Low-level "fluttering" noise, possibly produced from cartridge.

Posted by: Graeme MacArthur on 18 July 2018

Hello all,

I have a Linn Sondek/Akito/Krystal/Lingo4, all only weeks old, plugged into a Stageline K into Naim amplifiers. There is also an ND5-XS in the system.

There is a low-level "fluttering" noise audible through the loudspeakers when the turntable is selected on the pre-amp. It's quiet enough not to be audible when music is playing. At high volume other "dirty" noises are also audible. If the turntable is disconnected from the Stageline, there is no noise. If I reconnect it and turn off the mains to the turntable, the noise persists. This makes me think that it's something being picked up by the moving coil cartridge.

I've tried disconnecting the ethernet cable from the ND5-XS and that makes no difference. I do use ethernet over mains but there is normally no noise from this at all.

Does anyone have any ideas what might be causing this noise?

Thank you for any help.

Posted on: 18 July 2018 by Richard Dane

What happens if you disconnect the ethernet over mains devices?

Posted on: 18 July 2018 by Graeme MacArthur

It doesn’t have any effect. It is the sort of noise that you’d expect from dirty mains but still happens with no mains to the turntable and with the ethernet disconnected. 

Posted on: 18 July 2018 by yeti42

Is your ND earth set to chassis and the turntable and arm earth cables attached to the earthing post on the stageline?

Posted on: 18 July 2018 by Graeme MacArthur

The ND earth is set to floating, I think. Yes, the turntable earth is connected to the earth post on the Stageline. 

Posted on: 18 July 2018 by james n
Graeme MacArthur posted:

It doesn’t have any effect. It is the sort of noise that you’d expect from dirty mains but still happens with no mains to the turntable and with the ethernet disconnected. 

Graeme - You may have disconnected the Ethernet cable but can you unplug the Ethernet over mains devices from their respective mains sockets (so none are operating on your home network) and then see if the problem persists.

Posted on: 18 July 2018 by Graeme MacArthur

I will do that when I return home on Friday. Thanks!

Posted on: 18 July 2018 by Mike-B
Graeme MacArthur posted:

The ND earth is set to floating, I think. Yes, the turntable earth is connected to the earth post on the Stageline. 

The TT earth has nothing to do with signal earth,  the ND5 should be set to 'Chassis'

But I would junk those EoP things,  even if they are not the cause of this specific noise problem.   

Posted on: 18 July 2018 by Huge
james n posted:
Graeme MacArthur posted:

It doesn’t have any effect. It is the sort of noise that you’d expect from dirty mains but still happens with no mains to the turntable and with the ethernet disconnected. 

Graeme - You may have disconnected the Ethernet cable but can you unplug the Ethernet over mains devices from their respective mains sockets (so none are operating on your home network) and then see if the problem persists.

James, well spotted!

Posted on: 18 July 2018 by yeti42
Mike-B posted:
Graeme MacArthur posted:

The ND earth is set to floating, I think. Yes, the turntable earth is connected to the earth post on the Stageline. 

The TT earth has nothing to do with signal earth,  the ND5 should be set to 'Chassis'

But I would junk those EoP things,  even if they are not the cause of this specific noise problem.   

I’ve never owned a Linn anything other than a basic cartridge a long time back but I have an Aro which has an earth lead from the arm and from the tag where this attaches to the phonostage there is a second earth lead with a fork connector for attaching to the turntable chassis, at least that’s what I did with it when I used the Aro on a Rock which had no earth in its motor cable, I assume the Linn is the same as that’s what the Aro was intended for.

The signal earth for your system should be through the ND so set it to chassis unless I’m wrong in my guess about the Linn’s earthing arrangements or you have something else providing the signal earth connection.

Still might make no difference but worth a try.

Posted on: 18 July 2018 by Huge
Mike-B posted:
Graeme MacArthur posted:

The ND earth is set to floating, I think. Yes, the turntable earth is connected to the earth post on the Stageline. 

The TT earth has nothing to do with signal earth,  the ND5 should be set to 'Chassis'

But I would junk those EoP things,  even if they are not the cause of this specific noise problem.   

I'm pretty sure the Stageline itself doesn't have a signal to earth connection through it's power supply (but you may want to check this), so if this is the case you won't have an earth on the audio circuitry and then you may well get the effect you describe.

I think Mike is right, set the ND5 XS to 'Chassis' - at least try it and see.

Mike is also right about about getting rid of all those horrid little Ethernet over Mains devices, wherever they are in your house.

Posted on: 18 July 2018 by npinabd

Graeme,

When I put an internet signal on the mains there was a very distinct noise pattern that ceased immediately I switched off the Netgear plugs in the main. I could only hear the noise on the t/t input but then it was unmistakable. I haven't done that again in several years.

NP

Posted on: 18 July 2018 by Graeme MacArthur
Mike-B posted:
Graeme MacArthur posted:

The ND earth is set to floating, I think. Yes, the turntable earth is connected to the earth post on the Stageline. 

The TT earth has nothing to do with signal earth,  the ND5 should be set to 'Chassis'

But I would junk those EoP things,  even if they are not the cause of this specific noise problem.   

I will switch it back. Somebody previously advised me to switch it to floating when I was getting a nasty ‘pop’ when switching on my previous, Majik, power supply. 

I’ll have to see about the PoE switches. I know that they’re poorly regarded but in many ways they’re essential (mostly for streaming TV but for some reason it’s the only way  way I can play 24/192 files on my streamer - even running a wild cable straight from the router will only manage 24/96. Should be nonsense, but it’s not!). In any event, I’ll strip them all out and see if they’re guilty. 

