Strange degradation of sound on Rega Planar 3

[smiler_jerg]

I've noticed this for some time now, and it's really beginning to annoy me. Other people in my family claim not to hear it - apparently they're either deaf or i have better hearing!
Anyway, the problem: When playing an LP, to start with, it sounds superb. Since adding a Goldring cartridge, we haven't been able to fault the performance of this deck, except as outlined below.

As the LP goes on, there is a noticeable effect that occurs to certain elements of the sound, which worsens as the record continues to play. I find this most noticeable on Renaissance LPs, where Annie Haslam's voice becomes more fuzzy as the record continues. It mainly affects vocals, but it is also noticeable on busy passages with drums and guitars, where the whole scene generally becomes blurred and fuzzy.
The effect sounds like a hissing fuzz, which doesn't soften but sharpen the sound, to such a degree that it's entirely unnatural and very disturbing.

I suspect this may be a problem with static, which builds up as the record plays. However, I have no way to test this and no idea how to deal with it!


Please help me!
Alex

 

[jaxvon]

If you think you have a problem with static, check that your ground wire is not cut/damaged anywhere and is secured well to both the turntable and your phono preamp or whatever it's connected to.

 

[smiler_jerg]

If you think you have a problem with static, check that your ground wire is not cut/damaged anywhere and is secured well to both the turntable and your phono preamp or whatever it's connected to.

You obviously have no experience with Rega turntables - there is no ground wire. According to Rega, the tonearm is grounded through the phono (RCA) connections to the amplifier. This seems ridiculous to me, as very few amps are actually earthed (mine certainly isn't - it doesn't have a connection on the power cord).

 

[bpape]

Well, let's try to eliminate things.

IF you start out playing a record toward the end does it still happen?

My first thought would be cartridge/alignment issues. Have you played with VTA at all? As you get closer to the center, any error in alignment in overhang, VTA, etc. is magnified.

 

[jaxvon]

You obviously have no experience with Rega turntables - there is no ground wire. According to Rega, the tonearm is grounded through the phono (RCA) connections to the amplifier. This seems ridiculous to me, as very few amps are actually earthed (mine certainly isn't - it doesn't have a connection on the power cord).

This is true. I was just going on generalizations. I aplogize...

 

[smiler_jerg]

There's not need to apologise - reading my post back I think I was rather harsh. Thank you for trying to help though .

 

[bpape]

So does it happen if you START playing the record toward the end or only after it has been playing for a while?

 

[HowY]

I'd offer a similar answer

The tonearm is "sagging" or losing alignment in it's sweep across the LP.

The gymbal adjust is just for vertical pressure applied

the "skate" is the lateral force... adjust the "skate" if it has such

much the reason for straight tonearm designs so the sweep
across the platter is fairly consistant with less inertial effect.

I'm not familiar with your hardware but the symptomology is
similiar to the sweep adjustment being too hard and either
"plowing in" toward the center of the disk (right channel?)
or set too soft and the tonearm is getting pushed toward
the outside of the disk (inertia- Newtonian physics!)

I have a few 'tables that require some fiddling once in awhile
to adjust for such effects...

For What (little) Its Worth!

 

[Rip Van Woofer]

Back in the day, increased distortion toward the end of an LP side was called "inner groove distortion". (And no, wise guys, it had nothing to do with pharmacologically induced adjustments to one's "inner groove".) Sometimes it is the result of the tonearm/cartridge alignment and adjustment faults noted above. But it can also be (and often was/is) an inherent fault of the LP itself and cannot be entirely eliminated. Somewhat simplistically put: there's simply less room for grooves that have to contain high amplitude (loud) signals as you get toward the middle of the disc so the sound suffers accordingly. At least that's the explanation I dimly recall from those long ago days...I think "audiophile" pressings then and now space the inner grooves further from each other to compensate for that, but at the penalty of reduced playing time.

The changing geometry of even a well set up tonearm (linear tracking types excepted) as it travels across the record is also a contributing factor.

Just another reason why I do not feel any vinyl nostalgia.