Quiet cartridges

[6and8]

I've noticed that some cartridges are referred to as being 'quiet', that they eliminate more snap, crackle and pop. The term 'inky black silence' is sometimes used. Which are the 'quiet' cartridges? How / why are these cartridges quieter than others? Is it the shape of the stylus, or something else? Is there a trade off - what do these cartridges sacrifice soundwise in order to minimise surface noise?

 

[Al ears]

I've noticed that some cartridges are referred to as being 'quiet', that they eliminate more snap, crackle and pop. The term 'inky black silence' is sometimes used. Which are the 'quiet' cartridges? How / why are these cartridges quieter than others? Is it the shape of the stylus, or something else? Is there a trade off - what do these cartridges sacrifice soundwise in order to minimise surface noise?

A tricky one. I doubt many people have tested a known noisy record with different cartridges and the same record would not happen as when first played that cartridge may have cleaned it up for any following cartridges. I believe cartridges don't sacrifice anything, you do in the way of cash. The best stylus profiles are designed that way for a purpose and will give a better signal to noise ratio, for this you have to pay dearly.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=F65mODzn4Gk

The above me help or any video by Peter Ledermann

 

[daytona600]

snap, crackle and pop

will be dirt , static & MRA on the record , get a RCM or good manual wet cleaner

even a £10,000 cartridge will produce snap crackle & pop if records are dirty

 

[6and8]

I get what you say, and know a bit about cleaning records to minimise surface noise.

But I've read reviews of cartridges where the reviewer has mentioned that this or that cartridge is particulary quiet re surface noise compared to other cartridges in the same quality / price bracket.

I should have paid more attention and made notes of which cartridges they were referring to.

 

[nopiano]

Aside from stylus profiles - a book in itself! - setting up accurately, especially rotational alignment when viewed straight ahead, will be important. As to different models, those with a smooth frequency response will definitely be less susceptible. Not many MCs avoid a quite peaky or elevated hf, which highlights unwanted noise. Higher tracking weights can help, by ploughing debris out of the way rather than riding over it.

Older Ortofons I remember being quite smooth, and a Denon MC, not the famous 103 but a highish compliance DL303 I once had, was pretty immune too. My current modest Grado is pretty good for quietness, though that has a droopy top end a bit like turning the treble control down a bit.

Away from the cartridge itself, a phono stage matched well and with a high overload margin (tricky spec to discover) is important too, so peaks don't clip the input side.

 

[Al ears]

Aside from stylus profiles - a book in itself! - setting up accurately, especially rotational alignment when viewed straight ahead, will be important. As to different models, those with a smooth frequency response will definitely be less susceptible. Not many MCs avoid a quite peaky or elevated hf, which highlights unwanted noise. Higher tracking weights can help, by ploughing debris out of the way rather than riding over it.

Older Ortofons I remember being quite smooth, and a Denon MC, not the famous 103 but a highish compliance DL303 I once had, was pretty immune too. My current modest Grado is pretty good for quietness, though that has a droopy top end a bit like turning the treble control down a bit.

Away from the cartridge itself, a phono stage matched well and with a high overload margin (tricky spec to discover) is important too, so peaks don't clip the input side.

Nopiano is quite right. Perhaps we need to clarify about what is meant by noise. There are dirty records and there are cartridges that will display surface noise on the areas between tracks that should, ideally, be noise free.

Funily enough one of the quietest I have owned was the veritable Denon DL103R, although perhaps an excellent phono stage helped here and with all my subsequent cartridges.

 

[good_enough]

I've noticed a distinct reduction in surface noise with my Hana SH, which I've attributed to its Shibata stylus profile (V shaped line contact rather than point contact elliptical).

In the most dramatic example, my copy of Marley's 'Natty Dread' had a skip-jump that made it repeat half way through 'Lively Up Yourself'. The click-repeat click-repeat click-repeat that afflicted the record with my Denon DL110 disappeared to become just a slight transient 'phut' in the right channel while the Hana tracks serenely on!

The cart sacrifices nothing in sound quality to achieve this feat, in fact it sounds wonderfully transparent. And yes 'inky silence' about sums up its behaviour between tracks.

I don't have the resources to buy and test countless carts, so my experience is limited to three - AT95E, the DL110 and the Hana SH. I'd rate them in that order on every quality including surface noise - that's the ranking in inner groove distortion, detail, 'presence' and linearity too. As to the 'why', my hypothesis on the Hana is, as I say, the Shibata stylus, as the others are both elliptics I wouldn't know on those. I echo the comments above on alignment; while setting the VTA on my current cart the difference between 'spot on' and 'slightly off' was dramatic in terms of detail and clarity of imaging.

 

[Al ears]

I've noticed a distinct reduction in surface noise with my Hana SH, which I've attributed to its Shibata stylus profile (V shaped line contact rather than point contact elliptical).

In the most dramatic example, my copy of Marley's 'Natty Dread' had a skip-jump that made it repeat half way through 'Lively Up Yourself'. The click-repeat click-repeat click-repeat that afflicted the record with my Denon DL110 disappeared to become just a slight transient 'phut' in the right channel while the Hana tracks serenely on!

The cart sacrifices nothing in sound quality to achieve this feat, in fact it sounds wonderfully transparent. And yes 'inky silence' about sums up its behaviour between tracks.

I don't have the resources to buy and test countless carts, so my experience is limited to three - AT95E, the DL110 and the Hana SH. I'd rate them in that order on every quality including surface noise - that's the ranking in inner groove distortion, detail, 'presence' and linearity too. As to the 'why', my hypothesis on the Hana is, as I say, the Shibata stylus, as the others are both elliptics I wouldn't know on those. I echo the comments above on alignment; while setting the VTA on my current cart the difference between 'spot on' and 'slightly off' was dramatic in terms of detail and clarity of imaging.

You are probably right in that its the Shibata stylus. The more technical these get the more dependent they are in set-up accuracy. .....but it's worth it.

 

[Tear Drop]

It is related to the quality of the stylus, specifically the polish of the diamond or whatever stone is used.