Problem with DUAL CS 505-3 advice please

[CrispinF]

Hi, I have an old DUAL CS 505-3 (1980s vintage) and I have recently been trying to digitize my LPs. However it keeps making bad noises, like someone blowing on a microphone continuously. The problem is intermittent, can affect either or both channels, and generally starts after a few minutes of play. Sometimes mild, a slight crunching, and sometimes severe.

Once the noise starts, it continues even after lifting the arm. It only stops when I pull back the arm to stop the turntable.

Wiggling/touching the cables does affect this. I'm running the turntable through a (cheap) Cambridge Audio pre-amp. The problem does seem to be in the connections between the turntable and the pre-amp, but I don't think I can get at the turntable end of these connections - the cable just disappears into the unit. The RCA connections at the other end are reasonably clean I think, and I've tried tightening them to get a better connection, but the problem remains.

It's driving me nuts, and I'm wondering whether I simply need a new turntable, but that seems a great shame. Any advice on what could be causing this, and how to fix, would be much appreciated.

 

[nopiano]

I still have my CS601 and I sold Duals for years. But this is not easy.

My two guesses are the motor is worn or dirty and producing interference your cartridge is picking up. Or the headshell contacts are dodgy. When you return the arm, it may well mute the pickup, hence the silence, but obviously the motor stops too.

It will take patience are care to sort this, but I cannot really help online. I regret I have not been able to find a Dual specialist outside London, but it may be worth trying. Good luck!

 

[MajorFubar]

Sounds like a dry joint somewhere which should be a simple fix by waving your soldering iron at it. But I'm really not sure how easy they are to dismantle.

 

[GCE]

Control the 4 cartridge thin connections to the arm-shell,

or check the rca plugs of cable;

if the cable is damaged, is not so difficult to change with another:

just remove the platter and the belt and sobstitute the cable with a better one

Like a shielded Tasker cable and new rca, less than 10 €...

let us know!

 

[wclough]

I had a Dual until recently. I had noise problems but not like you describe. Mine were cable feedback issues which I never got to the bottom of. So why am I responding to you? Well it sounds like a great excuse to treat yourself to a new turntable and enjoy your records as they are as well as transferring them. I bought a not too expensive Project Carbon after initially going to the shop for a Rega and what a difference over the Dual. A bit of useless info, the Dual factory is apparently still on the go making Thorens, so I was told

 

[CrispinF]

Hi all, and thanks for the advice. I decided to get inside the thing, thinking that if I wrecked it I would have a nice excuse for a new one. Having seen what was what, I decided to replace the RCA cable. I found my old soldering iron in the loft, and with the help of our ten year old's titchy fingers, had the job done in half an hour. We used an RCA cable from a camera, lopping the end of and stripping the cables.

Result - no horrible noises, even if I touch the cables etc. Fantastic, now I can play all my vinyl again!

(I did find that after putting it all back together again I had one part still on the table, but it doesn't seem to have been that important ;-)

 

[chebby]

I did find that after putting it all back together again I had one part still on the table, but it doesn't seem to have been that important ;-)

Who needs the motor anyway?