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Hum/buzz from VM740ML cartridge

Good Morning.

I am new to Audiogon and got back into vinyl again (it's been a while since the mid-1990s).  I purchased myself a mid-range turntable ($399 before taxes)—the Audio-Technica LP-120XBT-USB.  I have it connected to a Schiit Mani phono preamp (once the phono switch is selected, it bypasses the built-in preamp), and my phono preamp is connected to the U-PHORIA UMC204HD analog-to-digital converter. 

My turntable has a static balanced S-shaped tonearm with an effective length of 230.5mm (9-inches), with an overhang of 16mm.  It came with the VM95E cartridge attached to an AT-HS6 headshell, weighing 9-grams with lead wires included.  I wanted a better cartridge so purchased the VM740ML cartridge and had it attached to an AT-HS10 headshell (10-grams in weight).

I’ve been digitizing my vinyl using Audacity with the recording settings at 192000Hz, 32-bit float, and so far the quality has been excellent.  For a while, everything was fine.  Then a problem started with a buzzing/humming sound coming out of the cartridge.  I came to this conclusion after taking steps to isolate the cause of the problem.

At first, I thought it might be a problem with the particular headshell wiring to which the VM740ML cartridge was attached. The reason why I thought this was because when I swapped the headshell that the VM740ML was attached for the headshell that the VM95E was attached, there was dead silence on the VM95E: no noise, buzz, or hiss at all. 

But then when I swapped back in the VM740ML cartridge and headshell, the noise appeared again. 

So my first thought was it was likely a faulty problem with the wiring inside the AT-HS10 headshell. However, after attaching the VM740ML cartridge to a new headshell, the problem still persisted—which led me to conclude that it is the cartridge itself.

I recorded a sample of the buzz/noise, but I don’t think there’s a way to upload that here.

Based on your professional expertise and know-how as audiophiles, what steps or procedures do you recommend I take to resolve this matter?

Any and all thoughts, suggestions, insights, and potential solutions would be greatly appreciated.

 

Respectfully,

Shaun B.

 

smb1978
dover
2,173 posts
 

@smb1978 

If you have put the VM740L on the VM95E headshell ( in other words kept everything else the same ) and you get buzz with the VM740 but not the VM95, then there is likely something wrong with the VM740L cartridge. Possibly internal wiring has come loose. does the buzz come out of 1 channel only or both ?

It has a 1 year warranty.

 

smb1978 OP
12 posts
 

@dover 

Hi dover,

Thank you for your reply.  Yes, I installed the VM740ML on the VM95E headshell (kept everything the same), and I still get the buzz from the VM740ML (on both channels).  

Just spoke with an Audio Solutions Specialist from Audio-Technica.  He suggested I make certain that the white nylon washers are in place, because the washers isolate the cartridge fasteners from the headshell (without them I can get a ground loop between the cartridge and the headshell because the other end of the fastener is probably touching the side of the metal cartridge body). 

I installed the white nylon washers with the installation screws, but not in the same way shown in the diagram he sent me, which is weird because in the VM740ML manual, the screws are installed 180° in the opposite direction (i.e., facing upward into the headshell as opposed to downwards).  But I'll proceed to do as he suggested to see what happens.  If the problem persists, it's most likely the cartridge.  In which case, I'll send it back as it's only been a few months.

Thanks again, dover, for your helpful input.  Much appreciated.


 

noromance's avatar
noromance
9,393 posts
 

Try pulling (gently) the replaceable stylus assembly out and reinserting it. 

smb1978 OP
12 posts
 

@noromance 

Hi noromance,

 

Thank you.  Yes, doing what you said along with what the Audio Solutions Specialist from Audio-Technica suggested removed the noise.  The tradeoff, however, is that the output volume is now lower.  But I'm willing to accept that for the removal of hum/buzz.

 

 

mijostyn's avatar
mijostyn
8,155 posts
 

smb, excellent work. You are stumbling around the right answer. What you have is a defective cartridge. Take it back to where you bought it and ask for a replacement. It is under warranty.  

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