Reduction Too Quiet

[fullheadofnothing]

Have you shorted the inputs on the Reduction? Hum is frequently introduced by the cartridge/arm. Those. Ortofons are particularly problematic with the shield screw on top of the cart body creating more problems than it solves...

 

[crackaddict]

First I turned off the turntable. Then I disconnected it. Then I shorted the inputs. Still no change. When I turn off the Reduction, the Crack goes dead silent (unless I crank it up louder than I would never listen to it anyway --  at about 75% volume, i.e. 3:00, an audible buzz shows up in the Crack).

With the Reduction (post-Integration upgrade; I don't know if this was a problem before, as I only tested with the Steremour and I was dealing with the volume issue), as soon as I turn it on (even with inputs shorted), I hear a definite hiss in both channels. Then, within maybe half a minute, a hum shows up in the left channel, and a few seconds later in the right channel. All this is quite noticeable with the volume knob on either the Crack or the Steremour in my normal listening position, about 12:00. And again, turning off the Reduction makes both amps go dead silent.

(I hope my use of the words buzz, hiss, and hum are descriptive enough...)

Thanks,
Derek

 

[crackaddict]

Hi again,

Please let me know if I should start a new thread on the hum question. A search through the forum for "hum" didn't bring up a lot. There's plenty on hiss, and for that I'll let the tubes run in and see how it sounds in a few weeks.

The hum (maybe 60Hz, could be 120Hz -- I don't know) is something I'd really like to get rid of. When I did the voltage test I noticed the LEDs (both on the PCBs and those surrounding the tubes) light up "group by group." The appearance of hum follows that order (first left, then right).

Is the positioning of the leads which connect the PCBs important? (I.e. should I move them far away from the tubes beneath them?) I'm quite sure I have solid solder connections throughout, as I did everything incredibly methodically and very slowly, visual inspection reveals no issues, and resistance and voltage checks are good. At this point I have no new ideas so any input is highly appreciated.

Thanks,
Derek

 

[Paul Joppa]

A new thread is a good idea, this one is getting clumsy to scroll through.

Start with a post that describes the system, from turntable to speakers, and why you think the hum originates in the Reduction (i.e. what tests you have already done and their outcome). This will give us a good starting point. A photo showing the location of the components would be a help too.

 

[crackaddict]

Hi,

Rather than start a new thread, I just wanted to let any future readers know that my hum and buzz issues were NOT due the Reduction. I did some more troubleshooting and identified some setup issues (turntable grounding, poor stock phono cable, and signal cable routing issues). So all appears OK with my amp!

To return to the original thread, with a higher output cartridge and the Integration upgrade, the line level out of the Reduction is exactly where I expected it to be.

Thanks (and sorry for derailing this thread),
Derek

 

[Paul Joppa]

Woohoo! Thanks for the update, always good to hear when a problem has been successfully diagnosed and treated.

This is one of the most rewarding things about this business, when support from the community leads people to figure stuff out for themselves and then share the knowledge with everyone else.