Quiet Tonearms/cartidges??

I think that the most significant factor affecting tics and pops is not the quality of your cartridge/tonearm/turntable, but the dynamic range of the music you listen to, followed by the physical quality of the pressing.

If you are listening typically to music with narrow dynamic range, such as most rock music, or classical chamber music, or to recordings which are significantly compressed in terms of dynamic range, you will hear minimal tics and pops. If you are listening to uncompressed wide dynamic range music on high quality audiophile-oriented labels, you will also hear fairly minimal tics and pops. But the worst case would be minimally compressed wide dynamic range music on a mediocre pressing (typically symphonic music from one of the major labels), in which case I would say stick to cd.

Regards,
-- Al

My insanely high gain ARC SP6 B soldered on MC make loud firworks type pop using the Dynevector 20X 2.0MV H.o. Cartridge. I switched to a non tube phono stge which is the Graham Slee Amp 2 SE which you can use with a HO MC but is designed mostly for higher output MMs. The gain was not a problem I got plenty of sound out of my big speakers and 80wpc tube amps and moderate Mu pre-line stage using only 6SN7 because I like them so there! Franly now $370 which was hard fought price for the Graham Slee Amp 2 SE is no longer just tweak change for me and I was not sure what the reason is for the near universal praise for it.
It took an eterrnity of glare,smear, dry and at times a shrill high end that my uber gain ARC did not do but magnified noise to the point of having a noise floor close to the cieling. Mercy a reprieve after leaving the Amp 2 on since I bought it 5 months ago it is smoothing over or I just lost more high frequency hearing.

Dear Handyman: IMHO there are at least two things that will improve the quality performance of what you have right now in your >PL-71 and that its worth to try before you change the TT/tonearm/cartridge :
you have to change the tonearm IC cable for a better one and you can change the Shure today stylus by this one:
http://www.lpgear.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=LG&Product_Code=e007446

Regards and enjoy the music,
Raul.

Hi,
I wouldn't want say so much about the other stuff as yet, but Raul's advise to stick with the V15 III gets my full support.
You have not mentioned your current stylus type (see in front of the protection flap) or its condition. In fact I would expect its condition may be still in good order.
I use a V15 type III right now and it runs with the (upgrade of old) stylus VN35MR.
It sounds VERY nice, B U T only after using the correct VTA setting i.e. about 1-1.5mm arm down at the pivot! Otherwise at level arm it usually sounds too bright and un-musical.
I use this old V15 in my SME-10 TT and SME-V arm a ~ $15 000 rig and it's a good match. Sounds better than some $3000 plus MC cart!
This brings about all this other analog stuff like Zenith, Overhang, Azimuth, settings etc.
I would expect, you not having been at it for some time, it may be somewhat of an 'un-known' to you.
IT IS VERY IMPORTANT to have a basic grasp on this stuff. The last time you played records, not much VTA adjustment was practiced (never mind known!) I include myself here in the 70s and early 80s, and then only to be followed by CDs, amen.
I also think your TT will be more than fine to get going, given the correct set-up!
The phono-interconnects as mentioned by Raul are as well VERY worthwhile to consider as they are **usually** not of the best dating from that period.
Your next step, and again mentioned by Raul is the SAS stylus replacement for that V15. But I suggest only, if the current one is worn or not at least an elliptical (E) or hemi (HE) or micro-ridge (MR). Check for the end letters of the VN35xx stylus on your V15 type III. (Displayed on the stylus protection flap ).

Best of luck,
Axel

You'll find reading through this thread to be highly informative:

http://forum.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/fr.pl?eanlg&1214236406

Among many other excellent points which are made, I would single out for mention Atmasphere's post about how phono stage or preamp designs that incorporate significant negative feedback will exacerbate tics and pops, and also about the criticality of proper cartridge and tonearm adjustment (as Axel also alluded to above).

Regards,
-- Al