Why are my speaker so low on phono?

[coachmaria]

I'm putting my phono/receiver/cassette player together after 3 years of not using it.

This post is iin regards to my kenwood kd-492f61206560, model purchased in 1998 turntable and my Technics SA913 receiver probobly purchased in approx 1981.

I have oroginal manuals for both and found both manuals on the Internet, too.

I have no problem with the volume when I use the radio (fm/am) feature.

However, I can't hear the music when I have the phono attached. My phono shows that there is a 1 plug for "system". My receiver has no system area. What the system thing is supposed to is allow me remote access. I have no remote.

The back of the phono has -0- else. But the Technics has an area that is supposed to come from the phono and hook into the receiver GND(R)(l) and phono. I don't have the cords that the receiver wants and there is no plug for it on the phono.

I am sure tha I had the phono working for many years with no issues but I'm stupped on how to get the speakers to give me the level of sound that fm radio gives me.

I can hear the record very low, even with 10 showing on the receiver. I would appreciate any thoughts you have that can help me HEAR my record albums at a volume I enjoy.

https://www.hifiengine.com/manual_library/technics/sa-913.shtml

KENWOOD KD-492F TURNTABLE INSTRUCTION MANUAL

View and Download Kenwood KD-492F instruction manual online. Full Automatic Turntable. KD-492F turntable pdf manual download. Also for: Kd-492fc.

www.manualslib.com

 

[krautmaster]

Sounds like someone cut the RCA cables off the back of the turntable... it will not work without them. You will have to buy a new set of RCA cables and have them soldered onto the table.

 

[Tonoje]

The main suspect, if you have plugged your player into the receiver at all, is always that you connected it to a non-phono input. But assuming you've connected it to the correct input (phono, obviously), you should get normal sound, typically at a slightly lower volume than a line level input like a CD player.

So if you've made the correct physical connection to the receiver but still get no sound, the cause of the problem will be more difficult to trace. At the risk of sounding glib, often it's something simple...once you know the cause. And an oversight is usually suspected. But there could be any kind of issue, failure of an electronic component, physical wiring failure, internal connection lost somewhere.

You may need to give detailed descriptions of how things are connected, photos of the front and back of the system, photos of the cartridge area, etc. as requested by members who want to troubleshoot it with you.

I'd suggest checking that the tape monitor button isn't pressed in, but that's unlikely to be the problem if the radio output is normal. Also make sure the cartridge is securely connected. Ideally, unplug it, clean the terminals, and reinstall it.

 

[coachmaria]

Yeah one of the things I figured was that it probably needed to be connected to the receiver. And then I'm going to have to try and find a replacement wires.

The instructions for the system piece on the phonograph says that it needs to be connected to the system piece on the receiver. Which my receiver does not have those words on it.

So I'm going to have to try and find the piece that might plug into that little green hole and then attach to my receiver.

Does that sound right?

Anybody have some suggestions on where I might be able to find it? I will of course do a search on the internet but the Kenmore manual does not have what the parts piece numbers are. What would you call the name of the piece that I'm missing?

 

[mrwood200]

So I'm going to have to try and find the piece that might plug into that little green hole and then attach to my receiver. Does that sound right?

No. The 'system' plug is for some Kenwood remote control function. You need the right Kenwood receiver if you want to use this feature (fyi see below). You do not need it for sound. I would not worry about this.

So if you've made the correct physical connection to the receiver but still get no sound, the cause of the problem will be more difficult to trace. At the risk of sounding glib, often it's something simple...once you know the cause. And an oversight is usually suspected. But there could be any kind of issue, failure of an electronic component, physical wiring failure, internal connection lost somewhere. You may need to give detailed descriptions of how things are connected, photos of the front and back of the system, photos of the cartridge area, etc. ...Also make sure the cartridge is securely connected. Ideally, unplug it, clean the terminals, and reinstall it.

To OP: Your photo implies your turntable is hooked up OK. No sound means more work as described above.....
Remove the cords & hook it up again. Try music again.
If no sound, I would try the cartridge/stylus. If no, things might get a little tougher ($). Do you have another turntable and/or receiver you could try? Borrow one from someone for troubleshooting?

 

[coachmaria]

I have the chords to the speaker setup and they work perfectly on FM 10:00 a.m.

 

[coachmaria]

So I did check the speakers that way and they work just fine

The main suspect, if you have plugged your player into the receiver at all, is always that you connected it to a non-phono input. But assuming you've connected it to the correct input (phono, obviously), you should get normal sound, typically at a slightly lower volume than a line level input like a CD player.

So if you've made the correct physical connection to the receiver but still get no sound, the cause of the problem will be more difficult to trace. At the risk of sounding glib, often it's something simple...once you know the cause. And an oversight is usually suspected. But there could be any kind of issue, failure of an electronic component, physical wiring failure, internal connection lost somewhere.

You may need to give detailed descriptions of how things are connected, photos of the front and back of the system, photos of the cartridge area, etc. as requested by members who want to troubleshoot it with you.

I'd suggest checking that the tape monitor button isn't pressed in, but that's unlikely to be the problem if the radio output is normal. Also make sure the cartridge is securely connected. Ideally, unplug it, clean the terminals, and reinstall it.

The only thing that is connected from the photo to the receiver is the photos plug .

I thought that maybe I needed to plug in something else


The sound is not just a little low well I can hear the sound I can't hear it more than a foot away from the unit it's that low

 

[coachmaria]

So I did check the speakers that way and they work just fine

The only thing that is connected from the photo to the receiver is the photos plug .

