Grado Cartridges and Stylus - Questions and Advice.

I finally got myself a Grado Prestige Gold 3, and installed it yesterday. I upgraded from a Ortofon 2m Red cartrdige, and immediately at first listen I could hear a huge improvement. More details, better frequency range, an overall more refined sound, closer to a HiRes digital version, but with great warmth. I really love the sound. And that with 0 hours on the cart, can't wait how it sounds after 20-50 hours...

However, I can hear a slight hum on higher volumes. That is quite annoying, but as soon as the needle drops it is basically inaudible. So, I love the sound, but hate the hum. But the overall gain in sound quality has won, so I will keep the cart.
 
papaharzi said:
I finally got myself a Grado Prestige Gold 3, and installed it yesterday. I upgraded from a Ortofon 2m Red cartrdige, and immediately at first listen I could hear a huge improvement. More details, better frequency range, an overall more refined sound, closer to a HiRes digital version, but with great warmth. I really love the sound. And that with 0 hours on the cart, can't wait how it sounds after 20-50 hours...

However, I can hear a slight hum on higher volumes. That is quite annoying, but as soon as the needle drops it is basically inaudible. So, I love the sound, but hate the hum. But the overall gain in sound quality has won, so I will keep the cart.
Click to expand...
It shouldn’t hum on your turntable, although Grados will hum on some. @Joe Mac has the same model. Any hum there Joe?
 
Thanks for your responses...

HiFi Guy said:
It shouldn’t hum on your turntable, although Grados will hum on some. @Joe Mac has the same model. Any hum there Joe?
Click to expand...

We have slightly different models. He has the SB version, which has automatic speed change, meaning his turntable has a different motor. And as far as I've been reading, there's some models that produce the hum because of the placement of the motor and/or wiring. Besides that they are virtually the same. However, I can hear the hum as well when the motor is off. So I guess it might not be turntable's fault here... maybe there's a chance to get rid of that.

Joe Mac said:
No I’ve never had hum caused by the cart. The only hum I had briefly was caused by grounding and fixed by a bit of troubleshooting!
Click to expand...
Maybe I have a similar issue. What have you done to get rid of that hum? I have to admit, it was my very first cart change, so I might have made an error. However I followed instructions of various Youtube videos and other guides closely.
 
papaharzi said:
Thanks for your responses...



We have slightly different models. He has the SB version, which has automatic speed change, meaning his turntable has a different motor. And as far as I've been reading, there's some models that produce the hum because of the placement of the motor and/or wiring. Besides that they are virtually the same. However, I can hear the hum as well when the motor is off. So I guess it might not be turntable's fault here... maybe there's a chance to get rid of that.


Maybe I have a similar issue. What have you done to get rid of that hum? I have to admit, it was my very first cart change, so I might have made an error. However I followed instructions of various Youtube videos and other guides closely.
Click to expand...

It wasn’t properly grounded. There was an issue with grounding it to my phono stage. It had a bigger lug than spade on the grounding wire and it didn’t appear to be fully making contact and so working properly. Solution is to ground it somewhere else. To another piece of gear with a ground lug or behind a chassis screw or to the Earth on your electrical system using something like a groundhog.
 
Joe Mac said:
It wasn’t properly grounded. There was an issue with grounding it to my phono stage. It had a bigger lug than spade on the grounding wire and it didn’t appear to be fully making contact and so working properly. Solution is to ground it somewhere else. To another piece of gear with a ground lug or behind a chassis screw or to the Earth on your electrical system using something like a groundhog.
Click to expand...
Hopefully this works. I missed that @papaharzi has the model below yours- his model is known to hum. Some do some don’t with no rhyme or reason.
 
HiFi Guy said:
Hopefully this works. I missed that @papaharzi has the model below yours- his model is known to hum. Some do some don’t with no rhyme or reason.
Click to expand...

Yeah the original US D.C. without the SB was known to hum with all carriages. For some reason they used a different motor to the European one. When they refreshed the line half way through its lifecycle and started to use the same motor as in Europe it was supposed to have cured it but I suppose the unshielded grados are always going to be the cartridge to be most sensitive to it.

I hope so but I think my issue was much more to do with my phono and it’s weird oversized ground lug than the table, it was fine grounded to the old Sony amp and is fine again now using a groundhog.
 
