Refrigerator noise

This subject has been of interest to my wife & I as well. We researched as well as we could, considering Bosch, LG, GE & Samsung. We cook a lot & make dinner from scratch every night, so it had to function well from a utility standpoint as well as being quiet. Tvad is right, every brand has it's detractors. Remember the old trusim, an unhappy customer tells ten people, a satisfied customer tells one. In the end, we bought a 24 cu. ft. Samsung, rated @ 44 db., which is competitive with all the brands that actively promote quietness as a feature. After replacing the fridge with the same model after only four months because Samsung couldn't provide repair parts for a loud, ratcheting ice maker, I can tell you there are substantial differences from one fridge to the next. The second one is less quiet than the original. Still generally quiet, but it's quite annoying considering the first one was inaudible from eight feet away and the replacement can be heard from 16 feet away. If my experience is applicable on a broader scale, I can easily see how experiences are so variable. Regarding reliability, I would also urge consideration of WHO you buy from as a warranty is no better than the company administering it. My experience with appliance repair through major large retailers is abysmal. I'd always try to buy from smaller local retailers than have more responsive and nimble warranty service departments. FWIW, Audiocircle has had an active thread on this subject for some time now as well.

I had a Sub Zero 550, over/under refrigerator/freezer for 3 years in my previous home. It was wonderful but we sold it along with the house. When we bought this house, I purchased a 601R which is a refrigerator only unit. It's 20 cubic feet of very useful space, runs quietly and has given us very little trouble.
When we had the evaporator replaced a couple of weeks ago, the part was furnished under warranty, the labor came to $450, and I received a check today from Sub Zero for $115. The stub said it was a warranty reimbursement for labor. Considering the age of the unit, I think that was very generous of them.
They also make a 601F freezer to match if you have the space and funds. I have neither so I bought a small GE upright freezer for the garage.

If quality is important to you, there is no alternative. They are not silent but the noise is less obtrusive than most.

Did some warranty research. The sections below in quotations are copied and pasted from the manufacturer's warranty statements.

From years 6-12, Sub Zero's warranty is limited, and "covers all parts that prove to be defective in materials or workmanship in the sealed system (parts only). The sealed system consists of the compressor, condenser, evaporator, drier and all connecting tubing."

Kitchen Aid's limited warranty for years 6-10 is similar to Sub-Zero's sealed system limited warranty..."covers all parts that prove to be defective in materials or workmanship in the sealed system (parts only). The sealed system consists of the compressor, condenser, evaporator, drier and all connecting tubing."

Jenn-Air's limited sealed system warranty is for years 2-5.

LG's warranty for years 2-4 covers only the compressor.

I appreciate the discussion. I have no dog in this hunt. I'm only looking for a good, reliable fridge. I do believe it's beneficial to discuss facts and avoid generalities, so I posted the details as I read them from the manufacturer's warranty statements.

Tvad - Your findings concerning Sub Zero warranty are consistent with the terms in my owner's manual.

The big difference between a Sub Zero and more conventional products lies in the fact that the Sub will meet it's original specs long after most other refrigerators have been replaced.

By the way, they claim my refrigerator uses less juice than a 100 watt light bulb.

I bought a Samsung over/under combo fridge/freezer for one of my rentals last year and it seems very nice and user friendly for the $900 and change that I paid. I haven't lived with it at all though so I'm not sure whether or not it gets any points for quiet operation.

I agree with cleaning around the compressor. The unit will run quieter and more efficiently - meaning that it will be "off" and silent for longer periods of time.

However, ambient noise is ambient noise. A couple of years ago, there was a power outage in my neighborhood. It was the first time that I experience true silence at home.

I am a big fan of SubZero refrigerators. The house that my parents built in the mid 50s had one that was still going strong when they sold the house 30 years later. Their second house also had a SubZero as did my first house; both of these units were trouble-free until the houses were sold more than 15 years later. My current SubZero is 15 years old. About 3 years ago, I needed to have the condenser replaced. Even though it was out of warranty, the company paid half of the cost of new unit plus labor. I have heard that the newest units are quieter and use less energy than my 15 year old refrigerator.