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Problem with phono stage

Hello Fellow Audiogoners,

I need help with my Phono stage. It is Lehman Audio Black Cube from Germany.  It was recommended from Simao, a very respected Audiogon member who helped me a lot when I was building my stereo. It costs 450$ brand new which I bought used from this site. Michael Fremer considers it one of the best steals in phono stages. I get a little bit better detail and bass extension BUT it also much noisier. I can hear the pops and any other noises  on the records much more then with the phono stage of my Arcam FMJ 28 which turned out to be a surprisingly good one considering it is an integrated one.
I also switched the cables but the noise is still there.
Is this a common problem with added phono stages as opposed to integrated ones or something is wrong with my phono and needs to be checked.

All help will be greatly appreciated.
Emil


emilm
emilm OP
18 posts
 
ejb14 gain is set up at 41db and there is only one setting for MM.

geof3, thanks for the information
ejb14
38 posts
 
Hmm - I looked up the manual for the Black Cube and got the gain settings from there - perhaps I saw an older or newer version. This manual talks about not only the dip switches, but also a gain jumper that adds 10db.

In any event, I also have an FMJ A28, and while its phono stage is quite good, and very quiet, my other external phono stages into the aux inputs (A Sutherland PD3D and a Music Hall PA2.2) either sound better (PH3D) or roughly equal the internal phone stage. You should get great sound with the Black Cube and this amp. I am using a Shure V15III and a Grado Gold 3 on my tables at the moment. 

The A28 has a numeric volume read out, which the manual claims is in decibels when in the reference mode. I believe the internal stage is roughly 40+db of gain - so I would think the Black Cube into the Aux input and the internal phono stage should be equal in terms of loudness at the same volume setting on the A28. If they are roughly equal, and you still hear a lot more noise with the cube, then I don't think the problem is cables or the cartridge or the amp.


geof3
1,130 posts
 
Ejb14 is correct. There are several other settings that the Black Cube has, but must be done from internally on the board. To include, as mentioned, a gain jumper. However, it is not really a “jumper” that is easy to swap, at least not on mine (I have the SE) it requires some surgery.
mijostyn's avatar
mijostyn
8,570 posts
 
emilm, Yes, atmasphere is talking turntable to phono input. You also want to keep the cables as short as you can. 
rauliruegas
13,323 posts
 
Dear @emilm : Do it you a favor and forgeret about that IC cable capacitabnce for the moment.

First than all the Lehmann must be perfectly set up for the Nagaoka 5mv. MP-110 cartridge. Your phono stage comes with several alternatives for set up and for what I read in this thread you still are not an " expert " about.

So my advise is the same as other gentleman in this thread: put in direct contact with Lehmann explain it your system issues with that cartridge and follow his instructions. With out the rigth Lehmann set up with that cartridge all other advises here are useless and futile.

Don't waist your time or money in cables till you make the Lehmann advises. Only my opinion.

Regards and enjoy the MUSIC NOT DISTORTIONS,
R.
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