Mono Hum

pcosta

Well-Known Member
Jul 25, 2010
364
123
950
Windsor, Ontario, Canada
I bought a Ortofon Cadenza Mono cartridge used a few months back and used it off and on by swapping in and out of my SME 3012R tonearm. Initially everything was quiet and sounding good. Swapped out the cart for another then put the Ortofon back in yesterday and I now have a hum. I tried countless grounding methods, cables even headshell. Still hums. Any clues as to what is causing it. Hard to ask for help from dealers since I didn't buy from them.
 

awsmone

Well-Known Member
Apr 6, 2014
1,616
513
435
Canberra Australia
Commonest reason for hum is difference between the right and left ground

Check your interconnects are snuggly in and your pins

Try pulling out one set of pins and see if hum goes

If it was working without hum, it’s probably a loose connection

Also if using detachable headshell, clean the pins with a cotton bud maybe dipped in some white spirit

If that doesn’t work, come back to us....

To permanently get rid of any hum, run y connectors in heashell so only working off one ground set of pins
 

pcosta

Well-Known Member
Jul 25, 2010
364
123
950
Windsor, Ontario, Canada
When it was working quiet it was with a different phonostage. Anything else I use in the same arm is quiet in my current setup. I moved things around, tried cables, different grounding schemes etc...

I reached out to Ortofon and they answered with the typical script and then said if my phono was dual mono the hum will be present and to use a Y connector.
 

ddk

Well-Known Member
May 18, 2013
6,261
4,040
995
Utah
I bought a Ortofon Cadenza Mono cartridge used a few months back and used it off and on by swapping in and out of my SME 3012R tonearm. Initially everything was quiet and sounding good. Swapped out the cart for another then put the Ortofon back in yesterday and I now have a hum. I tried countless grounding methods, cables even headshell. Still hums. Any clues as to what is causing it. Hard to ask for help from dealers since I didn't buy from them.

Ortofon is correct, Hum from the left channel in a mono cartridge isn't unusual, you can mute or turn the volume down on that channel or unplug it from the phono. You have to look at the usual suspects if you're getting hum in both channels.

david
 

miniguy

Well-Known Member
Dec 18, 2013
437
168
350
San Diego area
The Cadenza Mono will hum depending on the phono stage in use. If it does you simply need to use the mono switch if the phono stage has one, or use a Y- cable to combine the two channels.
 

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