Analog Preview?

It's normal and called "pre-echo". Some folks think it is a sign of a good resolving system to hear this.

http://forum.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/fr.pl?eanlg&1176734157&openflup&1&4

Dave

Dave is correct. If the pre-echo is exactly one revolution of the LP before the same music starts, it is a phenomenon of the grooves. When the pressing is made, the 'next door' groove with affect the one next to it. How or why I havent a clue. (It seems crazy impossible? to me, but that is what it is.)
The other possible reason (if the pre-echo is NOT exactly one Lp revolution before, is that the master tape had the pre-echo in it. From print-through of the tape signal.
And yes, it does mean your system is very resolving, and your cart is spot on.

Interesting points that hearing is is the sign of a very good resolving system, as my experience is that pre-echo can be heard with a very basic system.

I used to listen late at night with headphones, at low volumes, and could hear it with many recordings. This was in the late 70's when I was still at school and my father would go nuts if he heard me listening to music late at night, so I would get around it using headphones and listening at extremely low volumes!

The turntable was a cheap 70's Garrard with a Shure M75-6s cartridge plugged into a cheap "Rank Audio" amp and with cheap headphones. I knew nothing about cartridge / turntable setup then, and the system was very basic - not "audiophile" at all.

It was easy to hear pre-echo with just that. Headphones and good ears are all you really need.

Thank you Dave for the complement. I guess my system is more resolving than I expected. And thanks Elizabeth for the more detailed explanation, I checked it and it is exactly one revolution of the record.

This said it remains anoying, especially when lsitening to classical music. I have great recording of Bach solo piano pieces and during certain silent moments you faintly here the coming notes. I suppose I will have to keep the volume a touch lower.