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Micro (Seiki) pop!

P

peterinbruss

New Member
I have a Micro (Seiki) MR-322 that I really like. One slight annoyance though. The motor turns on automatically when you lift the tonearm off the arm rest and it shuts off when you place the tonearm back.

Each time the motor starts or stops there is an audible click that comes through the speakers. The click is a bit louder when the motor turns off, and it is audible even with the volume turned all the way down or if the amp is set on another source, like tuner or aux.

Can someone explain this phenomenon? Is there any way to get rid of it?
 
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You should be able to bypass those auto features. The pop you hear is probably a solenoid starting to go south
 
Those types of noises are usually cased by the small arc that is created when a power switch switches. Some manufactures will use a snubber (a capacitor and resistor in series in a single package) or an X/Y rated safety capacitor connected across the power switch terminals. These devices act to suppress the arc and reduce the electrical noise generated and in doing so will also reduce the pitting of the contacts of the switch.

If your turntable is equipped with one of these it may be failing or the contacts in the switch may be somewhat pitted.

You may take a look at the power switch and see if it is bypassed for noise suppression. Variations in grounding impedance in terms of electrical noise may mean that the turntable would work okay in some systems and not others. In general it is not a bad idea to treat the issue at the source, the switch, but plugging the turntable into a small in line AC mains power filter may help if the noise is being propagated along the AC mains power cord. If it being radiated by the power wiring of the turntable then treating the issue at the source may be the best idea.

Any capacitor used in this way should be a safety rated capacitor.
 
I think you guys are right.
Inside I found one 0.01µF metalized paper cap, looks like it's exploded, plastic casing split on two sides. I'll get a replacement tomorrow and solder it in, see if that fixes things.
 
If that capacitor is connected to the AC mains via the power switch (connected across the power switch terminals), the replacement should be a safety rated (X/Y) capacitor, they are designed to fail open circuit and not self destruct or be a fire hazard.
 
Mission accomplished.
I took the old cap to my electronics guy this morning and he quickly produced the replacement. Slightly different appearance but same specs. Cost 40 cents. I soldered it into place and the pop is gone. Beautiful silence now when changing records.
Thanks all,
 
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