my new S.E.X.

[denti alligator]

Here it is, folks. It had to be bright red. Sorry to the wood-grain purists.

 

[Maxwell_E]

That's a great looking rig. Exactly what I would put together if I had enough desk space.

One quick questions, unrelated. How do you like the P1? I've been looking between those and some old Technics of Garrard tables of the same price range, just curious as to how they sound.

 

[denti alligator]

Actually, I'm of two minds. There is a certain amount of hum from it at higher volumes. The hum cannot be heard when music is playing, only between tracks and when nothing is playing, and only at 55% volume and higher. Nonetheless it's there, and it isn't a grounding issue--too quiet for that. I'm not experienced enough with turntables to know if this is common. My old Technics direct drive does the same, though it's very slightly less noticeable.  Is turntable hum inevitable? (I figure that needle is acting like a mini microphone.)

 

[Maxwell_E]

I would think that a constant low level hum would be vibrations from the motor. Thanks for the reply.

 

[denti alligator]

Makes sense. Otherwise I'm quite pleased. I upgraded the cartridge to an Ortofon Red, and that made a nice improvement in clarity and warmth.

 

[jrebman]

Sam,

I'm blind so can't see your picture, but I agree that one has to have at least one red amp (I currently have 2 -- my Carina and my Crack.)

-- Jim

 

[ssssly]

Rega TTs are pretty notorious for motor noise. There are several DIY fixes that attenuate it to different degrees from dampening to stand alone motors.

 

[Grainger49]

Jim Rebman's comment makes it obvious he hasn't been blind since birth.  I want anyone else who is concerned, as I was when I asked, he doesn't use a conventional soldering iron.

Sam, I'm partial to the red.  None of my bases are red but I have a project that must soon move to the front burner with a bright red top plate.  It will bring a little spark of life to the colors in my system.

That is a pretty good album collection.  More than my younger brother's collection.  He's 59 and his collection includes everything The Kingston Trio ever put into vinyl.

I probably have a couple of thousand LPs but don't listen to more than you have regularly.  Maybe I'm stuck in a rut.

 

[denti alligator]

Thanks guys. Actually, Grainger, those are only the non-classical LPs. The 10"s, 7"s, and classical LPs are on a different shelf. I'm only "Nel mezzo del cammin di nostra vita," so I would hope that my collection might grow still...

EDIT: Scratch that: it hums even when the motor is not running.  I'm off to some of the vinyl forums to try and solve this one.

 

[Grainger49]

Sam,

Sorry, I don't speak/read Italian.  Looks like the Latin I read 45 years ago in High School.

Did you try rearranging the Bugle relative to the amp and TT?  It looks like it is between the SEX transformer and the motor of the TT, not really too close to either yet.  That is probably not the problem but had to ask.

 

[Doc B]

Sam,

I'm blind so can't see your picture, but I agree that one has to have at least one red amp (I currently have 2 -- my Carina and my Crack.)

-- Jim

I'm down with that. My phono preamp is red.

 

[HF9]

Very nice! I dig the candy apple red. There's red wood dye out there as well if you want the color and the grain

 

[denti alligator]

Sam,

Sorry, I don't speak/read Italian.  Looks like the Latin I read 45 years ago in High School.

Did you try rearranging the Bugle relative to the amp and TT?  It looks like it is between the SEX transformer and the motor of the TT, not really too close to either yet.  That is probably not the problem but had to ask.

Just the first lines of Dante's Commedia. The point is that most people (myself included) don't speak Italian, so I won't be exactly giving away my age, which apparently is supposed to be public knowledge hereabouts.

Yes, I tried rearranging the Bugle relative to the amp and TT. No difference.  Here's something funny, though. I unplugged the TT from the Bugle. Still get a hum. But once I put my finger on the input jacks it goes quiet (well, it picks up a clean level of tape-hiss sounding noise--this is at max volume, mind you). So when I ground the Bugle it's fine. Does that mean the TT is not properly grounded? Gotta get to the bottom of this.

 

[bainjs]

More Red...

 

[Grainger49]

    .  .  .  Yes, I tried rearranging the Bugle relative to the amp and TT. No difference.  Here's something funny, though. I unplugged the TT from the Bugle. Still get a hum. But once I put my finger on the input jacks it goes quiet (well, it picks up a clean level of tape-hiss sounding noise--this is at max volume, mind you). So when I ground the Bugle it's fine. Does that mean the TT is not properly grounded? Gotta get to the bottom of this.

Ok, this indicates that the phono stage is not picking up radiated AC causing hum.  It isn't the motor or the SEX transformer causing it.

To test the Bugle itself you need to short the inputs.  That means a jumper from the outer conductor to the center conductor on each channel.  This may be what putting your finger there did.  IIRC the Bugle uses a 90 degree PCB RCA jack.  A single alligator clip might short them.

It doesn't sound like you have a lot of hum.  I have a little bit of hum and buzz in my system on phono.  Bainjs was here and I apologized for the noise, he didn't hear it from the listening chair, I only hear it from in front of the speakers.  That is what listening to headsets is like.  Or in your case you are almost in front of your speakers in your office.  This small amount of hum might be hard to eradicate.