SE to Balanced will help?

[The Sentinel]

Try running an additional ground wire from the Mani to the NAD???

You sometimes have to experiment with ground. Use a piece of wire with bare ends and touch the chassis of all equipment. Sometimes you can solve the problem entirely this way.

One of the many tests that I did today was exactly that one I need didn’t work. Actually, I tested grounding directly to the ground wire that goes in the electrical installation of the house that I am totally certain that is very well grounded to the land. Nothing worked so, I think it is not a grounding issue, but a PSU issue combined with a huge amount of gain, first 62dB at the Mani2 and then all the NAD’s gain way up.

 

[Zapper]

I will also suggest that your expectations are too high. You are taking a coil designed to pickup tiny fluctuating magnetic fields and amplifying its output >10,000 times (preamp × amp gains). 60Hz AC magnetic fields are everywhere. Add enough amplification and you'll hear it. If you can't hear it at normal playback settings then call it a win.

 

[GPJ]

The SUT sounds like the best option. I use a Denon AU-320 SUT (1:10) with my DL-103R cartridge and into a Parks Audio Budgie phono pre @38dB gain. Works perfectly how I want it.

Rothwell is a good resource for SUT info:

mc step-up transformers explained

nclayton sells some good SUT's on eBay based on Cinemag transformers. The 1254 Cinemag is an excellent choice that might match well with your cart:

Moving Coil Phono Step Up Transformer Cinemag 1254 4 Ratios 1:10 - 1:40 MC SUT | eBay

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Moving Coil Phono Step Up Transformer Cinemag 1254 4 Ratios 1:10 - 1:40 MC SUT at the best online prices at eBay! Free shipping for many products!

www.ebay.com

I use his 3440AH with the Denon carts and it also works great

Moving Coil Phono Step Up Transformer Cinemag 3440AH 4 Ratios 1:9 - 1:36 MC SUT | eBay

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Moving Coil Phono Step Up Transformer Cinemag 3440AH 4 Ratios 1:9 - 1:36 MC SUT at the best online prices at eBay! Free shipping for many products!

www.ebay.com

 

[The Sentinel]

I will also suggest that your expectations are too high. You are taking a coil designed to pickup tiny fluctuating magnetic fields and amplifying its output >10,000 times (preamp × amp gains). 60Hz AC magnetic fields are everywhere. Add enough amplification and you'll hear it. If you can't hear it at normal playback settings then call it a win.

Yes, it is a win indeed, it is not audible even at 90dB at the sweet spot.

 

[The Sentinel]

The SUT sounds like the best option. I use a Denon AU-320 SUT (1:10) with my DL-103R cartridge and into a Parks Audio Budgie phono pre @38dB gain. Works perfectly how I want it.

Rothwell is a good resource for SUT info:

mc step-up transformers explained

nclayton sells some good SUT's on eBay based on Cinemag transformers. The 1254 Cinemag is an excellent choice that might match well with your cart:

Moving Coil Phono Step Up Transformer Cinemag 1254 4 Ratios 1:10 - 1:40 MC SUT | eBay

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Moving Coil Phono Step Up Transformer Cinemag 1254 4 Ratios 1:10 - 1:40 MC SUT at the best online prices at eBay! Free shipping for many products!

www.ebay.com

I use his 3440AH with the Denon carts and it also works great

Moving Coil Phono Step Up Transformer Cinemag 3440AH 4 Ratios 1:9 - 1:36 MC SUT | eBay

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Moving Coil Phono Step Up Transformer Cinemag 3440AH 4 Ratios 1:9 - 1:36 MC SUT at the best online prices at eBay! Free shipping for many products!

www.ebay.com

Wow!, looks like the right upgrade from the Mani2. Thanks!

 

[GPJ]

Wow!, looks like the right upgrade from the Mani2. Thanks!

You still need a phono stage for RIAA EQ, so you will need the Mani 2 also. The SUT will go between the turntable and Mani 2. The SUT will boost the voltage and gain (in a good way) Just set the Mani for normal MM operation, 47K and 40dB, then you are off and running and your noise issues should be controlled.

 

[The Sentinel]

You still need a phono stage for RIAA EQ, so you will need the Mani 2 also. The SUT will go between the turntable and Mani 2. You just set the Mani for normal MM operation, 47K and 40dB, then you are off and running and your noise issues should be controlled.

