I keep my chain tight as hell. Loose chains = Loss in power transfer. And that is bad. Some noise is natural, especially if you're just standing next to the bike while its on the workstand spinning the crank. When I do that on my bike, its loud. But, when I am riding it is not so noticeable. (Perhaps this is because of ambient noise.)

Also, Dura-Ace cogs are reputed to need a wear-in time before they quiet down a bit.

I use the basic EAI cog and either a standard Sugino 75 chainring or the Zen Racing ring. The racing ring is supposed to make the drive chain quieter by "gripping" the chain better. There is little noticeable difference here. So good components may make a difference in noise, but it is nothing to fret over, in my opinion.

My advice is to do two things:

1. Make sure that your chainline doesn't deviate more than 2mm (but if you use a 3/32 chain, you could go up to 3-4mm of deviation without any trouble). This is just to make sure your chain won't come off while you're riding.

2. Keep the chain clean and well lubricated.

Other than that. I don't think that one should spend money trying to make the chainline quiet. Just make it fast and everything else will fall in line.