[Happy Camper]

And whats a vinyl transfer?

Digital recording of an album.

 

[jtaylor991]

While we're at it, today I also couldn't get my vocals on my music to sound centered on this same speaker setup playing digital files. I didn't hardly get any vinyl listening in today but at much lower than listenable volumes it sounded OK. I don't want to just balance it a notch to the right because it seems like I'm degrading the music quality while doing this. Also, only the vocals were off center, the rest (lower end and mids) sounded the same on both sides, so the balance tweak didn't do that justice. Is it just me? The recording?

 

[jtaylor991]

It seems like things do this no matter where I listen. Heck my laptop speakers are doing it. Its obviously the recordings but, why would they record the vocals off center?
 
My headphone setup does this too with my tube amp and Beyer DT770/80 pros which are known to balance strongly to the left. I have a DV 337 Dual Monaural but it seems like the left always sounds louder no matter how much I turn that right volume knob except to max, where my earlobes are jiggling. Could the hum in the left treble tube be causing this? I'll test that myself. But still, one twitch on the left is a difference between 9oclock and 11oclock on the right. Its almost like the left is easier to drive than the right. Why is this?

 

[jtaylor991]

I apologize for the bombarding of posts but I keep thinking of useful things to add. This post mentions a potential phono stage for me and a pic of my setup to help with the balance thing. 
 
http://www.head-fi.org/forum/thread/561896/advice-on-a-nice-stereo-setup/15#post_7632858

 

[jtaylor991]

OK you mentioned the very low hum from the turntable. The answer is YES. It is past midnight and it was scary (this setup scares me now as does operating a stereo at night) but I turned the turntable on with no record on there and the needle protector down covering the needle, the arm was not touching the turning part of the table at all, and there was a low pitch hum that had the midbass drivers and the subwoofer/radiator vibrating. I don't know how to measure hertz levels by finger and by ear but it was low. I'd guess under 50hz. I just realized that the EQ might have been set during this test. I think it was flat though, because it was for the incident, last time I touched the setup. Just assume it was on flat EQ. But yeah I'd guess under 50hz considering it didn't do that with the old amp that I remember (hum that low, it hummed of course). The sub bass radiator was vibrating (I could only tell by feel not by eye). Dual CS-5000 turntable. Would a new cartridge help? I am already getting a new stylus and cartridge definitely. Would a phono stage help with the hum in general, let alone the unusually low hum? Would it improve the sound?

 

[LFF]

Quote:

OK you mentioned the very low hum from the turntable. The answer is YES. It is past midnight and it was scary (this setup scares me now as does operating a stereo at night) but I turned the turntable on with no record on there and the needle protector down covering the needle, the arm was not touching the turning part of the table at all, and there was a low pitch hum that had the midbass drivers and the subwoofer/radiator vibrating. I don't know how to measure hertz levels by finger and by ear but it was low. I'd guess under 50hz. I just realized that the EQ might have been set during this test. I think it was flat though, because it was for the incident, last time I touched the setup. Just assume it was on flat EQ. But yeah I'd guess under 50hz considering it didn't do that with the old amp that I remember (hum that low, it hummed of course). The sub bass radiator was vibrating (I could only tell by feel not by eye). Dual CS-5000 turntable. Would a new cartridge help? I am already getting a new stylus and cartridge definitely. Would a phono stage help with the hum in general, let alone the unusually low hum? Would it improve the sound?

If you can clearly hear the hum then it's probably 50Hz/60Hz hum. The culprit is most like a ground loop problem or that there is a missed ground somewhere on your analogue rig. Is your turntable properly grounded?
 

 

[jtaylor991]

Volume was 2/3 way up. There is a U ended skinny cable that I assume is the ground. I just ignored that. Where should I connect it? Would taping it to the metal shelf it is on work?

 

[tuoppi]

Usually the receiver has a ground pin somewhere near the phono inputs. Connect the ground cable to that. If there isn't one you need to find something else that is grounded, your shelf probably isn't.

 

[jtaylor991]

I connected the U shaped skinny wire coming from my turntable to the GND screw by the Phono port. Didn't improve anything, still almost blew the speakers at notch 3 or 4. Wasnt loud, but looked like the drivers were about to blow and there was some loud popping coming from the speakers that I treated as a sign and muted from my own reflexes. You could only tell the record was warped by looking at the label on the top and watching it move up and down like 1 or 2mm.
 
Before I put the record on, I tested the hum and almost no hum, just the regular airy noise floor sound  until I had the receiver volume one notch below max and there was suddenly lots of loud popping so I muted it and turned it back down. I am so thankful that this receiver doesn't unmute when you change the volume like my TV does lol.
 
So the ground didn't help unless I connected it wrong. I cant remember if the last time I listened to vinyl on these speakers with almost no issues was with this amp, but I don't think it was. The low end is much stronger on this amp than that other sony receiver, so I think it could be that. Or the stylus. What about a phono stage and a new stylus and cartridge combo?

 

[jtaylor991]

Looks like a cartridge issue because issue is there with no record and stylus touching nothing and my dads audio technica at-pl50 turntable works fine, no issues except bass is high for my speakers but thats the music and i can EQ it down

 

[Pricklely Peete]

Quote:

 
Yes, that's drivers unloading alright. So clearly you're getting some very low frequency output coming from your analogue source. Phono stages sometimes include a subsonic filter to prevent just this sort of thing.
 
se

is a very good option to have for vinyl playback.
 
Peete.

 

[Pricklely Peete]

Quote:

Looks like a cartridge issue because issue is there with no record and stylus touching nothing and my dads audio technica at-pl50 turntable works fine, no issues except bass is high for my speakers but thats the music and i can EQ it down

Could be the cartridge stylus has had the biscuit.
 
Peete.

 

[jtaylor991]

would a phono stage have that? how would i hook one up? hows this one: http://www.amazon.com/Cambridge-Outboard-Audiophile-Phono-Silver/dp/B00106JE1E
 
Quote:

is a very good option to have for vinyl playback.
 
Peete.

 

 

[jtaylor991]

linked one says defeatable subsonic filter. whats that? good or bad?

 

[Uncle Erik]

The subsonic filter is the same thing as a rumble filter.

It's a high pass filter allowing only frequencies over 20Hz to pass through. Sometimes records send lower frequencies to the amp, which can cause problems. "Defeatable" means you can turn it on or off.

It's a good thing.