tt surface noise reduce or tolerate?


I am new to the tt world but have a sota digital listening setup...now have a great phono preamp and nice benz cartridge with modest tt....

The sound of jazz or classic rock that is not quiet tracks is great but for quiet passages or ballads the surface noise is a bummer!!!

Is there a way to reduce the noise or you gotta suck it up. Love analog but if can't reduce then that is one drawback to it!
radioheadokplayer
Do you have a record cleaning machine?
Cleaning records is one of the best(only?) ways to reduce those unwanted noises.
There are many variables that affect how much surface noise you hear from vinyl. How clean the record is, how clean the stylus is, stylus profile, platter surface material, phonostage components and power supply, all play a part. There are probably a few more that I'm missing. Doing vinyl well does take working at it.

Since you ask if it can be reduced and not if it can be eliminated, I assume you are aware that it will never be as quiet as digital.
Sometimes surface noise is exaggerated if the vertical tracking angle is not correct or if the tracking force is set too high. Maybe you should check those things too.

You don't say which arm and Benz cartridge you have, but I know some of the more expensive Benz MC cartridges (especially recent ones) are very picky about those adjustments.

As the other poster suggested, investing in a good record cleaning machine is a good idea, especially if you buy used records.

But setting up a high-end turntable is not exactly plug-and-play, like CD players are. Getting all the adjustments correct can yield huge improvements in sound quality (especially with expensive MC cartridges). Often, a lot of patience and the correct measuring instruments are required. But when you get it all right, it's amazing how great a good turntable system can sound!
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