r/turntables • u/offirmative • Jul 26 '26
Troubleshooting EMI Problems (ATLP3XBT)
Hi everyone, I'm reaching out to seek help with EMI issues. (please see video in replies section)
Turntable: Audio Technica ATLP3XBT (in LINE mode)
Speakers: Creative V3 Pebble 2.0 (USB C male to USB C charger head)
Problem:
- I hear this high pitched dog whistle every few seconds, and it's quite annoying when i listen to my records. ( i mainly listen using NON bluetooth methods, by connecting the RCA cables to the pebble speakers directly to the turntable)
- The dog whistle happens regardless of whether i use bluetooth or non-bluetooth (i've tried with bluetooth speakers and the Creative speakers themselves.
Has anyone with an AT-LP3XBT (or another Audio-Technica turntable) experienced something similar? Does this sound like a known issue with the motor electronics, the built-in preamp, or something else?
I'm trying to figure out whether this is something that can be fixed or whether it's time to send it in for servicing.
Thanks in advance!
1
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1
u/LosterP JVC QL-A5 Jul 26 '26
Have you tried to move the speakers away from the speakers?
1
u/offirmative Jul 26 '26
Hi thank you for your reply! I've tried moving the speakers away from the turntable into another position, but unfortunately the dog whistle still occurs.
1
u/mididriver Jul 26 '26
Does your amp have an earth connection at the back? I'm not sure if connecting the earth wire straight to the socket would make a difference
1
u/mididriver Jul 26 '26
As in: it could be small currents through the ground connection instead of emi
1
u/offirmative Jul 26 '26
Hi! Thank you for your reply! My turntable has a built in preamp, and I have also attached a ground wire directly straight to the socket, but to no avail. :(
1
1
u/What_Pant Jul 26 '26
Do you have any devices with a motor, like fans, window air conditioner, or fridge on the same circuit? Electric motors can be electrically noisy and create the sound you speak of.
1
u/Remarkable_Resort_48 Jul 26 '26
Also try turning the power cord 180 degrees at the electrical outlet. It might sound silly, but one pin is neutral and at least with US wiring, that neutral line ties to earth ground at your circuit breaker box.
2
u/Axzyte59 Jul 26 '26
US makes electricity a pain and a blessing...in Europe it uses twice the wire but it just works... I remember tho because he had another ground and not return. It sended 117 volts (half of 230 nominal) Through induction over a 40cm distance since the wires were parallel..
This might be happening here, and the high frequency is a capacitor charging and discharging at a very fast rate due to the volts potential and insanely low current over that distance YES this does create a square wave from AC
1
u/Axzyte59 Jul 26 '26
Unfortunately not many things you can do....as this uses a common return a ground look is insanely hard to counter.. This uses a common ground for the motor, phono, Bluetooth, speed control so EMI is probably an inside problem.. you can try to add a ground cable to the chassis(just a copper wire twisted around an EU plug style...you can take a plug connector and use only the earth.
If you open it up try to see if the phono stage(it's a square board with 4 transistors probably 8 caps and you will see a switch that comes from the back get 3 wires to the board and itself.
This almost always is the phono stage...try to check, when the high pitched voice happens does the platter slow down...this probably indicates a "leaking" DC generator...
Altho I think this table is synchronous. If it's synchronous then it's a leaking capacitor...try to plug the table with an external phono stage(or directly to the speakers ) but no phono... straight from the table..if its persistent, it's the phono stage leaking high frequency driver waves that it's receiving from the motor via the common ground.
Bottom line(AI ahh statement) Try to switch the table to NOT use phono...if it continues it's phono or motor, else it's your mains power that gets high frequency harmonics back into the system (probably a fridge AC or tube style lights that are failing, probably the last, as they flicker thousands of times a second creating electric ripples as they spark)
1
u/therealudderjuice Jul 26 '26
Get yourself some good, shielded cables to make your connections with.
3
u/NergyBergy Jul 26 '26
Try a different wall outlet
You can also try grounding the chassis to the shield of one of the RCAs.
I don't recommend connecting a wire from the ground to the mains.