Hello esteemed forum members,
I have this curious issue with one of the two Thorens TD160 turntables I own. Both have a TP16 tonearm.
The problematic one has this curious behavious: when I touch the tonearm (when in resting potition), I hear a static 'tick' through both speakers. It is just a a tick, I have to wait some seconds before I can make it 'tick' again, by touching it again. The noise is also there when I touch other grounded parts of the turntable, but the sound is loudest when I touch the headshell. The other Thorens is immune to this. I switched headshells but the problem stayed with the turntable.
When I fully remove the headshell, touching the turntable doesn't make it tick (but the machines hums continuosly when no headshell attached, assume that is normal behaviour). Also tried switching the phone preamps, but that didn't impact the issue.
As an experiment, I tried grounding the tonearm with an extra wire. Didn't change things.
Only cause I can think of now is that it is somehow related to the tonearm wiring, but I am hesitant to mess with that.
What could be the cause? What would be the best approach to test or even better fix it?
Thanks a lot,
René
I have this curious issue with one of the two Thorens TD160 turntables I own. Both have a TP16 tonearm.
The problematic one has this curious behavious: when I touch the tonearm (when in resting potition), I hear a static 'tick' through both speakers. It is just a a tick, I have to wait some seconds before I can make it 'tick' again, by touching it again. The noise is also there when I touch other grounded parts of the turntable, but the sound is loudest when I touch the headshell. The other Thorens is immune to this. I switched headshells but the problem stayed with the turntable.
When I fully remove the headshell, touching the turntable doesn't make it tick (but the machines hums continuosly when no headshell attached, assume that is normal behaviour). Also tried switching the phone preamps, but that didn't impact the issue.
As an experiment, I tried grounding the tonearm with an extra wire. Didn't change things.
Only cause I can think of now is that it is somehow related to the tonearm wiring, but I am hesitant to mess with that.
What could be the cause? What would be the best approach to test or even better fix it?
Thanks a lot,
René
Have you tried to ground yourself? Like the wristband when working with static sensitive devices?
I have the same problem with my TD 160, in addition, one channel will often go out. I haven't had time to dive into it so I have been using my TD 150 instead
Just touch the metal amplifier chassis before touching the tone arm.
That will discharge you.
I would try to use just for test wires outside the arm to see if it is a grounding problem or not. Should not be too complex to run 4 wires outside the TA.
Rgds
Adelmo
Rgds
Adelmo
I had ghosts!
Lately It happened about 10 years ago, when I recorded wirh the computer, and there's an Audacity screen to testify It!
I had to touch abruptly something between the needle and the output to let It stop or mitigate, and It haunted me for years...
When I saw the Little sinusoid on one channel...well...others had said to change all the cabling (later I dismantled the push to contact Shell conductors, end of Thorens!) But I liked to fight with ghosts...