dead quiet


I read this a lot that one's system is dead quiet..Is this at all possible when playing phono? what does it really mean?
ditto
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.
Bdgregory, I had the hum in the speaker between tracks when I listened close to the speaker. It went away when I replaced the Jolida JD9 with a JLTi phonopre.
One thing that can cause hum is other components, especially digital components, even when they are off. I have to disconnect the power supply on my Squeezebox when I play records to avoid a slight hum. I previously had a Sony DVD-9000ES that produced tremendous hum in my phono, though only when on.
Have you tried turning off, or even unplugging, any digital gear, if you have any?