2. analog
  3. 170696-53619

Radio frequencies picked up by phono stage.

I a while ago started picking up radio signals through my phono stage(I isolated it to that component) which is coming through my speakers. I have looked at every possibility in my apartment from reading exhaustedly on the subject here(even asking others for advice) and throughtout the internet. I have tried every possible solution offered. Nothing has helped. One expert told me that radio waves are coming in from outside my apartment which makes the most sense. He also told me to put the phonostage in a box wrapped in tin foil which did not help.

I live in a dense city area and I assume somebody put up an antenna which is interferring with my system because it initially sounded perfect. Complete silence. Digital is fine.

I've been told to simply accept it and get rid of analog and throw in my lot entirely with digital. I would hate to as I love analog so much. And comparing same recordings on analog and digital analog comes in some cases jaw-droppingly on top.

A strange thing as well one channel is much louder with the frequencies than the other. One is quiet enough that the music would cover the sound but the other is much too loud. I tried moving around speaker cables and same thing.  I have had two analog experts over though not engineers and neither was able to help me. 

Has anybody had this problem or known anybody with it? Were they able to solve it or did they have to give it up? I have tried both tube and solid state and same problem.

Thanks for any thoughts or advice you may have.

 

roxy1927
oldhvymec
5,101 posts
 

Swap RCAs left to right, see if it follows the cable or the channel. Because the cables are ran so close together if one is noiser that could be a shielding issue if one cables shielding (left or right) was NOT working correctly... Possible broken or poor connection just on the sheilding.. I can see that being the issue..

 

You do have things routed it's not a rats nest.. 1" between cables and cross at 90 degrees and 1" between crossings.. A cable will normally yo yo as you raise it up or down. 

 

Clean ALL the connection and make sure they are plugged all the way in..

 

Regards

lewm
12,565 posts
 

Any one or more of the above suggestions might help. I can only add a question , was the tinfoil grounded when you wrapped your phono stage in tinfoil?

roxy1927 OP
120 posts
 

Thanks for your resonses.

The phono stage I am using now is an inexpensive pro-ject after selling off a beautiful Allnic in frustration. But through the help of a friend I was able to try various stages and found the exact same problem.

I have tried moving the stage all around the room and no difference. I did not ground the box covered in tin foil and would be clueless as how to do it. My cables and interconnects are boutique labels such as Black Cat which give great sound for the price and I am told they are shielded.

This sound happens even when the turntable is completely diconnected from the stage so I don’t think the cartridge or turntable as anything to do with it and they were playing beautifully before the sound appeared.

So the sound is happening between the phono stage and the pre. and I have even swapped out these interconnects with no alleviation. This really has become impossible.

I will do more interms of cleaning connections. Have tried moving components but that is limited as I am in a very small space.

Maybe I should spend more time wiggling wires and connections

Millercarbon what did your friend eventually do as I doubt he wanted to stand there holding his phonostage everytime he wanted to listen to lps?

 

 

williewonka
3,072 posts
 

@roxt1927 - try the following

- get e length of wire, enough to attach to a grounding point and within rech of the phono stage

- attach one end to the grounding point

- touch the free end of the wire on the neutral collar of the input socket

- if it is still noisy touch the free end to the neutral collar of the output socket

Does anything change?

Regards

chakster's avatar
chakster
6,144 posts
 

My cables and interconnects are boutique labels such as Black Cat which give great sound for the price and I am told they are shielded.

Some Black Cabels cables are not shielded if it’s not a dedicated PHONO cable. I owned several Black Cat interconnect cables and they are not good for phono signal, they are good as interconnect cables, but not for phono signal. Do you understand the difference between Phono cable and Interconnect cable? Change your cables if your model is the same as Black Cat Morpheus or similar models.

 

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