Buzzing in left channel during Phono - getting worse?

[healyc139]

Hey folks,

While playing records I have noticed more buzzing in the left channel than I remember. I use a Denon DP-35F into a Fisher 400 tube receiver. I have always heard some buzzing in the channels when there is no music playing, but lately I've been able to hear it more even while music is playing. The louder the music gets, the louder the buzzing gets.

I've also noticed that Phono does not really get loud enough until I turn the dial to 4.5-5 on the Fisher. That might be better suited for the Fisher forum specifically, but thought it was worth mentioning since it might be related to the buzzing?

Any help is greatly appreciated, I'd like to get the buzzing to go away completely if possible.

 

[Multiplex]

Is the buzz like a typical 60Hz hum? Or is it more like fuzz or distortion?

Also, what cartridge?

Some quick things I’d check... Sometimes dirty headshell connections can be noisy, as can corrosion at the interconnects, or a bad ground wire. (If you remove the ground wire does it get worse? When you reconnect does it improve?)

Sometimes, nearby electronics with digital power supplies, wi-fi/Bluetooth transceivers, or other oscillators can cause buzz or crackling. (I had a MacBook Pro power supply that was horrible!) Unshielded cartridges, like a Grado, will pick up this noise like an antenna. Has anything been added or moved around the turntable or receiver recently? Any power cords rerouted, maybe?

Usually, things like a bad ground connection or unshielded cartridge will have a pretty uniform level of hum/buzz. It will, of course, increase and decrease when turning up and down the volume control. It usually won’t modulate in intensity with the level of the music, however. That is fairly curious. The only other turntable-related possibility I can think of would be a dirty or corroded internal muting switch... (Which I’m not even sure your model has.)

Another thing, does the noise persist with the turntable disconnected entirely? How about when using other sources? If so, it could be a receiver problem.

 

[healyc139]

Hi, thanks for the reply! I checked some of the connections, and the buzz is still there in the left channel. It does get worse as I remove the ground wire, and goes back to 'normal' after replacing the ground wire. One thing to note is that I replaced the RCA cables a couple years back, but the sound was there before I did that. It has just gotten to the point where I'm tired of it and I'd like to get it silent (or as close to silent as my system will allow). My CD player is hooked up and completely silent.

The Cart is a Shure M97x

 

[pyoung272]

The turntable phono cables, plug the right cable to the left input of the fisher 400 (and the left cable to the right input of this fisher 400). If the buzz remains on the left, the issue is the Fisher 400. If the buzz moves to the right, the issue is turntable.