Help with an Old Philips Record Player

[ashishkesarwani]

Guys I happen to have a working Philips Record Player which belong to my parents. Now my problem is that when i connected the same to my Onkyo's Phono input the sound quality was crap.
I would explain first that how I connected the same to my AVR, since this Record Player had that multi pin stereo socket at its back for which I didn't had a connector so I opened the player and soldered the wires directly to the connector's Pin of the socket and got a pair of RCA level output from the record player for connecting with the AVR's Phono Input.

1. Now the problems which I have is that as soon as I turn on the Record Player, I hear humming sound from my speakers.
2. As soon as I engage the pure audio mode of my AVR I start hearing loud static noises from my speakers.
3. The Audio Quality is pathetic and I am unable to listen to anything in the stereo mode of my AVR.

My Question is that could this be due to an inferior Cartridge which was meant for low level listening or there is something else?

Now I have a total budget of 20K to buy either a new TT from the likes of Denon or Project or experiment with the existing Philips player by replacing the cartridge alone and save money.
To understand the model in Question which is 533 from Philips, I am also putting up the pictures of the same here.

Player with the top speaker cum Cover:


Player:


Cartridge:


Back Sockets:


Thanks

 

[Hiten]

Hi,
I have almost same model. TT you have shown has ceramic cartridge. means out put is greater than magnetic cartridge. So I think you can put resistor in series (dont know the value) of line out and proper grounding should solve the problem. But wait for other members advice.
By the way ceramic cartridge sound quality will not be good. You better get magnetic cartridge TT.

 

[vu2ded]

Dear Kesarwani,

The symptoms you have mentioned suggest that there is a loose/ poor connection of the shielded audio cable coming from the cartridge to the output terminal of the player. There is also a possibility of the same in the output cable from the player to the AVR. Please check -up

 

[vu2ded]

PS:If the shielded audio cable is quite old better change it with new one.

 

[ashishkesarwani]

Yes the cable is sure an old one. So I guess that changing it would solve the problem of Hum but what about the SQ? Would replacing a cartridge help?

 

[mahiruha]

hi ashish,
I am so glad to have a new member in our vinyl club. Well please don't waste time with that Philips TT because that won't give you a good impression about Vinyl and you will strat to hate it. Get a decent TT to start with like Project genie or Debut 3 and you can always upgrade later if you like the experience.
Thanks.

 

[ashishkesarwani]

Thanks Hemant for that wonderful reply as thats exactly the case here and yes I do intend on buying a new TT on my next trip to Mumbai next week, so most probably I would end up buying a Project from Nova Audio.

How is Denon DP300F in comparison with the Project Genie or Debut?

 

[stevieboy]

hi ashish,

i completely second mahiruha's suggestion. a new table would indeed give you good pleasure. of course you need to be serious about getting into vinyl to justify the cost of bout 20k. vinyl's though are available and you can keep looking out and building up your collection. project is a good bet indeed. solidly built, very good value for money. you just might get lucky at nova audio and snag a good deal on a higher end turntable if he happens to have one in the showroom!

regards

edit: you said thanks hemant, but mahiruha offered the suggestion of new turntable

 

[pnreddy]

Dear Ashish,

If your cartridge is ceramic then the output signal voltage will be about 1000 mV whereas the magnetic cartridge output is of the order of 10 mV. By connecting to your phono input you are overdriving the input. So plug the RCA connector to the auxiliary input of your AVR. The hum could be due to poor cable connection/condition.

P.N.Reddy

 

[ashishkesarwani]

you said thanks hemant, but mahiruha offered the suggestion of new turntable

I said thanks to Hemant because when he said that I should not waste my time with the Philips as it would make me hate Vinyl and there he almost read my mind for which I owed a Thank remark.

Also this sudden surge into vinyl has happened because I bought 3 LPs from Reliance Digital Yesterday and if I also include the collection of my Parents then I have close to 50 LPs and more than 100 45Rpm records.

