Could this be a 'giant-killing' tonearm cable?

[MikeMusic]

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

[YNWaN]

IAttention to earthing can make an enormous difference. Dare I say it, but it can make as much of a difference as changing cables.

Actually, you are spot on - in fact, I would say the change can be very much like that of changing cables. I was listening to a new interconnect last night and I also tried a slightly different grounding configuration - the sound impact of both was very similar indeed.

[Marco]

I totally agree, as it's also been the results of my experience.

Going back to the 423.5 Phono cable... This thing is getting better and better, the more it's being used, and pulling subtle details out of the mix, which I've never heard before, on albums I've owned for years, and which thought that I knew inside out...

Talk about rediscovering your record collection!

Marco.

[MartinT]

I'll give it a week and then I'm ordering one!!

By the way, what is Yannis' lead time?

[DSJR]

Have either of you ever thought to try a Mark grant HD cable shoehorned into a cardas mini-din? I believe Mark has done it successfully, although I suspect it's a nightmare to bend

[Wakefield Turntables]

Did you compare the LP12 with the Technics directly ?

Yes I used to have my 1210 sitting next door to my LP12 (which I still own), and to put it quite frankly the 1210 pissed all over the LP12, this is when the 1210 was a stock deck and the LP12 had about £3K of upgrades.

[YNWaN]

You must have bought the wrong upgrades then

[Wakefield Turntables]

You must have bought the wrong upgrades then

Probably but that still dosent change my mind the LP12 is $hit and shall never grace my listening room again.

[Marco]

I'll give it a week and then I'm ordering one!!

By the way, what is Yannis' lead time?

About a week, mate, and then about another, for it to arrive from Greece

Marco.

[Marco]

Probably but that still dosent change my mind the LP12 is $hit and shall never grace my listening room again.

I'm not the biggest fan of the LP12, but it's definitely not shit. Have you heard one, Andy, with the Audioflat mods?

Those raise the performance bar quite considerably.

Marco.