I puttered around in relatively low - mid end tables and cartridges through about 1980. Like the second coming of the AR TT, Philips, and Gerard… with cartridges like the Shure V15 Well respected, but low to midlevel and absolutely not audiophile.
I took the plunge and got and audiophile table and cartridge. That was a VPI Aries and a Van den Hull Frog. I don’t think I have ever heard such a stark and jaw dropping change in sound in my life. The surface noice just disappeared… gone. I had no idea it was even possible. The difference was so large I felt rather stupid for not doing it sooner. Since then every audiophile turntable / cartrige I have heard has been virtually void of surface noice. Ok, really terrible vinyl has noice, but even that isn’t obnoxious.
So, here is the problem. I really want to claim it was mostly the turntable. But I never put a Shure V15 on it. Once I was into the audiophile arena I just never wanted to go back. I have listened to some modest Rega and not been impressed with their lack of surface noice.
So, here is what I think. Save up and replace both the turntable and the cartridge. Jump up a level… think about 2x for both cartridge and table. My feeling is that super heavy tables in the lower audiophile categories are quieter. At least from my experience.
I think this would be far more effective than trying to substitute a maybe less sensitive or warm cartridge.