Posted on: 18 July 2018 by Mike-B
Graeme MacArthur posted:

.................   but for some reason it’s the only way  way I can play 24/192 files on my streamer - even running a wild cable straight from the router will only manage 24/96. Should be nonsense, but it’s not!). In any event, I’ll strip them all out and see if they’re guilty. 

That does not make sense,  it's typical of what can be found with some/poorly applied wireless,  but not ethernet.

Posted on: 18 July 2018 by Graeme MacArthur

I agree. But this is how it is. 

Posted on: 18 July 2018 by james n
Graeme MacArthur posted:
Mike-B posted:
Graeme MacArthur posted:

The ND earth is set to floating, I think. Yes, the turntable earth is connected to the earth post on the Stageline. 

The TT earth has nothing to do with signal earth,  the ND5 should be set to 'Chassis'

But I would junk those EoP things,  even if they are not the cause of this specific noise problem.   

I will switch it back. Somebody previously advised me to switch it to floating when I was getting a nasty ‘pop’ when switching on my previous, Majik, power supply. 

That was me - i said to try it set at floating incase you'd setup another ground path via the LP12. You were auditioning phono stages at the time and were having problems with the Naim stage line compared to the Cyrus with the switch on 'pop' from the Majik mains switch. I presumed as it had made no difference you had switched it back. 

Posted on: 18 July 2018 by Graeme MacArthur
james n posted

That was me - i said to try it set at floating incase you'd setup another ground path via the LP12. You were auditioning phono stages at the time and were having problems with the Naim stage line compared to the Cyrus with the switch on 'pop' from the Majik mains switch. I presumed as it had made no difference you had switched it back. 

A fair assumption, but I don’t think I did. I’m at the opposite end of the country to my hi-fi at the moment, so I can’t check for a couple of days. 

Posted on: 18 July 2018 by Mike-B
Graeme MacArthur posted:

I agree. But this is how it is. 

I would be tempted to try another cable to eliminate a possible defect.  Ethernet is so simple & basic & 24/192 only needs about 10Mb/s,  but an incorrect, open or shorted connection will seriously affect it,  same thing with a problem in the RJ45 ports.  

But first I would like to have all the EoP devices removed from anything related to your network connections

Posted on: 18 July 2018 by james n
Graeme MacArthur posted:
james n posted

That was me - i said to try it set at floating incase you'd setup another ground path via the LP12. You were auditioning phono stages at the time and were having problems with the Naim stage line compared to the Cyrus with the switch on 'pop' from the Majik mains switch. I presumed as it had made no difference you had switched it back. 

A fair assumption, but I don’t think I did. I’m at the opposite end of the country to my hi-fi at the moment, so I can’t check for a couple of days. 

I'll be interested in how you get on without the Powerline networking. It sounds very similar to a problem a chap was having on here (albeit with a Superline) after Sky Q was installed and its built in Powerline networking was left enabled by the technician who installed it. Disabling this function got rid of the noise. Fingers crossed it's the same for you. 

Posted on: 18 July 2018 by Graeme MacArthur

It’s really the only way that I’m going to get rid of these homeplugs. The relative failure of the direct ethernet cable meant that I had to abandon moving my music room upstairs, as the PoE doesn’t work nearly as well on the upstairs circuit as the downstairs. A faulty cable is the only likely reason for the direct connection under-performing, I suppose. It’s a shame that 24/192 won’t work with wifi even though that measures at 17Mb/s.

Howevever, it’s a big deal installing wired ethernet in our house, it seems. One contractor has already turned the job down. 

Posted on: 18 July 2018 by james n

See if it makes a difference first. Personally i don't like them for various reasons but if it's only way you can get a network established...

But if you do need to have a wired connection, can you install the cable externally (you don't mention why the contractor turned the job down). It would be a pain in our house to go from Hi-Fi to the study where the network kit sits via an internal route so i have 30m of cable running on the external wall instead. 

Posted on: 18 July 2018 by Graeme MacArthur

He turned it down because I wanted the cable run under the floorboards, which is quite a big deal.

Everything is in the wrong place for external cabling but I’ll give it some more thought!

Posted on: 18 July 2018 by Mike-B
Graeme MacArthur posted:

He turned it down because I wanted the cable run under the floorboards, which is quite a big deal.

Everything is in the wrong place for external cabling but I’ll give it some more thought!

I had a similar type problem,  stuff in the wrong place & with a solid ground floor everything would have to go thru the upstairs floor joist cavity & be chased up/down walls to RJ45 wall sockets.   In my mind there is always more than one way to get stuff done & the solution was to move the telephone entry point & the broadband hub from the study/office to the same room as the audio.   This allowed all ethernet patch cord connections, behind  furniture & via skirting cable conduits & most positively was that no wall sockets were required.    All the rest of the house works fine via wireless.  BT re-routing the phone line entry point was relatively simple around outside walls & despite taking 3 hours it cost the stnd price of £130. 

Posted on: 18 July 2018 by Richard Dane

You could always try Apple AE wireless bridges.  These can work well - and that in spite of their switch mode supplies, a much better solution than those devilish ethernet over mains thingies that seem to feed noise into everything.

Posted on: 18 July 2018 by Graeme MacArthur

I’ve never really understood Airport Express. Can you explain “switch mode supplies”?

Posted on: 19 July 2018 by Adam Meredith
Graeme MacArthur posted:

I’ve never really understood Airport Express. Can you explain “switch mode supplies”?

Hardly necessary these days - https://duckduckgo.com/?q=swit...=v109-5_y&ia=web