matrix: sean, as usual, gives good advice. i'd go farther, tho, and say that surface noise is directly correlated with the quality of ALL components in a vinyl playback system. that is: high quality tt's are quieter than lower quality varieties, the same going for arms, cartridges phono stages and wires. and, of course, the better the pressing, the more you'll appreciate the magic of the lp.
-cfb
-cfb