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Issues with Setup (Pro-Ject Debut Carbon Evo -> Schiit Mani 2 -> Sonos Connect -> Play 3s)

  • 11 April 2022
  • 9 replies
  • 684 views

Hey all,

I’m a first time turntable owner and I’m really struggling to get my audio to work. I have my Pro-Ject Debut Carbon Evo feeding into my Schiit Mani 2 (Phono Preamp) which then feeds out and into my Sonos Connect. I have my Sonos Connect to hook up to my Sonos Play:3s. The audio barely comes in and I have fiddled with every setting imaginable within the Sonos App. The audio comes in better when I completely bypass the Preamp and go from my turntable directly into my Sonos Connect, but that is also very quiet.

I also have a seperate stereo amplifier if that is necessary for my setup, but I’m pretty lost at the moment. Do I have a defective Preamp? Or is there something else wrong with my equipment / setup?

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Best answer by Airgetlam 11 April 2022, 02:26

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9 replies

Wait, “multiple RCA cables”?  The cable that comes with the turntable has a ground wire bundled, but this is not typical with other RCA cables.  Maybe you didn’t connect the ground wire from the Debut Carbon Evo ground lug to the Schiit Mani’s screw lug?  This doesn’t usually lead to low output level, rather to a constant hum, so this may not help.  But it’s worth at least checking, given everything you said.

I have the cable that came with the turntable w/ the ground hooked into the Schiit Mani. I just meant I had a couple of extra RCA cables that I used to test feeding out of the Schiit Mani and into my Sonos Connect to see if it was an issue there (with any RCA cables)

When I looked online, it appears the cartridge is MM so go for 47k loading on the pre-amp and try the higher gain options with the switches as @buzz mentions - Also don’t forget to set the line-in ‘source level’ to somewhere between 8 and 10 in the Sonos App and see if that perhaps works for you.

Tried all of that and still no luck, I followed up separately with the manufacturer of my pre-amp.

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Wait, “multiple RCA cables”?  The cable that comes with the turntable has a ground wire bundled, but this is not typical with other RCA cables.  Maybe you didn’t connect the ground wire from the Debut Carbon Evo ground lug to the Schiit Mani’s screw lug?  This doesn’t usually lead to low output level, rather to a constant hum, so this may not help.  But it’s worth at least checking, given everything you said.

When I looked online, it appears the cartridge is MM so go for 47k loading on the pre-amp and try the higher gain options with the switches as @buzz mentions - Also don’t forget to set the line-in ‘source level’ to somewhere between 8 and 10 in the Sonos App and see if that perhaps works for you.

There are multiple “2M” cartridges. Is yours a MM or MC? If this is a MC cartridge, you’ll need the higher gain settings on the preamp. If this is a MM cartridge you’ll need to use the 47K setting on the pre-amp.

Which cartridge is installed on the turntable?

This pre-amp has an unusual number of “moving parts”. Make sure that you are using appropriate loading and gain for the cartridge.

I have a 2M Diamond Ortofon

 

Which cartridge is installed on the turntable?

This pre-amp has an unusual number of “moving parts”. Make sure that you are using appropriate loading and gain for the cartridge.

It’s hard to tell where the failure is with just this description, but as a guess, the preamp is not working properly. 

Since you have a receiver, there would be a couple of things I’d test, to help pinpoint the issue, if possible. 

First, I’d connect the turntable directly to the ‘phono’ input, and make sure the turntable is indeed working. 

Second, I’d insert the preamp in line again, and switch to using a tape input, to see if you can hear the turntable on that line level input on the receiver. If the former test worked, and this one doesn’t, you’ll have proven that the preamp (or perhaps the cable….) isn’t working.

Third, If both of those tests end up working, I’d be adjusting the controls in the Sonos controller for the input level associated with the line in. 

Thanks for the reply. I tried those tests and it seems like it is something with the preamp. I had multiple RCA cables as well so I was able to pinpoint it wasn’t an issue there.

It’s hard to tell where the failure is with just this description, but as a guess, the preamp is not working properly. 

Since you have a receiver, there would be a couple of things I’d test, to help pinpoint the issue, if possible. 

First, I’d connect the turntable directly to the ‘phono’ input, and make sure the turntable is indeed working. 

Second, I’d insert the preamp in line again, and switch to using a tape input, to see if you can hear the turntable on that line level input on the receiver. If the former test worked, and this one doesn’t, you’ll have proven that the preamp (or perhaps the cable….) isn’t working.

Third, If both of those tests end up working, I’d be adjusting the controls in the Sonos controller for the input level associated with the line in.