I've not been active on this forum recently, since after I made the decision to buy a Pro-Ject table, I've been too busy enjoying the music to post! However, with no warning, my TT no longer works. The platter spins, so it can't be a fault with the power supply or speedbox, and when I place the tonearm on the record I can hear the needle traversing the grooves, so I know the needle is functional. However, there is no sound coming from the speakers. I have tested other devices on the auxiliary channel of my stereo (my iPod), and it works, so the problem must be somewhere between the cartridge (an Ortofon 2M red, FYI) and the built-in preamp.
The TT is under warranty, but getting repairs done will involve shipping and a lot of hassle, and I'll feel like an idiot if it's only a minor problem such as a loose connection. In that spirit, can anyone tell me how I'd go about pinpointing the problem? Bear in mind that I don't have any spare arms, carts, or anything else of that nature.
Turntables are generally not capable of not producing sound - somewhat due to the fact the turntable itself doesn't produce sound.
Things to start with are whether there is a stylus left on the cantilever. This is the most common cause of "no sound" from a cartridge. The stylus cound be missing while the cantilever still holds the bonding pipe used for bonded stylus attachment. This would mean the cartridge seems to track the record and you would hear a faint noise from the surface of the disc as the end of the pipe rides over the groove. There is no actual stylus however to get down into the groove to extract sound. This would cause an immediate "no sound" condition in both channels.
The next favorite option for both channels would be a tape montior has been engaged. If other sources function, then this isn't likely to be the problem. But check all the pre amp switches just in case.
There are very few other possibilites that could result in both channels being affected at the same time. The next choice would be a defective cable but both legs of a cable don't tend to open at the same time unless a catastrophic event has occurred. Start with the volume on your pre amp turned down low and the tonearm locked down on its rest while you gently touch the cartridge tags on the back of the cartridge with a metal screwdriver. You should hear a hum through each channel as you touch the hot side of the output.
If none of these point to a defect the issue, then the problem very likely is not in the turntable.
Thanks for your help with this one. I couldn't isolate the problem with your methods, which leads me to believe it was somewhere in the integrated phono pre-amp. In the end, I sent the table back to the dealer, and it's now being shipped back to Pro-Ject and will be replaced. Hopefully the replacement table will have no such issues.