Agree with Chakster. There are too many variables. I have Devore O93's and tube gear every step of the way to the loudspeakers and I used to have a hum problem with my VPI table due to a grounding issue. My other deck, a hot-rodded TD124 with a Reed 3P had zero hum. I believe my hum problem had to do with VPI's inferior and sometimes problematic grounding scheme with their junction box. Reed (and several other great arm designs) incorporates a cartridge clips to RCA continuous wire (no breaks along the way). My belief is that this reduces the chances of hum greatly. Shielded IC's from the phono stage to the preamp and from the preamp to the amp also help. In my case, I run balanced-Cardas Clear Beyond-from my preamp to amp. So I got rid of my VPI Prime and replaced it with a hot-rodded Garrard 301 with another Reed 3P and though both decks sport low output MC cartridges, my system is dead quiet on most days. Sometimes when the power lines are noisy, I hear very slight hissing.
New efficient speakers - best way to keep noise floor down?
I will be getting some new speakers soon and they will be a lot more efficient (98db compared to 86db) My analog front end is very quiet right now, but I'm thinking the noise floor is going to be a lot more noticeable with the new efficient speakers. Just to get ahead of the situation (in case it ends up bugging me) what is the best way to lower that noise floor? I already have a TT and cart that I love and I also have a good record cleaner, so I'm hoping it may be as simple as focusing on the phono pre-amp? Is that a correct assumption? If so, who makes the quietest noise floor phono stage for MM (and I am talking bang for the buck here - under $700 I'm hoping?) If not a phono stage, what else should I be looking into? Thanks!