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Can't Fix My Sibilance (Two Year Struggle!!!)

empirelvr said:
This is very true. Phono preamps (and line stages) with low overload capability can sound like the cartridge is mistracking or very sibilant when it really isn't. It's the subsonics that do it because the preamp doesn't have a good enough cut-off filter as well as poor design. It overloads the circuitry of the preamp causing it to oscillate like mad, giving it the screeches and spits.
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I sort of did... I have a small Behringer soundboard with Line-In ports on it... I plugged that in, behind all of the buzzing due to no ground on the board, I found the sibilance was mostly gone... It still distorts on 45's though, is this a sure sign of mis-alignment?
 
hotrodman21 said:
I sort of did... I have a small Behringer soundboard with Line-In ports on it... I plugged that in, behind all of the buzzing due to no ground on the board, I found the sibilance was mostly gone... It still distorts on 45's though, is this a sure sign of mis-alignment?
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No, it's not. Seeing as your 45's are mostly inherited, you don't know what damage they may have suffered at the hands of the gear they were played on. You may just be hearing wear and damage to those 45's.
 
empirelvr said:
No, it's not. Seeing as your 45's are mostly inherited, you don't know what damage they may have suffered at the hands of the gear they were played on. You may just be hearing wear and damage to those 45's.
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I bought some of my own 45's though... New(er) ones... They look brand new... From ZZ Top, to Prince, to Bob Seger...
 
I don't know how to put this any better than my dear old Dad would have put it: You can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear. (No offense, Mr. Pig)
 
hotrodman21 said:
I bought some of my own 45's though... New(er) ones... They look brand new... From ZZ Top, to Prince, to Bob Seger...
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What were they played on when new? That's the key question. :)

All it takes is one play with a mistracking cartridge and stylus to permanently damage the part of the record where the mistracking occured. If you played those 45's even once on a Crosley-level type player, they could be damaged.
 
DustyOldPile said:
I don't know how to put this any better than my dear old Dad would have put it: You can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear. (No offense, Mr. Pig)
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I'm sure Mr. Pig won't take offense. He's no swine, you know.
 
Now, a new task... Which Pre-amp to buy... Maybe $60 tops... But... I would be willing to go higher if absolutely necessary... And... Should I invest in a new cartridge? I've heard great things about the AT440MLa...

I've tried damn near everything with the turntable, from new carts, to new Styli... But never the new Pre-amp...
 
I really like my preamp, from a company called TCC. Mine was around $75 but also includes a Moving Coil preamp. You won't need such a thing. Amazon has the Moving Magnet TCC's for about $50. There's a TCC-750 and a TCC-750LC, the LC meaning Level Control...or output volume control. I've heard good and bad about the ART preamp, similarly priced. And there's the Behringer at around $25. Out of the bunch, I like the TCC best. There are scads others, but those are your budget best-buys.

The AT-440MLa *is* a great cartridge, but I think you probably should focus on curing the sibilance before dropping down nearly two C-notes on a cartridge. There's nothing inherently wrong with yours, other than the possibility that your particular stylus is bad. It happens sometimes. Pretty inexpensive to find out...just get a new standard conical one for about the price of two meals at the drive thru. :D
 
empirelvr said:
What were they played on when new? That's the key question. :)

All it takes is one play with a mistracking cartridge and stylus to permanently damage the part of the record where the mistracking occured. If you played those 45's even once on a Crosley-level type player, they could be damaged.
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Um... I believe it was a TEAC All In One stereo my grandparents used that was passed onto me... Before that, it was a "cabinet stereo" with the 8-Track, and a turntable. Really cool, and ornate piece, I really wish I could've seen it in person...
 
DustyOldPile said:
I really like my preamp, from a company called TCC. Mine was around $75 but also includes a Moving Coil preamp. You won't need such a thing. Amazon has the Moving Magnet TCC's for about $50. There's a TCC-750 and a TCC-750LC, the LC meaning Level Control...or output volume control.
Click to expand...

