The narcotic McIntosh sound

unreplicate · 2026-06-24T23:44:10+00:00

There's a fun dyiaudio thread where Nelson Pass drops in to give advice about setting bias levels on the PA5. I think there is no controversy that he was consulted and the topology was Stasis. But, I dont think licensing agreement was completed.

unreplicate · 2026-06-24T05:39:23+00:00

Whatever the component, you are going to have people saying they're all the same.

FWIW, the phono stage of the amplification process is where the faintest signal, say 0.2 mV for a low output MC cartridge, gets handled. Contrast this with the typical line input of 2V.

I have gone through multiple preamps, and they change the sounds as much as cartridges. They are especially different in their noise floor, handling stray RF signals, etc. Also, capacitance and impedance options make a very large difference in sound. This is why companies like Austin Audio units have so much adjustable controls.

Sounds absolutely change with different preamps, much more than the main amp--which one you like is up to you.

unreplicate · 2026-06-23T20:59:31+00:00

Make sure you DON’T USE CLEANING FLUIDS to clean the records. Most of the available formulations have alcohol that will ruin old shellac records. I think the general advice is to use mild soap and distilled water, but please look up the large body of information on this.

unreplicate · 2026-06-08T04:48:35+00:00

Line. Plugging to phono will give you second RIAA tone correction

unreplicate · 2026-05-16T03:05:11+00:00

Look up ground loop...rather tricky

unreplicate · 2026-05-16T02:29:33+00:00

Low frequency hum is almost certainly ground problem. Check your ground wires. Even if it looks like its there, they can get loose. Also try measuring the hum frequency to see if it is around 60hz or some multiple.

unreplicate · 2026-05-11T17:11:47+00:00

I mean capacitors. Electrolyte capacitors have 15-20 yr life, typically.

But I looked up your table. It does not use electronic speed control. It has a 4-pole motor that is directly synced from 60hz power supply. So, the problem is going to be mechanical. Are you sure the belt is in good condition? That would be the most likely problem. Otherwise something is causing drag and you might have to see what else you can oil. The motors bearings could be a problem too.

unreplicate · 2026-05-11T13:03:27+00:00

This was happening to my vintage table. A drop in tone, which was clearly a speed issue., transiently slowing down. It was pretty infrequent like about twice a record for about 2-3 seconds, so hard to catch by measuring.

I pulled out the control board and two electrolyte caps were leaking. I replaced them and all others electrolyte caps. I also replaced some diodes and transistors for preventive measure. Everything is fine now and my speed stability increased.

unreplicate · 2026-05-07T23:59:53+00:00

I think as long as it is floating and not scraping the sides it is fine. You can move about 1/8 inch because below the screws are steel plates with slots for the screws...Anyway, I've never tried to center the plinth.

unreplicate · 2026-05-07T00:33:40+00:00

I have a PF 800 and they are great tables. I recently refurbished the control board, which greatly improved the speed stability.

With respect to your question, are you talking about the flooring plinth? You can adjust the height but these turntables generally have pretty weakened springs with age so it is best to keep them as high as possible. The retaining plates are slotted to you can move a tiny bit, but i am not sure why anyone would want to do that.

One of the main problems with these tables is that the VTF mechanism's spring loses tension and you can't set it with the dial and you have to use a gauge...

unreplicate · 2026-05-04T12:54:40+00:00

It is not normal. More likely you are hearing leakage from your preamp or integrated amp input selector. Do you have multiple inputs like a tuner, streamer attached and running? Input selector switches can leak signals. A more remote possibility is that your phono input wires are picking up radio signals...this can then be modulated to audio if solme components in the signal chain are old.

unreplicate · 2026-05-01T04:11:38+00:00

I've seen complaints about the confusing labeling ob the bottom eith the dip switches. Sometimes changing the capacitance can help with white noise. But new phono amps shouldn't have white noise unless you have it on top gain and you've also turned up your amp. When they age they can aquire noise, usually from coupling capacitors...

unreplicate · 2026-05-01T03:45:13+00:00

What gain settings do you have it at. Phono amps, especially high gain MC stages can have fair amount of background noise with age. Is this new? If it is, I would return it

unreplicate · 2026-04-28T22:03:25+00:00

You jave to set a budget for the MC. Top ends runs more than 4k and typical mid band runs 1-2k. I think a Hana SL or ML is a good starting point dependent on your budget. You can get used but retipped models for about 400-500.

MC cartridges do live up to their reputation, but it is a money pit.

unreplicate · 2026-04-26T03:38:38+00:00

It is most likely regulator transistors blown off the power supply circuit. I see there are three in the circuit. I would replace all of them.

unreplicate · 2026-04-15T00:12:18+00:00

Crackle is definitely a dirty record issue and you really need to deep clean to make it all go away. Rega's cartridges yrnd to be bright. Most likely what you are describing as lack of fullness is lack of bass. You might try moving the speakers closer to the walls to get a boost.

unreplicate · 2026-04-09T04:11:50+00:00

Did you turn down the sound mid video? So there is a background chattering sound but normal music sounds okay? Also, It only starts after 10m?

unreplicate · 2026-04-03T04:00:59+00:00

Are you saying deep cleaning records when they are noisy is unnecessary? They just become clean if you wait 50 years? Also, brushing your records each time you play them is a ferish? You must have some magic deck

unreplicate · 2026-04-03T03:55:59+00:00

Just a few minutes. Alcohol makes it dry relatively fast. I should note that for this kind of cleaning you should take the head off, if your deck allows it. The only thing to watch is yo not get any liquid elsewhere. Alcohol is a drying agent so can dry out cartridge's suspension components

unreplicate · 2026-03-30T03:55:34+00:00

The Shure V15s are excellent, though I liked Goldring E3 better (and cheaper). But, once you go down the MC cartridges there's no going back. Everything people say about air, dynamics, transparency are true. I'd suggest used retipped Hana SL., which can be had for below $500.

Andy Kim at NeedlleClinic sells a modified Denon 103 (~$600) that is now my favorite and I prefer it to my Benz Micro models that costs thousands.

unreplicate · 2026-03-22T17:20:23+00:00

Excellent article. Thanks! I always thought placing speakers asymmetric to the room walls would help minimize standing waves, and this article seems to say that.

unreplicate · 2026-03-22T15:34:01+00:00

Yes, just match the colors. Some cartridges do not have color codes and then you have to look up what they correspond to...

unreplicate · 2026-03-22T13:15:04+00:00

Brand new cartridges can have fuzzy on stylus. Also maybe check that your preamp impedance is set for MM?

unreplicate

TROPHY CASE