[Jazz-Vinyl]

Got my brand spankin' new AT-440MLa from LPGear today....

Wow!  I hear more details than I thought I would. 

Can't wait for 'er to warm up after some break-in time (everyone seems to say 50 hours or so should bring it into full bloom?).

I was a bit concerned that it would not like the Ultra Low Mass carbon arm on the T55C,
but all is just fine and dandy.  Tracks like a dream...

Things are a tad bit "brittle" right now, but I can certainly hear the potential.

It does ride deeper in the groove and totally misses a substantial percentage of surface noises (as others have said).

Life Is Good!

Cheers from Colorado!!!!

[Jazz-Vinyl]

Oh Oh!!

Unexpected problem:

I have Hummmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm....

Quite a bit of it from the AT-440.  Tested all three of my other carts and they have _no_ hum.

Moved the Power Amp away and it helped some...looks like I will also have to move the flippin' pre-amp away from the table too!!

This is an unexpected and unwelcomed development!!!

[Wayner]

You may have more problems besides location of other components. I suspect a ground loop in the arm of your T55. Try shorting the 2 (-) of the left and right together at the cartridge pins with an aligator clip and see if it goes away. Also take off the chassis ground and see it it gets better or worse.

Wayner

[Jazz-Vinyl]

Wayner...

The first thing I decided to do (after moving the Amp PreAmp as far away as I could) was to try the AT-440 in the T25 table....

Same problem!!  Can BOTH tables have the same ground loop problem??

Why do the other three cartridges present themselves as silent on both tables...???

WTF!!!???

Moving the Amp and PreAmp did help some, but did not eliminate the hum.   I have also tried shorting the two ground wires on the headshell, and it does not help, or makes such a very small change that I think it's fair to say it "does not help"....

-also-
The AT-440 does like the 11 gram arm of the T25 better than the ULM arm of the T55.  There is a whole bunch of solidity surrounding the bass note on the T25 that is absent on the T55.  Cymbals are more realistic on the T25 too.  This is not a surprise since the cart is said to be  medium compliance and the T55's arm definitely requires a high compliance cart...

[Wayner]

That is strange. I don't remember if I ever put the AT in the T25 as I always thought it was the beast for the Grado Gold to work wonders with. If the hum is with both tables, that proves that both tables are wired the same and are being influenced by either an unhappy ground loop the AT doesn't like or you have some radiating device that is in proximity to the cartridge. Yes, I pimp the AT but it is a plastic body and perhaps with certain set-ups can reveal flaws as many other cartridges can. I had a buzz with my Technics, but with a little blood, sweat and tears, have made that table quite. We will help you figure it out but we need more info.

Do you plug the AC power for the table into the pre-amp? Get it out of your head that the other carts behave differently, we are trying to fix this combo. Also, what is the actual hum level. I like to take the music to a rather average listening level, lift the cue and observe the hum. There will be hum at some point with any vinyl system, but does it crawl into the normal listening realm. Some folks will turn their volume all the way up (with no record playing) and say there's hum. Well, da. The gain at that point is incredible! Let's hear some more set-up stories.

Wayner

[Jazz-Vinyl]

Hello Wayner...

I followed KABUSA's guide here, to debug:

http://www.kabusa.com/setup.htm

And...according to his test for "The Turntable Wiring" it ain't the table wiring.  Shorting the +/- leads on each side of the headshell eliminated the Hum.

It's not so bad as to ruin the whole setup.  Like you say, I only notice it with the arm raised over the table.  It's "there" but it's not like you left the ground wire off....

Remember these two HK tables have had the AC transformer taken out and they get fed clean DC only via a shielded cable...so the Hum was quite a surprise,

Knowing the Hun is present drives me wiggy,  Could I live with what I have forever if I wasn't such a nut?  Probably, but as I said, knowing it's there keeps me from getting good sleep!

...GRINS...

It will either get fixed, or I won't run this cart...can't stand it...

[Jazz-Vinyl]

More facts of the matter:

All the HUM is in the LEFT channel...when I switch the L/R ground wired (Blue and Green) the HUM travels over to the right channel only...

What the heck!!!???

I have already tried a different headshell/wires...

When you hit the VTA _juuuussssst_ right, this cart is RAPTURE-OUS!! 
I mean it!!!!

And...here is a local photo for everyone:
http://home.comcast.net/~b-thomas/flickr/6893650-R1-017-7-2-RG.html

Cheers!!!

[Wayner]

Connect the left and right (-) together and use the channel that there is no hum in. That should do it, man!

Waynererererer 

[Jazz-Vinyl]

Hello Wayner...

Okay, I'll give that a try...

Seems "too easy" ---Grins---

[Jazz-Vinyl]

Grrrrrr.....

Did not cure the problem.

I'm sending this Cart back to LPGear...

[Wayner]

Bummer. Do you think it's a defect because one side hums and the other doesn't? Are you going to ask for a swap?

Wayner

[Jazz-Vinyl]

Yeah, both sides do hum, one side MUCH worse (louder) than the other.

I also went out the Garage this AM and brought in the Technics SL-Q2 and tried it in there, exactly the same amount of hum.  I am convinced that it is this example.

LPGear said they will have it back (at my expense) he did not say he wanted me to try another one.  I am just happy he would take it back as he sent it "SIGNED FOR ONLY" and that pissed me off to start with, and I gave him the dickens about that.

Not sure I would have this one again.  Think I'd rather try the Ortofon 20 or even the 30.  Or maybe a Grado....Denon DL-110 and a new pre-amp, mabne??

I did see that on SOME vinyl...this cart was really great!!  But on others I thought it was a bit weird in it's presentation of the dynamics. 

Something amiss with it's dynamics on about 1/3 of what I listened to...

Ever notice that?

My system (speakers espicially) are very even and well balanced.  They need no emphisis in any area.  So, an "Even cart" is called for...  

http://home.comcast.net/~b-thomas/audio/veritas/veritas.html


 

[Wayner]

I have the same cart in 4 different tables. The Empire is dead quite with the volume way,way up as is the VPI. The Rega has a slight hum but pretty much out of the resonable listening levels. The technics was troublesome to get it tamed down, but now it's very quite. Let's just make a note that the HK is not compatable with it. As far as the sound, you hardly had any break-in at all. The weird will go away when the cantilever gets some action. Oh well, live and learn. I would also say that some recordings just sound like crap and there isn't a cartridge in the world that can make a silk purse from a sow's ear.....if you get my drift. I was also spying on the Ortofon Blue or 2M Bronze, just to try them out.

Happy spinnin'

w

[Jazz-Vinyl]

You make me want an Empire 598 II

!!!!

[Wayner]

I'm going to fire it up right now. Get the AVA T8 warmed up, the AVA 170ex turned on and let the Dynaco A25XL's show the world how to make speakers.

W