Hehe, yes just saw that, those are step up transformers only and not full phono preamps; if they do the job of amplifying without noise then they’re worth the cost.

 

[GPJ]

Hehe, yes just saw that, those are step up transformers only and not full phono preamps; if they do the job of amplifying without noise then they’re worth the cost.

IME they are WELL WORTH IT.

 

[drewdawg999]

IME they are WELL WORTH IT.

Yes I agree, MC quality need not come with hiss and hum. Plus, they're big in Japan. Those nclayton Cinemag SUTs look sweet, especially the 1254, nice to have so many options for ratios. Looks like the Ortofon Quintet is low internal impedance and only 0.3mV output, so a 1:20 ratio looks pretty good. My old Koetsu Black is similar, checked out Cinemag but landed on a Phasemation T-300 and it's been perfect for me, especially since budget is a factor. They're readily available on eBay if you don't mind shipping from Japan.

 

[SoNic]

The SUT load up the pickup coil inside the cartridge with a lower impedance and they might change the response, depending on the cart impedance, especially in the high frequency part. IMO, you are giving up exactly what you are trying to gain by using a MC instead of a MM.

Moving Coil are much pickier to the amp chain, when compared with Moving Magnet. MC are much harder to cleanly amplify, because they generate a much lower voltage: 0.2-0.5 mV for MC, versus 3-6 mV for MM.
The preamp for those has to be INSIDE the turntable, or at the most VERY CLOSE, with a shortest as possible cable connection, double shielded. As an Electrical Engineer I am telling you... there is no way around this. Small gain preamp for MC that goes inside the turntable is the best solution.
This is something similar with what I used personally, installed inside the turntable, to boost the voltage to the MM levels (no RIAA correction in this stage):

Boozhound Laboratories JFET Moving Coil (MC) Pre-Preamp Kit

Mark Houston has built the $49US Boozhound Laboratories JFET Moving Coil (MC) Pre-Preamp and he shares his experience with the kit. The pre-preamp is intended for use with MC cartridge where additional gain is required. The MC Pre-Preamp gain is 30dB.

diyaudioprojects.com

 

[The Sentinel]

The SUT load up the pickup coil inside the cartridge with a lower impedance and they might change the response, depending on the cart impedance, especially in the high frequency part. IMO, you are giving up exactly what you are trying to gain by using a MC instead of a MM.

Moving Coil are much pickier to the amp chain, when compared with Moving Magnet. MC are much harder to cleanly amplify, because they generate a much lower voltage: 0.2-0.5 mV for MC, versus 3-6 mV for MM.
The preamp for those has to be INSIDE the turntable, or at the most VERY CLOSE, with a shortest as possible cable connection, double shielded. As an Electrical Engineer I am telling you... there is no way around this. Small gain preamp for MC that goes inside the turntable is the best solution.
This is something similar with what I used personally, installed inside the turntable, to boost the voltage to the MM levels (no RIAA correction in this stage):

Boozhound Laboratories JFET Moving Coil (MC) Pre-Preamp Kit

Mark Houston has built the $49US Boozhound Laboratories JFET Moving Coil (MC) Pre-Preamp and he shares his experience with the kit. The pre-preamp is intended for use with MC cartridge where additional gain is required. The MC Pre-Preamp gain is 30dB.

diyaudioprojects.com

As thread stater, I’m getting aware of valuable concepts.
When noise gets IN the signal cannot be cleaned up by going to balanced.
MC cartridges require a lot more of care, investment and patience; do not expect fully clean signal from MC cartridges without all that.

My system runs beautiful and sounds spectacular at levels up to 90 dB-A at the sweet spot, if cranked above the hisss can be heard but all other sources (even cassette tapes) are deadly silent in the background so I guess I might be investing in a SUT in a few months but not in a hurry really.

Oh, the Mani2 sounds better and with a very lower noise than the internal phono stage of the NAD C165BEE. I’m keeping the Mani2 given Amir’s review of it.

 

[GPJ]

You could get rid of the Mani, drop the SUT idea, and use one of these too:

Trumpet MC - Vacuum Tube Phonostage

The Trumpet MC is a world-class phonostage suitable for the most demanding of audiophiles. This 3rd generation model maintains the superb sonic performance of the original, while cleverly cutting costs via technological advancements. The circuit remains fully balanced from input to output...

hagerman-audio-labs.myshopify.com

Spendy but excellent. I own one.