without taking everything apart? Thank you all for the help its greatly appreciated.
Regards
Brian UK
thats not tinnitus.It certainly sounds like a harmonic resonance. The source may be external to your system... i've gotten that effect from having a guitar or harp in my listening room and I've seen it elsewhere with a snare drum in the room.
Sorry people I seem to have got in a muddle with the replies, I do apologise for that. Maybe I should read "HowTo"
Brian
Hi, thanks for the reply, no, none of my kit is valve based, but sometimes wished it was. Most of the kit is Linn and is active, the exception is my TT which is Michell Modified Gyro, fitted with an SME 309arm, and currently running a AT33ev MC cartridge, which I like purely for the way it reproduces solo piano parts. They always seem to be more realistic with this cartridge. I did play a Coltrane album (Blue Train) with it and that was just great, really enjoyable LP. I intend to change all my cable over in the next week or so, just to be sure if its this that's causing the sound. I have checked it for direction a few times, but when it was all originally installed it was put in by a Linn Tech, who has now retired to warmer climes.
Thanks again
Regards
Brian
Hi, thank you for your reply, funny you should suggest this as I have just ordered a Torque driver from the US so as to make sure these fixings are at the correct Torque. I have gone over them, and they are not loose, so I await the new Toy to see if it will make any difference, thanks for posting.
Regards
Brian
Thanks for the reply, I have put a lot of sound damping stuff into the room and even studio acoustic tiles, but never made any difference. But, I will re visit this and try again, thanks for posting
Regards
Brian
Hi, thanks for the reply, I did move the pre amp out of the loop and used the DS direct into the power amps, and it was still there, I just wonder if the cable could cause this ringing sound? Not that I know much about cable, except that originally it all sounded great, thank you for the reply
Brian
Not an engineer of any kind, but looking at this from a deductive standpoint:
I do have a DS player, not that is used a lot as vinyl is my prime listening pleasure, and I occasionally get the slight ringing
says to me that the issue is NOT in your vinyl front end but in your pre-amp or somewhere downstream. Perhaps something that the wider dynamic range of the vinyl excites to a greater degree, or that the digital filtering or D/A process in your DS player removes to a greater degree, that is affecting a downstream component?
If your system "rings" on other sources than the phono the problem is elsewhere. Is any of your equipment tubes? Tubes by nature are microphonic and will sometimes have a type of ringing.
Hi, thanks for your suggestion, the phono pre amp is fixed at 100 ohm, and not changeable. I have tried other phono pre amps ( Project) and it was exactly the same. So I am still wondering what can cause this?
Regards
Brian
It sounds like something is loose or ringing somewhere since it happens when the speakers reach a certain frequency or energy. Could the tweeters or speakers need to be torqued down?
Have you checked the cartridge loading on the phono pre amp? I don't have
the AT33EV but the standard loading for most MC cartridges is 100 ohm. I
suggest you start with that and adjust it up or down accordingly - lower
loading to reduce ringing, higher loading if it sounds flat or dead.
Could be the acoustic energy that flies around the room when you are playing the TT. Few people tame this large source of energy as it hits the TT, cartridge and all the components. Put the TT in another room, away from the speakers and see what result you get.