Well it all started with this .. this blog tells it all and shows everything ..

"Claire's Xmas came early "

 

When Alan bought me new music system and off it went into the world of Audiophilia and now the system has grown into something quite impressive - and the vinyl collection too - from a couple of plastic boxes to now shelves filling up and categorized !
Recently over the past 5 months we have been battling a frequency that has been occurring daily through the speakers / amps ressembling birdsong

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(here's the sound if interested :: https://www.dropbox.com/s/947ln077uh8d65n/20210914_121619.mp4?dl=0

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So, after several back and forths with Mike the CEO from QuickSilver who designs and makes the Tubed Amps, Electricians, the guy from the vinyl store who repairs amps and turntables, trying to figure out this sound - months of troubleshooting , unplugging, testing, this that and other and countless words conjured in frustration  Alan nailed it 

firstly we think the Rega P3 has been struck by lightening when our surge protector was hit and has been damaged. The Rega is not grounded - no Rega's are moronically, so now even touching the tonearm causes horrendous feedback and distortion no matter what we try. Plus the Tube Amp picks up this signal and the speakers relay it!
The house now has 2 surges put on - one onto the Genrac breaker box and one onto the electric pole . We have an AC Conditioner being custom built (they're waiting for parts...of course .. same saga as our retro fridge)
and now it's hunt for a new turntable - not as easy as we thought - why - we refused China made products!
We were highly recommended a Technics SL 1210GR  - (which i still adore alot after pages and weeks of hunting) not too expensive or crazy as some audiophile's get like this one ( GO ON CLICK IT!!) finally found one, everywhere was out of stock, had to call them, then the card was pending and the store called me and I was thinking the website was 'shifty' but no it was 'nerdy' because one of the top ranking turntables had moved their factories to china and the quality had plummeted and all the stores and audiophile companies were removing them from stock and informing their customers of what was happening to this product ... so the hunt continues but we think we have found one .. a Clearaudio Concept, (maybe - its buy but  you have to add the tonearm / cartridge and the price adds and adds  - ugh)  - I'll call the store Monday morning to see if it's earthed and it's made in Germany not F-ing china! so fingers crossed - if only finding a Neurologist were as easy! And there are some decent people left out there - but its its hunt and discover and learn new things
So my set up is nearly complete again!
Currently we are running the system off an external generator (when the Rega behaves) off of a gas generator on the deck running a  extension cable thru the patio door ! Sadly Alan has the gen running near the office tho - which really sucks

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UPDATE :: Nov 21st
I heard from The Music Room and my order/build is very delayed and after several options I went for the same make/model, slightly used, same 2 yr warranty, same new tone-arm, same new cartridge -  with new FREE dustcover. As I asked in an email about this after the order because the turntable on the website showed it 'with' the cover and I wanted to clarify it was part of the purchase. No it wasn't. So after some haggling. The guy agreed this was false advertising and the $300 dustcover is part of the purchase! So now its more hurry up and  wait but I am still very , very excited plus there is money back too
Oh and if you want see how MAD this Audiophile world really is  - check this out https://www.paragonsns.com/products/clearaudio-statement-v2-turntable
the cartiridge is gold and is $17,500!

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UPDATE ::  Dec 9th

Well, what a polava it has been but I 'think' it's over and done with
The Concept Active arrived last Friday (3rd) I actually drove to town and met Brett (UPS Guy) at the depot at got it in the morning - saved it going up and down all the dirt roads all day and i wait until dark to get it!. We unpacked it and set it up - so excited, and it looked so good, all hooked up and the birdsong had gone .... and had morphed into a helicopter whomping sound.. the turntable motor. The grounding wire was missing from the box and the dustcover was the wrong one! Alan was tweaking, made a grounding wire for now and tried to sort out the helicopter.. he got it quitened down with some adjustments. Then vinyls on.. SHIT. On low volume it sounded crystal clear and perfect , go to 1/3rd and distortion . The cartridge was low output and after talking with Mike at Quicksilver - the pre-amp needs high outputs only.  The turntable at 33 and 45 was also running slow, by a second, Alan couldn't tell but from the start as i was singing along , I was ahead . Houston - we have a problem!
Ok - here we go again - it's a nightmare! Straight onto the phone  - which dont work for this company - and email - no response as we packed everything back up into the boxes! and the Rega was put back in place
That night I get an email from support.. Lauren .. she and I have been back and forth all week and it was finally resolved last night (8th) After convincing Lauren that this turntable had been sent not tested at the warehouse when built and hurried out the door , she took the reins on everything. They were not able to send this turntable to them as she was looking for replacement. and new for same price range. and the original price we started at.
She came back with what they had there personally and that her techs could build, test and do and all from new parts. basically the original order. But not the Concept Active (which has built in amp and bits - I already have a sooper-dooper phono pre and Intregrated tube amps! ) a basic Concept which we have upgraded the tonearm to a Satisfy and also upgraded the cartridge to the Maestro V2 .. she has discounted and done everything - including an additional band that i added to the cart, plus free 2 day shipping. and ironically - that Dustcover - is for the Concept not the active - so I unpacked that last night!
So this morning I go to town, ship off the Active once they receive, they ship out the Concept and the saga will be over and music can just be - switch on and listen without any additional stresses and words that are autocorrected!

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Dec 16-30th  - ugh  - the concept arrived BUT the mega expensive cartridge was broken! The stylus had fallen out of the cantilever so back into the box it went - again - and the Rega back  - again! extremely pissed off and yet another email to The Music Room .. their response was basically - it wasn't broken when we shipped it - YOU broke it when getting it out of the box! it will cost US $800 to have it repaired and it does not come under the warranty .. needless to say for this i did not reply until today
Over Xmas Alan decided to get the replacement cartridge for the best we have had and amazing sound - the Ortofon 2m black . Amazon shipped it and ups delivered it yesterday (29)
today Alan took off the broken Maestro V2 and put on the Ortofon  - WOW WOW WOW

The sound is absolutely phenomenal . The turntable utterly silent and so so happy
I also sent a reply to The Music Room starting with the line "what a load of bollocks .. how dare you have the audacity ... etc etc and demanding the owner of the company call me asap as they are repairing it or they refund the $1,200