Anyone notice different amounts of surface noise with different arms?

@mijostyn Blinding the panel isn’t what music listening determination is about. It’s what you enjoy listening over a long period of time. I’ve had state of the art digital in my personal listening system and boy it sounds awesome. And then after a few days I want to kill myself because it’s just not conducive to long term listening. With good analog, I’m hard pressed to turn off the music. With even the best digital, I’m out after about 45 minutes.

By the way, the music is recorded digitally but there’s a ton of analog elements in between because artists know digital sucks. They hate it.

@mijostyn Now I am curious about your turntable! 

If I ever have the money, and the Garrard does not work out, I have my eye on a Slovenian Holbo deck which has a tangential arm riding on air, and an air-bearing platter.  About the same price as one of your cartridges, or an SME V tonearm.

I heard one playing at a B&W demonstration evening and was impressed, so I went back later with a few of my records.  Sounded good, even playing through B&W speakers, and got me interested in vinyl again!

@mijostyn Sorry, you did say your table was a Sota Cosmos Vacuum table!

I had to he same thought as Raul, after reading that you hear no difference between analog and digital RIAA filtering, because you’re signal is in the digital domain AFTER RIAA correction. That added processing might obliterate differences that would otherwise be audible. Of course there’s also the possibility that there is no audible difference between analog and digital RIAA correction. Quien sabe?

- tonearms do not sound exactly the same

- setup is critical. Deviations measured in .0001 (I’m pulling a number outa my tuchus, but you get the idea) will make a difference

- it has been my experience that less expensive cartridges are livelier - maaaaybe to mask inferior quality? - and pick up more surface noise, but the liveliness often masks it. The more expensive cartridges have less surface noise, but you can hear it better. Could be for the reason someone on this thread alluded to. Milage may vary: I don’t expect everyone will have the same experience.

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