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Stellar phono tweaking....technics SL1210gr

Audio Components Vinyl
#1

Picked up a new stellar phono pre from PSA last week. The remote only works for me when I first turn it on, which I’ve adjusted to, reported, and have a replacement coming in the mail. I have good quality RCAs in place at the moment, with a new pair of XLRs coming soon. The XLR out was a big selling point for me.

After figuring out that the remote works for a few minutes, I set it correctly for my favorite DV LOMC cart this morning, taking out a couple of MM or HOMC cart setups I have on standby. It’s now high gain and custom loading. Pleased!

Any hacks out there? I have a homemade phono tube amp that it will have to compete with, and also a McIntosh phono stage available.

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#2

It just squealed a little bit right after I wrote this, but imagine that’s typical break-in. When I muted it the high pitched noise stopped.

#3

I think the best way to keep it from squealing is keeping it muted…

#4

Unreasonably true, sir. I left it on and unmuted it some time later and didn’t hear anything…so that’s good.

#5

Great…

#6

Gonna try this tweak:

and also looking at a cardas tonearm rewire. The technics doesn’t have DIN connection at the end of it’s tonearm wires, but instead has a board part like this:

sl1210br-board
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Thinking that I would just solder either to a DIN piece or just remove the DIN piece from a standard phono cable. Any technics 1200 fans on here done this?

#7

Also the new remote showed its face in the mail yesterday and works perfectly.

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#8

I have replaced the Technics tonearm with Origin Live after the original bias adjustment stopped working . However, there are places that provide tonearm re-wiring service with Cardas cables, and you could select copper or silver. They would use a single run rather than solder it in the middle, and this makes a lot of difference.

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#9

Def considering a tonearm upgrade at somepoint down the road. It would likely cost more than my current TT, which makes me scratch my head. I’ve seen that some businesses offer the rewire, not really super nervous about doing it myself, but still need to figure out the scope of the changes.

Oddly, I’m hearing spanish radio through my Stellar Phono Pre this morning using MC/lowgain/custom with my DV cart. Anybody experience anything like this? I have no tuner, so it’s obviously strange. I recorded it with my phone and have a witness. I know it’s the Stellar, because I have other phono stages to swap in its place, and again muting just the Stellar stopped the Spanish. Hahaha.

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#10

One of my biggest questions is can the RCAs produce a meaningful connection for the balanced output that the Stellar offers? Is this just so the PSA Pre can take the output?

#11

I’ve experienced RF pickup not with a SPP, but with a Herron Audio phono pre. It’s actually not that uncommon a problem in phono front ends and it’s also not always easy to nail down where and why the RF is being coupled in. Has nothing to do with having a tuner, btw. Have you tried a ferrite bead on the phono cable? I have a collection of clip on ferrites for this purpose. Sometimes works, sometimes doesn’t.

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#12

I may have to give that a shot. Thanks!

#13

On Gilligan’s Island it was an accidental blow to the head that turned Gilligan into a radio. Not sure if that helps, but it’s all I got.

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#14

God bless Mary Anne.

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#15

oh thank goodness. i had to quickly see if she was still alive

It’s all good.

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#16

Dawn Wells is indeed alive and at 82 freakin’ amazing despite health issues. She continues to have a supportive fan base that adores her. God Bless her indeed.

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#17

I had surgery on my dominant hand just as my SPP arrived and I have yet to make the final connection to my VPI Prime Scout. Slow going.

Curious as to what XLR cables you bought to replace your “good quality RCAs”. I bought AudioQuest Water XLR to connect SPP to my Stellar GDAC and Water RCA to connect the turntable to the SPP. I have had very good experience with the Water series, having used XLRs to connect the GDAC to my M700 monoblocks.
Not a fanboy but AudioQuest makes great cables and though the Water are certainly not ultra high end by any means, the cables are quality built and maintain a consistent middle-of-the-road sound in my system; not too bright and certainly not rolled off. The midrange just shines IMO.

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#18

Good luck with the hand, Dr. Shaw!

There is a company I like here in Colorado called Audio Envy. I picked them early and am sticking with Captain. He makes all of my XLR and (most) everything else, past and future.

I’m sure your AQs are fantastic. What I’m not sure of, is if RCA input can lead to a proper XLR output. This said, most turntables still spit out a connection with 2 RCAs, like they have for so long.

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#19

Get well soon. I have been using AQ Water XLR cables for everything for a number of years, even before PS Audio adopted them in the connections page. They’re very good cables. They took a while to sound their best, but the final result is very satisfying. My current setup includes BHK pre, Stellar phono and the M700s. They’re much more than middle-of-the-road cables. They have spatial detail, and a level of realism that many cables cannot produce. Edit: for connecting the TT to the phono stage I recommend buying a cable specified for turntables rather than line level. I would recommend checking Cardas.

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#20

I’m quickly going in that direction, too. I am testing out the M1200s while my McIntosh M462 is in the shop. It’s a toss up which will stay when I get it back. I’m thinking about selling all of my nice McIntosh gear and going BHK pre and the new disc player in place of my C47 and MCT450.