Pioneer PL-540 No sound but has continuity

[Spektor]

Hi all. I’m in the strangest pickle. I have a PL-540 that has no sound output. Yet it is showing continuity when I check with and without the Headshell on. I’ve changed headshells, cleaned everything. Pulled the wire connector under the tonearm off and cleaned. I really am baffled.

it’s not the amp or any phono inputs as they work fine with any other turntable. I have checked on the preamp and through the receiver, and nothing. Yet, I accidentally didn’t shut the receiver off when plugging in and there was feedback through the speakers. Please help!

 

[spark1]

Are you sure the cartridge is good? Have you put it on another table and played it to be sure it works? And to be clear, are you saying that a different turntable works just fine when connected exactly as the PL540 is?

 

[sound hound]

If you are measuring from the phono plugs with the cartridge in place with a DMM, you should get a resistance reading approximately of the cartridge. Is that what you mean by continuity?

 

[mccalljd]

Is this a table you've had or is it newly acquired? What cartridge is on it? Is it possible a moving iron stylus was put on a moving magnet cartridge, like can happen with Stantons and Pickerings? Could you have put on a new stylus that slipped through quality control with no magnets on it?

 

[dankik]

Check to make sure that your cartridge is wired into the head shell correctly. What cartridge do you have?
Maybe you have the hot leads connected to the ground pins on the cartridge in error?
Here is wire color code from the PL-540 Owner's Manual: