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Phono stage hum - Rega Aria

Hi folks, trying to solve a hum issue and would appreciate any thoughts. Rega Aria phono stage, into a PrimaLuna Dialogue tube preamp, then to Bel Canto SS mono's. 

With the tonearm NOT plugged into the phono stage, there's a hum.(especially when set to MC vs. MM)
Rega powered off, no hum while preamp at max volume. Turn the phono stage on, there's the hum...I hold the phono stage in the air, 4 feet from everything, same hum. When I hover it over my preamp, the hum gets much louder due to interference. Magnaplanar 1.7i speakers very quiet until that phono stage enters the chain.

Haven't tried a cheater plug...but have tried 2 diff interconnects (Better Cables/Silver Serpent and BJC LC1) from the phono stage to the PrimaLuna, and 2 different power cables (Furutech FP-S022N and factory cable) into a Furman Elite 15-DMi. 

Either this Rega Aria is a noisy phono stage, or I've somehow got a ground loop in there with it. It's really not bad at lower volumes, but sucks when that hum breaks the silence at louder volumes between songs/sides. 
Opinion - is this phono stage a weak link in my system? Maybe it would be fine if I find a way to eliminate that hum. 

JA Michell Gyro TT
Rega RB 808 tonearm
Ortofon Cadenza Black cart
Primaluna Dialogue Premium preamp
Rega Aria phono stage
Bel Canto M500 mono amps
Furman Elite 15-DMi power
Magnaplanar 1.7i

Better Cables/Silver Serpent interconnects
Blue Jean Cables for phono and Maggies
Furutech FP-S022N power/outlet

Cheers, thanks for any advice! 
128x128malmc02

Showing 16 responses by malmc02

malmc02's avatar
malmc02 OP
30 posts
 
Interesting, may try that! I have tried several diff cables already, but not with the grounding scheme you outlined. Thanks. 
malmc02's avatar
malmc02 OP
30 posts
 
@the_lanman hi, what are the cables are you using between the Aria and the Int60? 
malmc02's avatar
malmc02 OP
30 posts
 
@dramatictenor I've been considering switching from the Rega Aria to a Parasound - was looking at both the JC3 Junior and the JC3+. Sounds like you are enjoying the Junior, which is good to hear! (literally) 

@conde64 Did you get to try the Aria MK3? Interested to hear what you thought. 
malmc02's avatar
malmc02 OP
30 posts
 
Tonearm plugged into the phone stage = hum. Tonearm disconnected from phono stage = hum. Cheater plug added to power cord for phono stage = hum. Cheater plug added to power cord for preamp = hum. Connected the tonearm ground wire to the ground of the phone stage. (Phono stage manual recommends that) = hum.  Grounded phono stage to ground of a few other pieces = hum. 
RCA out from the preamp feeds a powered sub. Disconnected that cable from the input on the back of the sub just now, for giggles. Accidentally touched that rca tip to a screw/ground on the back of the sub (other end is still connected to the preamp rca out) and the hum essentially stopped. LOL
malmc02's avatar
malmc02 OP
30 posts
 
Hi Gordon, I’ve tried multiple phono to preamp cables moving them around, and lifting the phono stage in the air, away from everything...= hum. 
malmc02's avatar
malmc02 OP
30 posts
 
Everything was powered by the Furman...so I just ran a 50’ extension cord from the preamp to an outlet in the kitchen. Hum still there.

The fact that the hum went away when grounding the tip of an RCA, while the other end is plugged into an output on the preamp is strange. 

@millercarbon I know from reading your posts for quite a while now that you’ll have some theory about this gremlin. ;) It’s quite vexing. 
malmc02's avatar
malmc02 OP
30 posts
 
@hagtech I held the phono stage in the air, about 4 feet away from everything, didn’t help. Could be that I have no true ground, as you suggest. Interesting that the hum goes away when I touch the RCA tip from the preamp audio to a ground. 

