Although a defective phono stage is certainly a possibility (perhaps a marginal capacitor), it sounds to me like a good possibility would be that you are picking up rfi/emi (radio frequency interference/electromagnetic interference) from a fluorescent light fixture, a dimmer switch, or some other device which (like those) can generate significant rfi/emi.
Aside from turning off any such devices which may be nearby, what you could do that might be helpful is to take a portable transistor am radio, tune it to an unused frequency near the bottom of the band (near 540kHz), and during times that you hear crackling from the audio system see if the radio picks up corresponding crackling static-like noises. If so, you may be able to zero in on the source of the rfi/emi by walking around with the radio and noting where the volume of the crackling becomes loudest.
HTH,
-- Al
Aside from turning off any such devices which may be nearby, what you could do that might be helpful is to take a portable transistor am radio, tune it to an unused frequency near the bottom of the band (near 540kHz), and during times that you hear crackling from the audio system see if the radio picks up corresponding crackling static-like noises. If so, you may be able to zero in on the source of the rfi/emi by walking around with the radio and noting where the volume of the crackling becomes loudest.
HTH,
-- Al