I second the TCC. I have the TCC-750 and I'm quite impressed with its build quality and sound wise.
 
hotrodman21 said:
Um... I believe it was a TEAC All In One stereo my grandparents used that was passed onto me... Before that, it was a "cabinet stereo" with the 8-Track, and a turntable. Really cool, and ornate piece, I really wish I could've seen it in person...
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There you go.... That qualifies as "Crosley-level" in my book...sadly.
 
hotrodman21 said:
Um... I believe it was a TEAC All In One stereo my grandparents used that was passed onto me... Before that, it was a "cabinet stereo" with the 8-Track, and a turntable. Really cool, and ornate piece, I really wish I could've seen it in person...
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Most importantly... Young, and stupid me played the crap out of that turntable... To the point that I wore out the needle, I can tell this, because any kick drum, or defined bass notes, there would be a clear, and quick *pop* sound... So much Dueling Banjos was played on that deck...
 
hotrodman21 said:
Most importantly... Young, and stupid me played the crap out of that turntable... To the point that I wore out the needle, I can tell this, because any kick drum, or defined bass notes, there would be a clear, and quick *pop* sound... So much Dueling Banjos was played on that deck...
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I also noticed, as the 45 plays along (Specifically "Don't Fear The Reaper"
And "Cover Of The Rolling Stone 'Dr. Hook' they become more and more distorted... Is this still the preamp... I plan on upgrading anyways... But, I really don't want to deal with alignment any more...
 
DustyOldPile said:
I really like my preamp, from a company called TCC. Mine was around $75 but also includes a Moving Coil preamp. You won't need such a thing. Amazon has the Moving Magnet TCC's for about $50. There's a TCC-750 and a TCC-750LC, the LC meaning Level Control...or output volume control. I've heard good and bad about the ART preamp, similarly priced. And there's the Behringer at around $25. Out of the bunch, I like the TCC best. There are scads others, but those are your budget best-buys.

The AT-440MLa *is* a great cartridge, but I think you probably should focus on curing the sibilance before dropping down nearly two C-notes on a cartridge. There's nothing inherently wrong with yours, other than the possibility that your particular stylus is bad. It happens sometimes. Pretty inexpensive to find out...just get a new standard conical one for about the price of two meals at the drive thru. :D
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I still have the original stylus that came with the cart, which is a conical... I actually had it sounding pretty good, except for the slight sibilance... I figured an Eliptical stylus would fix this... Unfortunately, I was mistaken...
 
hotrodman21 said:
I also noticed, as the 45 plays along (Specifically "Don't Fear The Reaper"
And "Cover Of The Rolling Stone 'Dr. Hook' they become more and more distorted... Is this still the preamp... I plan on upgrading anyways... But, I really don't want to deal with alignment any more...
Click to expand...
You can't use your 45's to troubleshoot your problem. You yourself admit you wore the needle down on them to the point where bass notes made the arm pop. The 45's are worn and not suitable for assessing your issue.
 
I had actually forgotten the issue. And had no idea the kind of damage the caused...

Now, when it comes to the Pre-Amp... Should I get a Moving Magnet, or a Moving Coil...

For the sibilance testing, I rarely play 45's, if ever... Since I got the table, the speed has been taken off of "33" a handful of times... I just want my albums to sound good, the 45's aren't that big of a deal to me... I listen to music by the album, not on shuffle...
 
DustyOldPile said:
On the cheap, the Behringer phono preamps seem to work well. They're not outstanding, but they're not terrible, either. I have that USB-powered one that also has a switchable line-level input and headphone jack with volume that I use on my test bench for setting tables up. They have a standard, non-USB model for $25 on Amazon. Unlike Pyle, Behringer is known for making extremely good equipment for very little money. If you're on a tight budget, Behringer PP4400's your uncle, and is probably better than most pre's that are built in to receivers.
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Funny, I was looking at this one last night... I am actually a fan of Behringer... The board is great quality! I will post pictures within the hour...
 
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