I was looking at a solution for Philips as I already owned it so I though that by the time I don't buy a new TT, till then I should enjoy the collection on it but last Night experiment with Philipis has left me really wanting.
I have heard a couple of Clear Audio Turntables at fellow audiophile places in New Delhi and I must say that it was really something.
Looking forward to this journey and I am really serious about it.

 

[ashishkesarwani]

Dear Ashish,

If your cartridge is ceramic then the output signal voltage will be about 1000 mV whereas the magnetic cartridge output is of the order of 10 mV. By connecting to your phono input you are overdriving the input. So plug the RCA connector to the auxiliary input of your AVR. The hum could be due to poor cable connection/condition.

P.N.Reddy

Yes you could be right here, will definetely experiment the suggestion tonight and report back.

 

[ashishkesarwani]

Thanks to pnreddy's reply my above problems are solved, indeed it was due to the fact that my AVR's phono stage was overdriven by the excess current output of the Ceramic Cartridge, so when I changed it at the amps end then I am atleast able to play and listen to records through my system.

Now comes a new problem and that is there is absolutely no Bass and across the spectrum its weak and I think that the ceramic cartridge is giving more emphasis to the top end which I don't like at all.

Now is it worth experimenting by replacing the cartridge with a MM one.

 

[Vivek Rao]

HI,

I have also a similar problem as I have an old garrard which has also a similar pickup and sound horrible when connected to the Phono input. Using a separate additional earthing cable helped however the sound is completely distorted. Please tell me what you changed on the amplifier side. Did you add any resistors to limit the current?

 

[Vivek Rao]

Sorry had not read the previous messages. Unfortunately for me even connecting to the other line outs has not worked. I just get a very feeble sound even when I turn up the volume. The point is also I had to re solder the connection from the pickup to the tiny cables which go into the turntable. I am not sure of polarity. Have tried out various combination of inputs to the RCA pin connecting into my amplifier. So far without success.

Any tips from other experienced members?

 

[malvai]

Sorry had not read the previous messages. Unfortunately for me even connecting to the other line outs has not worked. I just get a very feeble sound even when I turn up the volume. The point is also I had to re solder the connection from the pickup to the tiny cables which go into the turntable. I am not sure of polarity. Have tried out various combination of inputs to the RCA pin connecting into my amplifier. So far without success.

Any tips from other experienced members?

try and change the cartridge to a MM or MC and then try to plug the ICs into the phono stage. It should make a difference...

 

[ashishkesarwani]

Unfortunately for me even connecting to the other line outs has not worked. I just get a very feeble sound even when I turn up the volume. The point is also I had to re solder the connection from the pickup to the tiny cables which go into the turntable. I am not sure of polarity. Have tried out various combination of inputs to the RCA pin connecting into my amplifier. So far without success.

Yes the output is weak for sure and you have to compensate that by cranking up the volume on your amplifier, but this way you are atleast able to listen to your records, not in the way that it was meant to be but something is better than nothing, isin't it.

 

[anm]

Ashish - some cheaper but good mm carts are suggested here in other thread - I think audio technica at 91. Haven't tried personally but maybe you can.

 

[ashishkesarwani]

Ashish - some cheaper but good mm carts are suggested here in other thread - I think audio technica at 91. Haven't tried personally but maybe you can.

Ok... Have taken a note of it and would consider it when I am out shopping for a new cartridge. What cartridge are you using with your player.

 

[ashishkesarwani]

Guys today I became the proud owner of a Panasonic SL-H304 TT which is in mint condition. I have bought it from our forum member Saurabh, this guy for sure knows a lot about LPs and have a huge collection of great records with him.
So finally my journey to another world in music begins.

 

[anm]

congrats! is he also giving away LPs?

Guys today I became the proud owner of a Panasonic SL-H304 TT which is in mint condition. I have bought it from our forum member Saurabh, this guy for sure knows a lot about LPs and have a huge collection of great records with him.
So finally my journey to another world in music begins.