yeah, I think only a stove tech who hears all kinds of different stoves running in their natural environment could give an accurate opinion.
I was very concerned about the noise issue when I was shopping, too...and I am a real fuss-budget when it comes to noise; probably more sensitive than most. I've been quite satisfied w/ my Accentra FS.
my refrigerator is louder, when its compressor kicks on. I was just toasting my hands on the stove, and noted (again) that I can hear the fans on my console humidifier, which is located in another room 20' away, over the sound of the stove.
One thing I just learned is that the auger motor can get louder over time. When I started it up this fall, it seemed very loud. after a few days, I realized that it was louder than it had been in the past...it was sounding like a fridge compressor kicking on...and a couple of times per minute. every time it would turn on, it would initiate with a "thunk". When I investigated, I found that the bolts that attach the motor bracket to the stove body had loosened a little bit. When the motor would turn, the torque was enough to move the bracket, and it would "thunk" against the bolts. Then that slop allowed the whole thing to vibrate more, which amplified the normal electric motor noise.
A few days ago, I had to disconnect the motor from this bracket (motor is bolted to the bracket; bracket is bolted to the stove body) so I could access something else (unrelated problem), and when I put it all back together and started up the stove, I was again surprised by it being even quieter than before. Re-attaching the motor caused me to snug up those bolts; they must have been a tiny bit loose, too. Now, the auger motor is nearly silent. Yes, you can hear it, but you have to
try. The sound of the pellets dropping into the auger is louder than the auger itself. (sounds like someone in the kitchen pouring cheerios into a bowl