I can't speak for Audiofeil, but I think there is truth in his and Stiltskin's general point that one's system can make a real difference to enjoyment of vinyl or any other medium. The hobby generally seems to embrace that notion.
For me, the quality of results I obtain from the vinyl medium improves with upgrades to my analog front-end. Granted, a new cable or tonearm will not heal a scratch or remove dirt but, as my system improves I continue to be amazed at the amount of information (versus noise) there is to be discovered in the grooves. Records actually become quieter and sound better as my system evolves. I notice that some cartridges, turntables, phono stages and preamps can cause surface noise to be less noticeable - whether this results from shifting that noise to a different part of the frequency spectrum, or draining it away, or what, I don't know. I'm sure electronics don't know the difference between a B-flat and fly-spot on a record, but I've noticed certain analog components can yield more and certain others can yield less surface noise - or at least alter my subjective sense of annoyance or enjoyment resulting from a record that sounds noisy or quiet. Overall, system improvements have tended to improve my record collection.
Tim