Ralph, sorry to sound dumb, but not sure what you mean when you say "how much noise there is when the needle is in a good silent groove." Does that imply when the record is spinning??
I ask because I checked the phono noise level with the linestage set to 80 clicks (out of 104) with the TT motor running, but with the tone arm lifted OFF the record. Is there noise?? Yes. I can hear hissing about 2 foot away from the speakers. The noise level is about the same out of both channels. Much beyond 2 feet, it's pretty quiet, or quiet enough.
My linestage is pretty quiet, about -109 db; the phono pre is fair, about -74 db, but not outrageous for a tube phono pre.
I'm not sure how to assess noise if the stylus is in a "quiet groove" while the record is spinning. If you are referring to a quiet passage, like a single instrument playing (e.g., a flute or violin), I don't think it's too bad. If anything, on some records, I'm probably hearing the stylus tracing the groove. On other records, very little groove noise.
Having grown up in the 70s, vinyl was notoriously "hissy." OTOH, I just bought a brand new 200 gram Mahler LP re-issue from Acoustic Sounds. It's very quiet.
Not sure all of this is responsive to the comments and suggestions offerred by you and Al. But that's all there is to report.
My main Q was about dynamic headroom if I crank the linestage up. Per Al, shouldn't be a problem. If it is, it's likely happening on classical records which generally present large dynamic swings in volume. Less so on compressed rock.
Thanks
BIF
I ask because I checked the phono noise level with the linestage set to 80 clicks (out of 104) with the TT motor running, but with the tone arm lifted OFF the record. Is there noise?? Yes. I can hear hissing about 2 foot away from the speakers. The noise level is about the same out of both channels. Much beyond 2 feet, it's pretty quiet, or quiet enough.
My linestage is pretty quiet, about -109 db; the phono pre is fair, about -74 db, but not outrageous for a tube phono pre.
I'm not sure how to assess noise if the stylus is in a "quiet groove" while the record is spinning. If you are referring to a quiet passage, like a single instrument playing (e.g., a flute or violin), I don't think it's too bad. If anything, on some records, I'm probably hearing the stylus tracing the groove. On other records, very little groove noise.
Having grown up in the 70s, vinyl was notoriously "hissy." OTOH, I just bought a brand new 200 gram Mahler LP re-issue from Acoustic Sounds. It's very quiet.
Not sure all of this is responsive to the comments and suggestions offerred by you and Al. But that's all there is to report.
My main Q was about dynamic headroom if I crank the linestage up. Per Al, shouldn't be a problem. If it is, it's likely happening on classical records which generally present large dynamic swings in volume. Less so on compressed rock.
Thanks
BIF