Not a good start to the day

[gninnam]

Had my garage broken into last night :angry: Took only one bike so I think they will be back soon for more!

To cheer myself up, thought I would listen to a few albums and fired up the kit to be greeted by a very horrible sound coming from the speakers.
Was using the Orbe which has an MC cartridge, so quickly changed to the Lenco (MM cart) and everything was good so not the amp and the phono stage supports both turntables.

Flipped the phono stage over as you can change the settings for the resistance - had it set at 110 Ohms which it had been on for many months with no issues - changed it to 440 Ohms and the sound is now correct.

Any idea why?

Cheers

[RobbieGong]

Sorry to hear about the break in Andy.
Probably a good idea to secure things up a bit, as you say they may well come back when they think the heat has died.
Night sensor light, a few tuf locks around the garage or even one of those ground poles assuming the door opens outwards ?
A camera is easy to do and not expensive.

All the best and good luck with the system mystery.

[Sherwood]

motion sensor wifi camera ....

this looks a good deal https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07CVDZ8R7/ref=sspa_dk_detail_0?psc=1&pd_rd_i=B07CVDZ8R7&pf_rd_m=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE&pf_rd_p=4e9e4514-4dde-46ee-97c2-44451b168c2e&pf_rd_r=BMMG16W44WK1YPS3XVMK&pd_rd_wg=WtC6m&pf_rd_s=desktop-dp-sims&pf_rd_t=40701&pd_rd_w=3GtH5&pf_rd_i=desktop-dp-sims&pd_rd_r=12c57a15-aeb7-11e8-9d19-530a15f05916

Geoff

[willbewill]

One of these:

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Dk6y-o5XoAIwKz0.jpg

[gninnam]

Thanks all (especially Malcolm......)
Will put in better security - plus a big sticker on the garage door saying it's alarmed.

[Stryder5]

Most people on hearing alarms ignore them, they don't ignore a shotgun being fired.

Alarm mines are really useful, they use a blank shotgun cartridge.

I have set one of the ones I have off inadvertently and I nearly p**ssed myself.

To be absolutely sure of complying with the law I have a sign on my workshop:-

ALARMS SET
BEWARE DANGER OF DEAF ( looks like death from a distance)
BLAST RADIUS 2 METRES
DANGER OF BURNS.

My trip wires are fine strong fishing line. Arranged at different heights. Doors and floor. Rear Gate etc.

Gary

[struth]

Had my garage broken into last night :angry: Took only one bike so I think they will be back soon for more!

To cheer myself up, thought I would listen to a few albums and fired up the kit to be greeted by a very horrible sound coming from the speakers.
Was using the Orbe which has an MC cartridge, so quickly changed to the Lenco (MM cart) and everything was good so not the amp and the phono stage supports both turntables.

Flipped the phono stage over as you can change the settings for the resistance - had it set at 110 Ohms which it had been on for many months with no issues - changed it to 440 Ohms and the sound is now correct.

Any idea why?

Cheers

can only think someone has changed the settings inadvertently at some time or there is a fault in the mc side of phonostage somewhere

[gninnam]

can only think someone has changed the settings inadvertently at some time or there is a fault in the mc side of phonostage somewhere

3 adults in the house and I am the only one who uses the hifi so not touched by anyone else.
I suspect its the phono stage also - I have an old Michell ISO that I will try and see what happens.

[Mike Reed]

440 ohms should suit the Benz better than 110 (strange impedances), though this does depend on other factors, incl. the ph/stage. Whereas my Ebony preferred 220 (and hated 100) on my Superline, I've read of many Benzes sounding better at around the 400 mark.. So maybe the former loading was the wrong one (more bass but flatter and less involving).

[gninnam]

Dirty switch contacts or switch contacts not touching properly. If a contact is very marginal even a change in the temperature or humidity is enough to make it fail. Just wiggling the switch can cure it.

Sorry to hear about the break-in.
Cheers - I don't think I moved it back to 110 so might try it tonight - thanks!


440 ohms should suit the Benz better than 110 (strange impedances), though this does depend on other factors, incl. the ph/stage. Whereas my Ebony preferred 220 (and hated 100) on my Superline, I've read of many Benzes sounding better at around the 400 mark.. So maybe the former loading was the wrong one (more bass but flatter and less involving).
It's a Goldring Elite and was sounding fine at 110 until yesterday when it just sounded distorted.
I admit that at 440 it is sounding good...

[gninnam]

So - set the load to 110 ohm and still not right.
Set it to 440 and didn't sound right either.

To check put the LP on the Lenco (MM cart) and sounded spot on.

Connected the MC to the MM input (the MC is fairly high output) and no issues (obviously had to crank the volume up - a lot).

Plugged the MC back into the MC input and no issues at 110 or 440!!

Only difference is that the MM cable is no longer plugged into the MM input?

Will leave it for now and try it again tomorrow.

Cheers

[gninnam]

What's the phonostage? Is it possible that having something connected to the unused phono input is a no-no?
Either that or it's a dodgy/intermittent contact somewhere and changing things around breaks/fixes it.

Its a Cairn Boost.
I will find out tonight when I get back from work as once the MM cable was removed things seemed to be clearer but I had also made other changes.
The plan this evening is to not put the MM cable back and see how it goes set at 110 ohms - if no issues then I will leave the MM unplugged and use a MM phono stage I have for the Lenco - will need 2 more RCA cables though but not in a rush.

Thanks Andrew.

[gninnam]

No MM cable in and set to 110 Ohms - sounding as loverly as ever :)
Will leave as it is now and see how it goes.

Pulled my MM phono stage out of hibernation and connected to the Lenco TT - sound only coming out of one channel - bollocks :rolleyes:

Will try and work out what's the matter with it - one step forward two steps back!

[gninnam]

Dragged the old ISO into play.

With only the MC cable in the Cairn and set at 110 Ohms, after 10 minutes or so the distortion came back.
Tried it at 440 Ohms and after 20 minutes you could hear the distortion.
With the ISO - no issues.

Will just use the Cairn for the MM duties and see how it goes.

Cheers