Hi, please can someone help me….

Over the past few months I have been experiencing static pops in the extreme!

I have an LP12/Aro/Armageddon/Prefix S/Ortofon SPU Royal N all sitting on Mana Phase 4. The problem does not occur with my CDX.

I only get the static pops when a record is playing, sometimes 2 or 3 times a side, sometimes many more and end up switching off! Some records seem to be far worse than others.

I have had the deck off the Mana and checked the following;
a) all the wiring is correct underneath and in good order.
b) continuity of power supply earth back to the Armageddon
c) continuity of the earth from the head shell back to the end of the earth cable, which is usually connected to the preamp.


I have tried/tested;
a) putting an earth strap between Mana and LP12
b) linking the metal parts of the SPU back to the arm with a few small strands of wire.
c) the continuity of the earth wire in the wall socket back to the earth spike.
d) putting the LP12 earth cable in a plant pot with damp soil.
e) washing the Linn original felt mat in clean water.
f) putting a bowl of water permanently under the LP12 on the Soundstage board.

The arm/cartridge set up has been checked and is spot on in all areas. I regularly clean the stylus in the correct manner with the Ortofon supplied brush.

I only clean my records with anti static cloths and recently with the Goldring Super Exstatic carbon fibre brush.

Any assistance would be gratefully received.

Cheers, Julian

Is the source of your static the records themselves or elsewhere? Records do build up a static charge even by just removing them from a paper sleeve. (If the records are highly charged the felt mat will cling to the record when it is removed). Is there a difference in static discharge between records you have "cleaned" and those not "cleaned"?

Personally, I never use anti static cloths - I'm not sure if they do any good at all and rubbing the record may either generate a static charge on the record or if the cloth is new, leave deposits. I also am not fond of carbon brushes either as I don't believe that they reduce any static charge on a record and don't, from my experience, clean a record very well.

If the source of your problem is the record not the equipment, and you have a lot of records, you can solve the problem by investing in a wet vacuum record cleaning machine such as the VPI or Nitty Gritty. Both will remove any static charge on the record during the cleaning priocess plus clean the records far better than your present methods.

Not a cheap solution but the machines do work very well.

It might very well be mains noise, typically from a fridge, I get this quite often

Hi chaps, thanks for your swift replies.

Firstly, I'm sure it is not a mains problem. I have switched off everything including the fridge and I still get it!


I don't think its a record problem even though its worse on some than others. I have recently starting using antistatic record sleeves as a precaution but the mat does not cling to the record on removal. Any other ideas?

Julian

quote:

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Originally posted by Julian H:
c) the continuity of the earth wire in the wall socket back to the earth spike.

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Julian,

do you have a separate earth for your house & the hifi?

If so, try connecting the system to the mains earth instead of the earth spike.

Apparently it is very difficult to install a really good earth spike. I have one myself, but I don't use it because it makes my system sound worse.

cheers, Martin

E-mail:- MartinPayne (at) Dial.Pipex.com. Put "Naim" in the title.

[This message was edited by Martin Payne on Sun 29 August 2004 at 19:35.]

Static on my LP12 was made far worse by using record cleaning cloths, carbon brushes and the like - they just seem to add to the problem rather than solving it. A good wet cleaner does make a big improvement though, even on quite heavily charged discs - providing the LP is replaced in an anti-static inner immediately after cleaning.

After carrying out this process don't be tempted to use the cloth or brush on the LP again, as it'll just recharge the surface and the problem comes back.

I had a problem just like this when I fitted a Prefix K to my LP12/Aro/'Geddon/Helikon. It was so bad at times as to be unlistenable. Nothing I tried worked. Finally, I removed the Prefix K and went back to the K boards in my then 52, and the problem went away. I've since moved onto a Dynavector P75 which is much better than the K boards IMHO.

John

Julian

Do you listen with the LP12 lid on - taking mine off reduced static problems I had. Also try shooting records and your mat with a Milty Zerostat - works wonders.

Best solution I have found though is a VPI vacuum record cleaner and a shot with the Zerostat - not a pop or crackle to be heard.

Jeremy

Try breathing out through you mouth onto the vinyl prior to playing.

Seriously.

Regards

Mike

Spending money I don't have on things I don't need.

Hi Julian-

I hate to suggest something heretic, but you might want to consider changing TT mats. I had a Rega P9 with a felt mat and had an unbearable static problem, that made the problem you describe seem tame, by comparison. The only thing that halped was changing TT mats and I have a VPI cleaning machine. All my records had been cleaned when first played and placed in anti-stic sleeves, to nail avail. I never tried cleaning a record after each play, but I never wanted that level of hassle.

I use the Herbie's Audiolab "Way Excellent TT Mat". Its fairly thin (1.95 mm) and I only had static cling with one record since using the mat. That was a new LP, which I subsequently cleaned and that eliminated the problem. In my system, it produced a num,ber of other benefits, but it took me a while to get used to the more textured and deeper bass

Thanks to all those who replied

It does seem that breathing out over the record has helped a great deal, so I am going to summise the problem is in the lack of humidity in my newly decorated/carpeted room.

To answer Martins qustion I do not have a seperate earth spike for the hifi, just the normal one for the whole house.

I think I may invest in a record cleaner too.

Cheers, Julian

Julian

Glad you did not mark me down for an utter tit.

And glad it worked!

Boil a kettle in the room now and again?

Regards

Mike

Spending money I don't have on things I don't need.

I just received my SPU Royal N and experienced the same issue. I have been writing to Richard Dane at Naim who states that Naim had the same issue with this cartidge but managed to find an answer. Apparently they installed a thin sheet of copper between the cartridge and cartridge headshell. He plans to provide more info on this later as the tech who made the mod is on vacation. I went ahead and installed a copper sheet today but haven't had time to do a long listen yet. So far it seems to have worked.

John

[This message was edited by John on Sat 04 September 2004 at 4:39.]

Hi John

Thanks for responding to my thread

That is very interesting news about Naim having the same problem.

Perhaps you would be good enough to email me with any developments either from your own experiences with this mod or any advise from Naim you receive.

My email address is julianh at totalise dot co dot uk

Cheers, Julian

Julian, the mod seems to have worked. I cut a U shaped piece of copper (thin sheet) and drilled holes where the screws go through and mounted it between the cartridge and cartridge head. I listened for about 3 hours last night and 2 hours this morning without a single zap. Before the mod I would only play 2-3 songs before experiencing a zap. I hope to hear back from Naim next week if there is more required. If there is more I will post the info.

John

I wonder if copper foil would work with the DL304 and Ittok?

Just in case it doesn't I've just signed up for evening classes at the local tech college in:

"The correct use of the 4" bolster chisel and lump hammer in the successful removal of the Linn felt mat from LP records"

12 weekly x 2 hour classes. (bring you own Linn felt mat and records)

The tutor sounds quite accomplished. I have it on good authority that he's only using a four pound hammer! Sounds a bit exaggerated to me. But seeing is believing.

Nime