I thought that maybe I needed to plug in something else


The sound is not just a little low well I can hear the sound I can't hear it more than a foot away from the unit it's that low

Which part is considered the cartridge

 

[coachmaria]

No. The 'system' plug is for some Kenwood remote control function. You need the right Kenwood receiver if you want to use this feature (fyi see below). You do not need it for sound. I would not worry about this.


To OP: Your photo implies your turntable is hooked up OK. No sound means more work as described above.....
Remove the cords & hook it up again. Try music again.
If no sound, I would try the cartridge/stylus. If no, things might get a little tougher ($). Do you have another turntable and/or receiver you could try? Borrow one from someone for troubleshooting?



View attachment 3613467

Seems to me that something from the back needs to be attached to the receiver I don't have anything other than a plug attached to the receiver

 

[BmWr75]

Seems to me that something from the back needs to be attached to the receiver I don't have anything other than a plug attached to the receiver

If you would take some pictures that clearly show how the turntable cables are connected to the receiver that would be help us help you.

 

[coachmaria]

I I'm telling you and showing you that there is no place in my phonograph to insert any wires into except for the one that says system. And I've already been told that that one doesn't mean anything unless I have a Kenwood receiver. I'm going to say it again the only thing I have coming out of the phonograph is the plug that goes into the wall. I have it going into the receiver

 

[coachmaria]

On the left is the back of my phone a graph the only two things on the back is a green circle that says system that needs to be put into a system socket in a Kenmore recorder. The second thing is the plug that goes into the wall. It seems that there is one thing that should go into both the receiver and the phonograph but there is no outlets whole etc in the back of the phonograph for that to happen

 

[BmWr75]

So in the picture that shows the back of your receiver what is plugged into the phono input?

If your turntable doesn’t have a cable with the red and white RCA plugs coming out of it then there is no way to connect it to the receiver.

 

[muzy]

Well according to the owners manual page 6 shows 2 cables coming from the back of the tt. One is power has a wall socket plug on the end.
The other is RCA jacks. You have RCA jacks plugged into your receiver phono input, do these not come from the tt as well?
In your photo I can see the power cord in the central location, and the very left I see cables as well, that should be the RCA cables. Might even be a green wire
with them that will go to ground on receiver.
Do you agree with what I see?

 

[Tonoje]

I'm curious about what your picture with the cables attached is showing. You say that you can get radio sound, which would be provided by the receiver of course, but can't get phono sound. That's two sources, one working normally, one not. The working source is internal to the amplifier.

But your photo shows cables connected to each of:

Phono input
CD/Aux input
Tape Rec Out

You've said nothing about whether CD/Aux is working normally. It looks as if all available inputs and outputs on your receiver are filled - I assume if you've got a cable in Tape Rec Out, you're likely to have another in Tape Playback. With all those cables connected but not a word about which (if any) external sources work normally through your receiver (and also it seems slightly unlikely that you have a cassette or other source actually plugged into Playback at present), there is potential for the turntable to have been connected to the wrong input.

 

[krautmaster]

Take the cables out of the Tape Rec/ Play jacks (what would you have them connected to anyway, you don't have a cassette player???) and make sure the "Tape Monitor" switch on the front is set to "Source" (button out)

 

[JSanders2056]

As stated by @krautmaster, it looks like your rca cables from the TT to the rca inputs on an amp are missing. I am assuming that is the same power cord on the right, bunched up under the tt, and or wrapped around its foot

 

[Bone Yard]

Those tiny function buttons aren't as heavy duty as 70's builds. It looks like the TT is hooked up ok but the switch might be broken or very dirty internally. I'd turn the TT and the receiver on and start hitting all three function buttons quickly and see if you get louder volume pops. If you do it might be as easy as popping the top on the receiver and cleaning the switches with DeOxit.

When equipment sits, the function selector gets corrosion on the metal switches and tends to only work in one position, usually the radio.

 

[spark1]

On the left is the back of my phone a graph the only two things on the back is a green circle that says system that needs to be put into a system socket in a Kenmore recorder. The second thing is the plug that goes into the wall. It seems that there is one thing that should go into both the receiver and the phonograph but there is no outlets whole etc in the back of the phonograph for that to happen

Two things:

1. If the only thing connecting the turntable to the receiver is the turntable's AC power cord, I don't understand how you are getting ANY output from the turntable, into the receiver, and then out from the speakers. Maybe you are just hearing the needle vibrating on the record? This would be at a very, very low volume, sound tinny, and NOT be coming from the speakers.

2. In the picture you posted of the back of the turntable, I see two cables coming out of it. One is the AC power cord. The other, in the left corner, appears to be the RCA cable, which would terminate into a pair of RCA jacks (red and white). You say there is nothing other than the AC power cord, but the picture seems to pretty clearly shows another cable?

 

[spark1]

Take the cables out of the Tape Rec/ Play jacks (what would you have them connected to anyway, you don't have a cassette player???) and make sure the "Tape Monitor" switch on the front is set to "Source" (button out)
View attachment 3613973

In his first post, the OP mentions that he has a cassette deck. But yes, he does need to make sure the Tape Monitor button is not depressed when using the turntable.

Other than the OP saying that he doesn't have RCA cables coming out of the turntable (even though the picture of the receiver shows RCA cables going into the phono jacks!), the Tape Monitor button is a good candidate as the source of OP's problem.