Hello, I am just getting into vynil after getting a Hitachi HT-350 and a Sony STR-6046A. My speakers are KRK Rockit 5 and I have Sennheiser HD600 headphones.

The major problem I am having is that SOME records distort at high frequencies, especially vocal "s", "ch", etc. From observation, it really seems like they are getting more and more intense near the end of the side of the record when the needle gets closer to the middle. I have investigated some threads on this forum and discovered some other people have this problem which is kind of a relief. The threads seemed to emphasize cartridge placement with..protractors? I don't know anything about this, but would like to try to tweak things to make them better. I don't know what the difference is between cartridge and stylus but it says ortofon night club on it. Sorry for my ignorance, I just want to have a good sounding setup. I tweaked the weight thing on the arm while testing on the record with the most obvious distortion and it kind of made it a bit better. I don't know what anti-skate does but it's at "3" right now. I tried all the numbers but did not notice any difference.

My second problem is subtle noise which comes from the receiver (because it's there when I switch to tuner, phono, aux. It's just a slight hiss and not a HUGE deal but I would really like it to be completely silent.

Suggestions? Should I just invest in better stuff? Is there something I should try?

Ortofon Night Club sounds like a DJ cart to me. The "3" antiskate setting would seem to also indicate this, and you probably are tracking at 3 grams.

You need a few things to get things rockin'. One, a new cartridge, and not a DJ one. There are many places to find them, and zillions of threads on which to buy right on this forum, but if you want to save yourself a lot of trouble, go to www.lpgear.com and order an AT-95E, it's right on their main page. It'll be scads better than a DJ cart and will introduce you, fairly inexpensively, to the wonderful world of vinyl.

Next, go here: http://www.vinylengine.com/articles.shtml and read up on turntable setup, even download a free protractor.

My favorite free protractor is located here: http://www.enjoythemusic.com/freestuff.htm

You will be ABSOLUTELY AMAZED what a difference that new cartridge, properly aligned and set up, will make.

Not sure about your hiss issue. Does the hiss increase when you turn up the volume, or is it just a 'noise floor'?

thanks for the reply! will definately look into all those things.

but yeah the hiss increases when I turn up the volume. Maybe it's a ground loop or something. It's really noticable on my headphones but not so much on my speakers. I turned it up all the way with my speakers and i just noticed the left channnel has a buzz to it while the right one just hisses. But there is no buzz at lower volume.

A good article on cartridge alignment:

http://www.deadwaxcafe.com/vzone/cartalign.asp

A good new cartridge is an excellent recommendation. Even if you change tables at some point, that can move to the next one. Then go through the process to set it up correctly. It may take a couple of iterations but it will be worthwhile.

You should try posting in vintage solid state regarding the receiver but my guess is that the pots need cleaning....probably shooting with cailube or something similar. You should describe your problem in more detail to help people with the diagnosis.

I think for the Hitachi, the Stevenson protractor at vinylengine.com will work best. But I agree with Sansui Louie that the AT95E will be a terrific match and will be much kinder to your records than that DJ cart.

As to the hiss, make sure that if the turntable has a ground wire that it's connected to the grounding post on the receiver. Other than that, start a thread in the Vintage Solid State section and ask there.