I live on the the 10th floor of a condo building. I have found that I intermittently get radio transmission noise through three different phono preamps (Sutherland, PS Audio Stella, and Gryphon Legato Legacy). At times it is just noise and at other times you can clearly here faint radio vocals and music. I have been able to reduce the noise by.placing the phono preamps closer to the floor to partially block the radio waves. Does anyone have tips on other solutions to reduce this type of noise?
No good answer unfortunately, I have never run into this issue. But man, with the sophistication of your system, this has to be maddening!
Maybe some of the rf blocking materials? again, not my forte…
Best,
-JP
What genre is the music?
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It’s REM’s “Radio Song.” 
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I had this happen to me via a Fender Bassman 4 x 12 amp I used to use a lot.
A Christian talk radio station came through. I first noticed it when I left the amp on for a bit to answer a phone call. Someone was preaching to me quietly in my living room. . . and I was a bit spooked. I couldn’t seem to get rid of it until I relocated that amp to a bedroom and put a TV Bassman Fifteen in its place that did not capture the broadcast.
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@lonson That is too funny! Glad you got it to end.
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Sounds like some capacitance / impedance issues somewhere in the cabling if you ask me
It is mysterious and a little maddening because it is very intermittent. Like maybe 10% to 20% of the time. I think I am in direct line of KSTP radio and tv locally in Minneapolis about 2 miles away from my place.
I checked this out. Not sure If I will find a solution in the thread but it ends with rower - Galen with some good nuggets on safety.
Can you use the 3M 7050 EMI blocker on the phono preamp?
Yes. I do have access to most internal surfaces. Simple cost effective experiment. Will have @aangen test the hypothesis
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I also have figured out that is is the FM band 100.3 Kfan sports radio in Minneapolis. Not sure if that provides any clues. The XLR interconnects are now Stealth Sakra v12s on loan from Al.
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I was getting it too after replacing my Hana ML to a Kiseki Purple Heart. I run a Stellar phono balanced to a BHK and had never had the issue before the change.
For now I’m running the loading much lower 200ohm and I haven’t heard it yet.I plan on further troubleshooting but just haven’t gotten around to it.
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Interconnects and tonearm cables could act as antennae and pickup tiny signals that get amplified by sensitive MC phono preamps. I was under the impression that thread duscussed it. Pleae accept my apologies. I recommend starting with RF blockign on the tonearm cable. Have you tested the classic ferrite core EMI RFI blocking cable rings?
No apologies. I actually will try and test some of the hypothesis in the thread… Especially the tonearm cable. I just have limited time right now. I have heard of shielding material for cables on other threads. Will need to find something to wrap the tonearm cable. I am thinking the XLR interconnects from phono preamp to preamp don’t need shielding but I could be wrong.
I would start with ferrite core clamps as they’re not costly and easy to move up and down the cable, easy to attach and easy to remove. Moving them up and down the cable helps you find the right spot(s) to kill the antenna effect.
From phono to pre is line level, and signals caught off the air will be too tiny to affect the power amp.
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Thank you. Will get some clamps. I am not hearing this phenomena when using my CD/Dac/streaming. That is why I am assuming it is somewhere in the phono to phono preamp to preamp chain.
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I had a similar experience with the SPP. Spanish radio. It was only every now and then, too. Isnt it true that radio signal strength, maybe just AM, change throughout the day? Set the gain as low as possible (which is good practice anyway in my experience).
Anyway, with a host of other phono problems I moved on from SPP, but loved having a few nights to try it out. It’s killer in so, so many ways. No wonder it won POTY at AS in 2020. Eager to hear more about the PerfectWave phono coming soon. Big Darren fan in general.
My vinyl game has been on the long side in recent years with like 6-7 phono stages, 6-7 carts, 5-7 headshells, 4 tables, several different RCAs, power chords, ferrite beads, isolation problems, etc. still working on it, but less tirelessly after making big progress recently.
Hope you get to the bottom of it. Good luck!
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Are you able to connect and “lift” (disconnect) the TT to phono preamp ground? I agree with @Serhan that the most likely entry point of that transmission is the cartridge to phono pre cable and ferrite cores/doughnuts may help for higher FM interference. Good luck and please report back as you go.
Best,
Kurt
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