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Hum from Grado on LP12.. Better carts to consider?

I've had a problem with hum on my LP12 for as long as I can remember. The table (bought used) came with a Grado Signature 8MZ and I've since tried a Grado Z+ that I had from another table. Both have the same amount of hum. I have a lot of RF and noisy AC in my house. The hum is noticeable when I switch to phono and gets louder as I move the cart over the rim of the platter. From there it decreases as I move the arm towards the spindle. (The table is 80's vintage with Ittok and Circus/Lingo upgrades).

A (non-Linn) dealer said 'oh Grados do that on LP12s - lack of shielding'. My Linn dealer didn't nave a strong opinion. He suggested a Benz Ace H given my under- $700 budget. From reading the Agon forums, some think an AT150 M series has better sound for less $. I've also heard good things about the Dynavector DV-20X. Does MM/MI vs. HOMC matter in terms of hum or is the degree of 'shielding' a variable from cartridge to cartridge no matter which type? Does a good review on a MC necessarily extend to the HO version, as opposed to the LO/MO versions?

My system: ARC PH1 (48 dB gain, variable loading via soldering iron)
ARC LS2BII
PSE Studio IV/V's
Audio Physic Tempo III's
FWIW: Meridian 508 CD player is dead quiet in this system.

Music: from Joni Mitchell to Ian Dury and the Blockheads, Monk to Mozart.

Thanks for any knowledge you can impart!
geor
coxhaus
231 posts
 
I have a Grado "The Statement" on an old Linn LP12 which I bought new in 73 or 74 can't remember. I now have an Itok arm which was not original. I have absolutely no hum. My dealer was a Linn dealer for many years and sold Grados with Linn tables. Do you have cable connected to a device in your system? It is easy to create a ground loop which will cause hum.
metralla
945 posts
 
I have a Grado Signature 8MR on a Sondek using a Linn Basik LVX arm from 1984 - this unit is in storage back in Australia. This has no hum at all into a very high gain preamp (the preamp could handle a moving coil cartridge without a transformer).

Something must be wrong.

Regards,
geor OP
37 posts
 
I don't have cable, but I do have noisey AC power. I can hear my Braun coffee maker's thermostat cycle on and off! I also have an FM transmission tower about a mile away.
geor OP
37 posts
 
Thanks Coxhaus and Metralla. I did some research on hum problems and tried one suggestion with some success. That was to move the LP12 away from other components, especially their transformers. I realized the turntable motor was about 6-8" away from the preamp (ARC LS2BII) transformer on the shelf below. I lifted the turntable as much as I could - about 18"- with no change. Then I tried rotating it and the hum was almost gone.

The ARC transformer seemed to have a 2-dimensional planar beam (?) running vertically. (The transformer is mounted on the side wall of the preamp).
sarcher30
596 posts
 
An outboard power supply like a Lingo would most likely solve the problem.

One way to find out is to unplug your Linn, swing the tonearm over the platter, and see if it still hums. If it does then it's the power supply in the deck. You have to unplug because the power supply stays energized even when not spinning.

Sean
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