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Sussurro MkII and surface noise?

I know there are a bunch of folks here using the SoundSmith Susurro MkII. I just finished setting mine up on my VPI Avenger and really the first thing I noticed is how much more surface noise it picks up off my records. I mean, by a lot. My previous go to cart has been a Benz Wood SL, one of the later ones with the MR stylus. I found that to be relatively quiet. The SS uses a O.C. Line Contact type stylus - not quite the same as a MR, but if anything I'd have thought it would be contacting areas of the groove not as heavily traveled as with the MR stylus, thinking it might be either the same or quieter. Not the case by a long shot. Anyone else experience higher surface noise with the Sussurro MkII?
tonyptony
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mijostyn's avatar
mijostyn
8,204 posts
 
Tony, Once the azimuth is set, tracking force and anti skate dialed in. start with the tone arm bearing end low, just below were the tone arm is parallel to the record. Raise the rear a degree at a time listening to the noise in between. Give the noise a rating at each level write it down. At some point the noise will drop off then start going up again. Back off to where the noise is quietest. Set the Azimuth with mirror and the anti skate with a test record. These have to be right on. The last thing you do is the VTA. This will be the quietest you can get this cartridge. Differences in frequency response can make one cartridge sound noisier than others. 


lewm
12,486 posts
 
Except setting azimuth with a mirror and any setting of anti-skate are inexact. Anyway VTA is where it’s at for this issue. Also I’d talk to Peter Ledermann. He’ll have the best advice.
tonyptony OP
614 posts
 
New cart.

@mijostyn, yes that's a good approach. AnalogMagik's paradigm is that these interrelated adjustments are all optimized through the minimization of distortion as measured during each adjustment, cycling through the adjustments as needed (in a particular order) until the lowest distortion values are reached. I'm only just learning the ins and outs of this program, so maybe it's a good idea to fall back to a known method for this. 
folkfreak's avatar
folkfreak
1,349 posts
 
@tonyptony I would concur. My experience with AnalogMagik is that it’s great for really fine tuning a setup that’s already good, but the sheer pita nature of going back and forth make it a tricky approach to getting to an initial setup.

Sounds like you have the tools and experience to get to a good place “by ear” so try this and then go back to AM once that’s done.

Also most cartridges need 20-40 hours to bed in and edginess and the behaviors you describe are typical of a new cart still needing to settle in
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