@cleeds The hum exists even with the cartridge not connected to the system, and issue has been there for a long time.
malmc02's avatar
malmc02 OP
30 posts
 
@cleeds prior to the Cadenza, I was using an Ortofon 2m bronze, and had hum at loud volumes. I cannot ever recall a time in the past when I have turned the volume to a high level and not heard the hum. Having said that, I don’t often go to high volumes, so it wasn’t at the top of my list of priorities until being isolated at home in these crazy times, and I find myself with more time on my hands. ;). 
malmc02's avatar
malmc02 OP
30 posts
 
@hagtech tested my outlet with a multimeter, seems to be properly grounded. Don’t know if it’s an earth ground, but juice flows freely into it. The screw on the outlet plate is likewise grounded. Connected the grounding post from the preamp to the screw = hum. Moved the ground wire from the screw to the grounding post of the phono stage = hum. Ugh.
Yeah, it sure sounds like a grounding issue but not sure what to try next to get those rogue electrons out of the system. 
malmc02's avatar
malmc02 OP
30 posts
 
@smatsui with volume at max, I did hear some interference with a nearby repeater. Moved, and that went away. However, I still have the hum. 
malmc02's avatar
malmc02 OP
30 posts
 
Ran ground wire between grounding posts of the pre amp and the phono stage. No change. Only thing that removes the hum is to disconnect the audio cables between the phono stage and preamp, turn off the phono stage, or ground the tip of the other end of an RCA cable that is plugged into the pre amp’s audio out. 
malmc02's avatar
malmc02 OP
30 posts
 
Update:  after listening carefully, there are two different layers of noise. White noise hiss, and a 60hz hum. When I touch the RCA from the preamp out R to a ground, the hiss vanishes from the R speaker, but the hum remains. 
Bought a new phono stage. Same exact behavior, but the hiss and hum are not as loud. I only get hiss and hum when I turn the preamp way up. Maybe this is normal, but the hiss disappearing when grounding that RCA tells me there may be a way to make it better. The hum is also annoying. 
So, this happens with 2 diff makes/models of phono stages, using power from the power conditioner and from a separate socket doesn’t change anything. Also tried a cheater plug 50’ away, on a diff circuit. No help. 
malmc02's avatar
malmc02 OP
30 posts
 
@hagtech I read your document, thanks. You’re saying hiss is “normal” and is “what we are trying to achieve.” The hiss I hear disappears when I touch the aforementioned RCA to a ground, which tells me maybe it can be eliminated(or at least mitigated) somehow. For the hum, I have already gone through all your recommended steps. So long as the phono stage is connected to the preamp, it generates hum regardless of my whether the tonearm cables are connected to it. Regardless of which of several outlets and power cables I use, or whether I isolate the phono stage by holding it in the air away from everything. Wave it around, and the hum is unchanged. Multiple phono stages, and different phono stages have different level of hum. Your PDF also suggests my problem may be too many grounds, hmm, not quite sure what to try next. 
malmc02's avatar
malmc02 OP
30 posts
 
Hi revreed, sorry to hear you’re having a similar issue. Do you get the hum at lower volumes or only when you go way up? I was not able to solve my problem...however I did experiment by switching to a different mm/mc phono stage, and the hum was significantly reduced. Could be the Aria has a flaw? 
malmc02's avatar
malmc02 OP
30 posts
 
@vic2020 interesting, might explain why I see a hum reductions with my non grounded Rega Aria when I ground the rca output of my preamp. I just bought a Parasound JC3 JR, going to do some testing today! Hoping I come out of this with no hum! 
malmc02's avatar
malmc02 OP
30 posts
 
Replaced the Aria with the Parasound JC3 JR. Hum disappeared 100%. I still get some white noise when I crank the system to max volume. Going to see where that’s coming from, I’m sure it’s not easy, if not impossible for an MC turntable to be dead silent at max volume. Having said that, I’m curious what level of silence others have achieved at max volume levels. 
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