A storage system comprises a linear block encoder. A write circuit writes an output of the linear block encoder to a storage medium. A read circuit reads data from the storage medium. A channel decoder decodes the data. A soft linear block code decoder that decodes the data decoded by the channel decoder. The channel decoder decodes the data read in a first iteration. In a subsequent iteration the channel decoder decodes the data read by the read circuit and utilizes information decoded by the soft linear block code decoder. A threshold check circuit selects an output of the soft linear block code decoder if a number of parity check violations has a first relationship with respect to a threshold, or an output of the channel decoder if the number of parity check violations has a second relationship with respect to the threshold.