Creaks like an old LP - defective? - Addendum

The Hama-Phono.Vorverstärker produced in my amplifier crackling, as if you would turn or stuck to the RCA plugs. The crackling occur continuously on every one to two seconds. If you play a record from, you can hear them through the quiet passages. Subtracting the two RCA cables that go to the amplifier, the preamplifier off, is quiet. It is not the power amplifier and not to the (supplied) Connection cables.

I will now times Request a replacement unit. Perhaps my copy is indeed defective.

Edit 02.02.2012: the ground cable and the RCA cable Times have also withdrawn from the turntable to the amplifier input. The crackling remains. The replacement device from Amazon is already on its way to me (+++++). Tomorrow will tell me, if it is on the amplifier or the mains adapter.

Update 03/02/2012: The replacement unit is - on time as always - arrived today. Unfortunately, it shows the same noise. Strictly speaking, there are two noise: Firstly, a pumping noise and on the other a crack sound which every one to two seconds, "discharges" itself. A swap of the two amplifiers or two power supplies, also crosswise, changed nothing.

Now I had to drive a little more effort: The turntable (an old Thorens) was dismantled and in the basement of another amplifier (even with phono MM and MC input!) Attached. Here there was no noise. In very noisy turned amplifier course is a noise heard, but this is homogeneous and not pumping or cracking send. Then I connected the HAMA preamplifier to the AUX input of the same amplifier in the basement. Here the noise had disappeared! The noise level of HAMA corresponds to the phono input of the amplifier. The sound was great and absolutely with the built-phono preamp of ancient amplifier comparable (*****).

So there had to be any external source of interference, of which I was in the basement far enough away. Therefore, back into the living room and reconnected the HAMA amplifier and the THORENS Phonograph on Denon 1912 AV amplifier. The cable I have not but this time along with all the other audio, HDMI, - installed behind the cabinet and network cables (as initially), but at right angles to the front and as far away as possible. Turntables and HAMA amplifier were joined via an extension cord into an outlet. The two above-mentioned noise continued since. Now I have one after the other separated all other devices (BluRay, AppleTV, television, DEVOLO DLAN AV wireless adapter) from the power supply.

The cause of the crackling I can find the devolo D-LAN adapter. Even though I have the wireless part is disabled and only use the integrated triple hub for BluRay player, AV amplifier and AppleTV, the crackling disappears as soon as you pull the D-LAN adapter from the wall socket. Unfortunately, it's not so easy to give up the D-LAN adapter as a wired LAN is to bring only with great effort at this point. Even switching to a D-LAN from another manufacturer is difficult because we are using multiple devolo adapter and I do not like to exchange all.

The search for the cause of the pumping noise, however, was unsuccessful. It seems to hang together with the ground of the pickup. Without connected ground wire of turntable grumbled loudly. With ground wire the hum was gone, but up and abschwellenes (= pumping / pulsating) noise could be heard clearly. It did not matter if the earth wire was connected from the turntable to the ground terminal of the HAMA-amplifier or on the ground of the signal input or output. If you have the ground wire just eg reconnected from the ground terminal to the ground of the signal output, the pumping noise was initially disappeared, but came within a few seconds - slowly louder - back. A earth at the outlet did not change.

Because the phono preamp in my living room can not be operated without a noise, I'll send him back. On the record player in the living room I'll probably have to do without until further notice. I'll run it by pressing the old amplifier with integrated MM preamplifier in the basement

The (re-) evaluation of HAMA-preamplifier is difficult for me. The sound is impeccable and has provided no interference, earned five stars. The housing is compact and local pr properly. A real power switch is not available. So you would have similar to a switchable socket appeals.

On planned of use in the living room, the device works only with noise that can not be ignored under hifi aspects. Since the turntable and the HAMA preamps are the only devices with analog wiring (everything else will go via HDMI), I can not decide whether the disturbances are unusually strong or the preamplifier is particularly sensitive. However, when operating the turntable on previous amplifier occurred (an old Sony AV receiver, even with phono MM input) in the same environment (incl. D-LAN), no disturbances.

I give it three stars HAMA therefore simply times as an average of five stars for "Super sound, inexpensive and compact" and a star for "works in the planned environment with noise".