Will an RCM make the Rice Krispies go away?

Hi all,

In addition to the above good advice, consider your entire analog front end.

Some turntables are noisier than others.

High resolution systems are for the most part quieter. I know this seems parodoxical, but think about this from a resonance control perspective.

Listening to snaps, crackles and pops can be likened to looking at a square wave reproduced by different electronics on a scope.

As a playback system better controls resonance, the duration of the snaps, crackles, and pops is shortened (less ringing), and you here a dramatic reduction in noise.

As far as quick fixes, I've found the Dynavector stylus profiles to be the quietest I've heard to date. The humble 20x is extremely quiet, and the XV-1s is shockingly so.

I can now enjoy my RCA Dynagrooves.

Cheers,
Thom @ Galibier

Hi Rballdude,

If this is your first turntable you may well be in for a period of adjustment.

While I share Albert's comments about many of my LPs being quiet on my Galibier with a Dynavector XV-1s on the business end of either a Schroeder or Triplanar Tonearm, I know people who go nutty when they hear a single pop.

Now I'm not arguing for the sound of a crackling yule log when I write this, but at the same time, a well set up analog rig should draw you into the music to the point where a few ticks and pops become only a minor annoyance ... like someone coughing in a concert hall.

Tell us about your system. As I mentioned above, this has a lot to do with how prominent record problems will be.

Cheers,
Thom @ Galibier

Hi Rballdude,

Great comments from Doug, Ralph (of course), and others. Yes, I didn't emphasize enough that ringing can come from many sources - both mechanical and electrical.

I take it that the A-I is only serving a line stage function - being fed by the Herron? I only know the Heron by its good reputation. Perhaps other Herron owners can comment about its unique strengths and weaknesses (nothing is perfect).

Benz cartridges in general tend to track more quietly than most ... getting quieter as you work your way up the food chain.

Assuming the stylus isn't trashed, I'd look into a thorough cleaning regimen - including the Mr. Clean Magic Eraser. Properly adjusted, your system is at a level where even a couple of plays without cleaning will be audible to a greater or lesser extent. Now, I'm not looking at this being a silver bullet, but it certainly won't hurt to cover your bases here.

Cheers,
Thom @ Galibier