Tonearm/cartridge is a theramin. Suggestions?


I'm vexed. I just installed a musical surroundings Nova II and it's partnered with a Clearaudio Maestro v.2 cart on a rewired Rega 303 arm. It really sounds great, but there is quite a high pitched hum. The sound is exactly like the sound of distant speed boat propellers from underwater. I remember swimming in a lake in the summers of thirty-five years ago and it's uncanny how the sound of this strange tonearm/cart phenomenon brings me right back!

Any way, it's like a theramin because if I just wave my hand near the cartridge, the sound increases in gain by at least 6 dB but the pitch doesn't. Removing the ground wire from the Nova phono preamp dramatically increases the gain of the sound. I did not have this effect when I was using the on-board phonostage of an integrated (now sold). 

Audiophile community: HELP!

thanks,
Oran.

128x128oranfoster
Its not the Phono preamp making this noise right? I suspect NOT. Also, Its Not the Clearaudio. So, It must be this re wired Arm/table, I would look at that first. I have never known Rega tables to ever need grounding nor do they have a ground wire. This is very suspect.

Matt M
This 'table has an incognito wired arm and indeed it does have a ground wire. Disconnected it's way more pronounced,,,,
I just thought I'd conclude this thread in case anyone reads through it for a similar problem. The problem was a hobby light! Plugged in on a different circuit, and switched off! This cheap, terribly designed, piece of junk threw off just a shocking amount of RFI! I figured it out by turning off every breaker in the house except the dedicated stereo one. Phew, found out my unit was nice and quiet. Then, systematically switching circuits back on, it was easy to find the culprit.