I've been reading several threads here about squeaky brakes, trying to figure out what to do with my situation. I have a Surly Cross Check with stock Tektro 992A cantilever brakes and replacement Kool Stop pads. I've done all of the typical stuff (cleaning the wheel, sanding the pads, etc...) and the pads have about 300-400 miles on them so I'd think they would be broken in by now. I've had 3 different mechanics adjust them, 2 of which I trust, without any success getting the squeaking to stop.

Since I've never been thrilled with the stopping power of these brakes, I'm considering replacing them with either the Neo-Retro or Touring Canti brakes from Paul Component Engineering. They are spendy but appear to be top quality and far lighter than the Tektros.

Any thoughts on whether these brakes will have significantly better stopping power and whether there is any chance the squeak issue might be solved by better brakes? I've read reviews on the Tektros that say they are squeaky, but not sure if the brakes themselves are really the problem here.

have you try " toeing " them in ? loosen the bolt or nut slip a dime or something in the back of the shoes,then re-tighten the hardware. the brakes shoes should now be 1-2 mm closer to the rim in the front ,compare to the back. the squeak should be gone and have nothing to do with braking power. Braking power have more to do with the lever and how the cable is setup.

I've tried adjusting the toeing along with the 2 trusted mechanics without any luck. I'll try adjusting them using the dime method though, just to be sure. Even if that solves the squeaking problem, the possibility of stronger braking with the Neo-Retro brakes has been on my mind since I bought the bike - I just don't know much about Paul Components - Are they good quality or is it just marketing fluff?

Paul Components are very good quality.

tektro CR-720, one of the better canti brakes that puts avid and shimano cantis to shame.
If that doesn't solve the problem, get a brake booster plate.

or you can try the booster plate first, since it's cheaper by a small margin.

try toe out. lower straddle cable height(2 fingers above the tire) for more power. cantis trade clearance for power. different pads can help too

Search the forums for squeaky brake threads. You'll notice that almost all of them involve Kool Stops. Then go and get Avid Pro pads. bk