Joe Mac said:
It wasn’t properly grounded. There was an issue with grounding it to my phono stage. It had a bigger lug than spade on the grounding wire and it didn’t appear to be fully making contact and so working properly. Solution is to ground it somewhere else. To another piece of gear with a ground lug or behind a chassis screw or to the Earth on your electrical system using something like a groundhog.
Click to expand...

I checked everything in regards to grounding, but it didn't help the hum. I guess I have to live with it. I just really love the sound of this cartridge...

HiFi Guy said:
Hopefully this works. I missed that @papaharzi has the model below yours- his model is known to hum. Some do some don’t with no rhyme or reason.
Click to expand...

Mine does the hum, I'll get used to it, the sound improvement of the new cartridge vs. the old Ortofon 2m Red will have me forget the hum quickly... or at least that it annoys me...
 
papaharzi said:
I checked everything in regards to grounding, but it didn't help the hum. I guess I have to live with it. I just really love the sound of this cartridge...



Mine does the hum, I'll get used to it, the sound improvement of the new cartridge vs. the old Ortofon 2m Red will have me forget the hum quickly... or at least that it annoys me...
Click to expand...
It's a really nice cart! I started hearing some overall noise through my speakers after swapping to my Grado Gold 3 (I also swapped speakers out though) and it was driving me crazy. I eventually just realized that it's my power situation in my apartment in general. It's an old building and only has 2 circuits so it seems that there is just overall noise from appliances, etc. I don't really hear it when music is playing--it's only there when my amp and speakers are on with nothing playing. I know that's likely a different issue than you are dealing with though. But it still annoys me haha. We will hopefully be buying a house in the next year or so and I'm going to be the guy asking all the questions about the power and wiring situation haha.
 
papaharzi said:
Thanks for your responses...



We have slightly different models. He has the SB version, which has automatic speed change, meaning his turntable has a different motor. And as far as I've been reading, there's some models that produce the hum because of the placement of the motor and/or wiring. Besides that they are virtually the same. However, I can hear the hum as well when the motor is off. So I guess it might not be turntable's fault here... maybe there's a chance to get rid of that.


Maybe I have a similar issue. What have you done to get rid of that hum? I have to admit, it was my very first cart change, so I might have made an error. However I followed instructions of various Youtube videos and other guides closely.
Click to expand...
What's your phono gain set to? Is it possible you're hearing excessive gain in the signal?
 
Splunders said:
What's your phono gain set to? Is it possible you're hearing excessive gain in the signal?
Click to expand...
The gain is set +43dB. I've tried 60dB, since the Grado cart is a bit quieter then the old Ortofon, but then the hum was intolerable.

HayesWeighsIn said:
@papaharzi does the hum not change when you drop the needle in deadwax?
Click to expand...
The hum is always audible, in the deadwax, with/without motor. But when the needle is dropped it is at an acceptable level.
 
papaharzi said:
The gain is set +43dB. I've tried 60dB, since the Grado cart is a bit quieter then the old Ortofon, but then the hum was intolerable.


The hum is always audible, in the deadwax, with/without motor. But when the needle is dropped it is at an acceptable level.
Click to expand...
Do you perhaps have your components plugged into more than one power outlet? I know for me I had some definite ground loop hum and even interference through my headshell due to this. Once I had all my equipment through one outlet it all went away.

edit: might be more clear to say power receptacle (the double-plug in the wall).
 
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Do you have any other equipment near the turntable, especially near the cart? Amps? Speakers? WiFi Routers? Even just a power cable routed near it?
 
GStephenH said:
Do you perhaps have your components plugged into more than one power outlet? I know for me I had some definite ground loop hum and even interference through my headshell due to this. Once I had all my equipment through one outlet it all went away.

edit: might be more clear to say power receptacle (the double-plug in the wall).
Click to expand...

They are all plugged into a filter. The hum is the same filtered or unfiltered, or even when the components are plugged into different outlets.

apholden said:
Do you have any other equipment near the turntable, especially near the cart? Amps? Speakers? WiFi Routers? Even just a power cable routed near it?
Click to expand...

The amp is about 50cm/20inch away, besides that there's nothing.
 
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