dead quiet

is the solution to noise in the analog system only new/different equipment?

The noise I'm referring to isn't pops and ticks, it's hum, and it's noticeable when standing near the speaker. With the right cartridge/arm and doing my "work" to iron out noise, it's only noticeable with my ear in front of the speaker, but it is indeed more noticeable than the digital sources.

Can you guys advise us on what the keys are in component selection?

PS - just noticed my systems are a little down level - I'm running 2 Pink Triangle tables, 1 with a London Decca Super Gold, on a Roksan Artemis Zi arm into my TAD 150 phono stage. The other with a Benz Glider on a Clearaudio Emotion arm into a Jolida JD9a phono stage > Musical Fidelity Nuvista preamp.

A hum problem can be very difficult to identify as there are so many factors to consider.

In my experience, as it relates to analog front ends only, I find the preponderance of hum problems are usually found in the (lack of or poor) shielding/grounding somewhere in the turntable, tonearm, and cartridge combination.

Another candidate would be tubed phono stages.

Again, these are the most likely based on what I've owned and serviced. There are certainly other hum inducing causes that are far too numerous to list.

I've had analog gear where I heard that faint hum if I got right up next to either speaker, so I think I understand what you're talking about. I don't have it now, and my system is what most of you would call mid-fi, so I don't think it's a problem money alone can solve.

Without trying to remember the gear that produced the audible hum, I'll tell you what I listen to now: Benz Micro Ace L on vintage ("old") Yamaha YP-D8 DD table with stock arm, into Musical Surroundings Phonomena, into Cayin TA-30 integrated tube amp, into GMA Continuum 1's. Interconnects and speaker wire are BlueJeans Cable.

No hum, no analog noise residue. Of course, surface quality and pressing quality of individual LPs varies mightily. But with clean vinyl the system is quiet and musical as hell.

I would like to add that, even with a ZYX a3 with .24mv out and my ASR Basis Exclusive maxed to around 65db...I can turn the volume 3/4 up on my JRG Concerto pre and not hear anything coming out of my JRG 201 monos. Just the slightest bit of "normal" hiss...so yes...it is VERY possible to achieve this. And Im an amature.

BdGregory, Where do you get your AC power for all the gear? Is it coming from more than one wall socket? Is the system AC grounded at more than one socket? If so, the simplest thing to try first is to lift the grounds of all but one component, preamp is best choice to leave grounded with a 3-prong plug, since everything else is connected to the preamp. To lift the grounds of the other components, you may have to resort to "cheater plugs" available at any hardware store. A small difference in AC ground potential between one wall socket and another can result in low level hum. If this strategy does not help, there are more complex rituals that may do so. like lifting the ground wire from the turntable to the preamp, if it is currently attached to the preamp OR attaching the ground wire to the preamp, if it is currently free. As others have intimated, regardless of the cost of your system, you don't have to live with hum.