Please help diagnose sudden turntable problem


Hi everyone,

I just encountered a very sudden problem with my turntable. I have a fairly new Marantz TT15s1 that was sounding great until yesterday afternoon. I noticed an unusual amount of static, but I chalked that up to the dry air from running the A/C for a couple of days. I used a zero stat gun, and that seemed to help a bit.

Today, however, the problem got significantly worse within the span of a couple of albums. Now, I have significant static and distortion, sometimes completely obscuring the music. It sounds like an amp being overdriven. I have tried two different phono amps and two different preamps, but in every case I get the same sound.

The Marantz has a captive tonearm cable, so I can even swap that out. It's a Clearaudio Virtuoso cartridge that looks to be in excellent shape. The stylus is not bent or damaged. All the leads are plugged in securely. I'm at a loss.

Any ideas would be welcomed. Thanks!
Scott
smrex13

Showing 1 response by hiendmuse

I've been having a problem for a long time on my VPI Super Scoutmaster. I recently bought a Jake's Turntable mat, which is made out of deer hide. It claimed, among its description, and numerous positive reviews, to reduce or eliminate static, as well as improve sound. It really works in greatly reducing static and sounds and looks great. Beautifully made, costs only $25. Check it out thru Amazon.com!!