@cspiegs, When you have the Yamaha set to phone; but the tonearm is in it's rest do you hear noise? Is it a hiss or a hum? Have you had this issue since you got your TT/cart? Did you have it with a previous set-up?
Also, no matter what method one uses to wet clean LPs; the solution does matter. A lot. When I started using a solution of Triton x100, HepaStat, and alcohol my old LPs sounded much better. Better than using commercial solutions and LAST.
@mattmiller & @gasbose , Good to hear that GruveGlide does the trick. I am not impressed with LAST and have been looking for a replacement for Sound Guard for decades.
As far as phono preamps go, I have gotten pretty "black" background on MM carts with a Schiit Mani ($129) and on MCs with an Emotiva XPS-1 ($180?); but the my integrated is very black to begin with. I've moved up to a Musical Surroundings Phonomena II; but I was not motivated by surface noise. @atmasphere , would you know if any of these have stopping resistors?
Also, no matter what method one uses to wet clean LPs; the solution does matter. A lot. When I started using a solution of Triton x100, HepaStat, and alcohol my old LPs sounded much better. Better than using commercial solutions and LAST.
@mattmiller & @gasbose , Good to hear that GruveGlide does the trick. I am not impressed with LAST and have been looking for a replacement for Sound Guard for decades.
As far as phono preamps go, I have gotten pretty "black" background on MM carts with a Schiit Mani ($129) and on MCs with an Emotiva XPS-1 ($180?); but the my integrated is very black to begin with. I've moved up to a Musical Surroundings Phonomena II; but I was not motivated by surface noise. @atmasphere , would you know if any of these have stopping resistors?