tt surface noise reduce or tolerate?

Sometimes surface noise is exaggerated if the vertical tracking angle is not correct or if the tracking force is set too high. Maybe you should check those things too.

You don't say which arm and Benz cartridge you have, but I know some of the more expensive Benz MC cartridges (especially recent ones) are very picky about those adjustments.

As the other poster suggested, investing in a good record cleaning machine is a good idea, especially if you buy used records.

But setting up a high-end turntable is not exactly plug-and-play, like CD players are. Getting all the adjustments correct can yield huge improvements in sound quality (especially with expensive MC cartridges). Often, a lot of patience and the correct measuring instruments are required. But when you get it all right, it's amazing how great a good turntable system can sound!

A record cleaning machine is certainly a first step.

However, although some vinyl fans insist vinyl can be "as quiet as a CD" I have never heard it that way. You should audition a top notch system either at a dealer or one of the several Audiogon members who offer such help. Decide for yourself if the possible surface noise reduction is worth the cost, which by the way can run to several tens of thousands of dollars. I auditioned a rig listing for upwards of sixty grand, and found it to be only marginally better than my system (with respect to surface noise).

I admit to being highly sensitive to surface noise. It is possible to learn to "listen through" the noise, a skill which was highly developed before CDs came along. I was never very successful, but if you can do this you can enjoy the other desirable characteristics of LPs.

Before CDs were introduced surface noise (and rumble) was generally recognized as a problem, and many electronic devices were developed to reduce it. Bob Carver produced a device he called an Autocorrelator which I used, and it was probably the best. It implemented several band-limited filters which were controlled not only by noise in the band but also by analysis of lower musical fundamental frequencies to determine if any program signal "should" exist in the band. It also had a peak unlimiter, and dynamic rumble filter. Very clever, like much of Carver's work. However, it didn't take care of "clicks and pops", but there were other devices to remove these. The only LPs which I found to be "as quiet as a CD" were ones produced by the DBX company. These were only playable using special DBX electronics, which the company stupidly refused to licence for manufacture by others, and CDs killed the format. This was a shame because the processing had other benefits besides the obvious noise reduction.

By all means investigate improvement of your vinyl set up, but your expectations should be realistic.

You can experience virtually no surface noise while listening to vinyl. I have many LPs that are silent. They are clean and I keep them that way. Not by cleaning over and over but by handling them and storing them correctly. This yields good results. Cleaning LPs that have surface noise does improve noise as stated above. However you will not be able to remove scratches. If you have a favorite selection with scratches you can most likely get another copy on E Bay or new if its been re-released.

On the other hand, I have many CDs that are unlistenable due to compression and/or hiss. Obtaining, cleaning, and taking care of your LPs will give you enjoyable results.