Quote Originally Posted by MartinT View Post
While fiddling with Marco's deck and Ortofon SUT (step-up transformer) on Saturday, I happened to touch one of the silver transformer housings and got hum. We realised that the SUT was not being earthed from the interconnect screens but was independently earthed via its earth wire. Connecting that to my phono amp's earth terminal made a substantial improvement to dynamics and lowering of the noise floor.

So tonight, while reconnecting my system, I earthed my Choir Audio SUT in the same way. I've just discovered an improvement in focus and a further lowering of noise floor!

The lesson is: even if you have no hum, your earthing arrangements may not be optimal. I star earth my turntable, arm and now SUT separately to the phono amp's earth terminal, which then goes back to mains earth. You might all want to check your earthing arrangements
That was one on the most surprising things I've ever heard in hifi. The improvement was like an upgrade of £100s.

There were two significant sound improvements while my house was being refurbed, we were still living in part of it.
I noticed a big improvement one evening - from the previous so a big difference.
I found the sparky and asked what he had done. Both times earth improvements.

Think there was a third where he changed one breaker for a larger more modern one.

You wonder what more can be done for just a few quid