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
Dear @ejb 14 : "" you leave the personal attacks out of your posts. """

I’m really worried that you think what I posted with that gentleman is a personal attack even if look like that because is far away from there, not only with him but with no one else any where.

Things are that when I read that some one is spreading every where in the audio world forums again and again information that in the last times almost never happenned/happens I think that not only me but any one with the rigth information needs to post about because is each of us responsability to really help in between us increasing our each one audio overall subjects knowledge levels and the only way to do it is taking facts that can be proved that it really happens.

Your post appreciated and sorry that’s my way of thinking: share true today experiences, nothing else. I’m married with MUSIC not hardware or software or " imagination "/illusions but true live MUSIC.

R.
Ummmm...  I am as lazy as the next guy about looking up facts before leaping to criticize or correct someone else, but according to my research (3 internet sources), the Nagaoka MP110 is a MM cartridge (Moving Magnet), as asserted by Atma, not an MI (Moving Iron) type.  Furthermore, Nagaoka do not make or market any MI cartridges in their current line-up, according to at least one website and contrary to Raul's claims.  I would also assert without further research, because I have done the research many times for many cartridges in the past, that the value Atma-sphere used in his example, 500mH, is very typical for the inductance of any MM cartridge.  It can be a bit higher or a bit lower in individual cases, and variation in the value would of course affect the resonant frequency when combined with cable and input capacitance. I think Atma made that very clear in his analysis.  Further, many if not all of the cartridges that Raul lists in his vitriolic response are MI types in fact, not like the Nagaoka.  MI types do indeed tend to have much lower inductance than MM types, as Raul shows us, but that is irrelevant to the OP's issue.  It is unlike Raul to make such a factual error, but there it is.
Dear @lewm : Sorry but you are totally wrong. The only kind of cartridges Nagaoka manufacture are IM design not MM. Here you can open the Nagaoka instruction manual and at the very first two sentences states is a IM not MM ( yes you are to lazy. ):

https://www.vinylengine.com/library/nagaoka/mp-110.shtml

You can confirm as I did it ( several years ago. ) through the Japanese official audio bible that specified IM not MM.
As you your information sources are totally wrong, no matters what. Remember that I not only was a Nagaoka owner but owned the very hard to find top of the line: MP50-Super, way superior to the today 500. Btw, I think that still own the 200 or 300 model, I own to many cartridges and can’t remember exactly about.

In the other side it’s not true that almost all the cartridges I listed about its inductance value are MI/IM because down there are very good know names even if you never own it or don’t have it:

Technics, Audio Technica, Signet, Pickering, Shure, Stanton. In all those models the resonant frequency is way over 20khz. So, what are you talking about?

""  made that very clear in his analysis. """  , could be but useless today. My opinion I respect yours.

lew, I always make my job, at least before you post make yours. Don’t you think?

Btw, those 500mH in the calculator is the default value choosed by Hagerman .

Lew, ceratinly I’m not an expert in any audio subject but in reference to cartridges but LOMC ones I learned through several years all what any audiophile/gentleman could want to learn here:

https://forum.audiogon.com/discussions/who-needs-a-mm-cartridge-type-when-we-have-mc

and I learned from several gentleamns that participated and participates there.

R.


with all due respect to the knowledgeable parties here, one has to see the manufacturer as the last word in facts about the cartridge in question...

https://www.turntableneedles.com/assets/images/productimages/nagaoka_MP_series.pdf

page down half way in this users manual... says right there... IM style, as Raul says - retailers can say MM on their sites as a shorthand/general type (vs. low output MC, which is the key differentiation)

can we go back to helping the OP now? this back and forth is not helping him much...

that MM thread started by Raul was and is a seminal thread for those wanting to learn... not an easy read, as you would expect, but much much info and knowledge in there... for those who really want to master the subject
As I carefully noted, I am going on information obtained from a few internet websites, one of which was LP Gear. As I have learned not to trust LP Gear for accurate information on cartridges they sell, I verified the information on another site. If I am nevertheless incorrect, good for you. I will do some more searching to verify your claim. By the way, the Vinyl Engine page you quote says the output is 5mV, as mentioned by others here on this thread. I will have to sign on to VE in order to view the owners manual, but 5mV is rather high output for any MI in my experience; I suppose it’s possible. Accessing the actual owners manual regarding the transduction method will require me to sign in on VE. I’ll get back to you. I guess the point I was really trying to make by inference is that your insults directed toward Atma-sphere are uncalled for. If you think he (and now I) erred, then just say so. There is just no need for your vitriole.
EDIT. OK, I just found the owners manual.  You are correct.  IM type.  Mea culpa. Nowhere do I find a quote for the actual inductance.  Do you know it?