My 2009 KitchenAid SxS has always been super quiet.  The compressor is only barely audible if you get down in front of the grille.  Otherwise, it's just the muffled sound of the evaporator fan motor inside the cabinet.  The condenser fan is silent.

The only time you might hear the compressor making a hybrid buzz-whine noise is after a defrost cycle, and it quiets down in fairly short order.  I have never owned such a quiet, well-behaved refrigerator and I'm pretty sure it has to do with the inverter system.

I had to replace the control board recently (the fridge doesn't have a standard relay), and my active listening was on high alert after installing a refurbished board (they are NLA new).   For a week I never heard the sounds of defrosting and there was never any water in the drip pan.  The evaporator coils in the freezer section that were visible were frosty, but not alarmingly so.  I sent the original board to a different place for refurbishing and within less than a day after installing it, I heard the sounds of defrosting.  Large chunks of coil-shaped ice fell into the drain area.  I sent the non-defrosting replacement board back for a full refund.  I'm sure many people would have never tuned into the lack of sounds regularly heard during the defrost period, but I did.  

It used to be, not that long ago, that Whirlpool had the market on quiet and reliable "standard" refrigerators.

IMO- GE was the louder models.

I've read that GE fridges have been having compressor issues, unsure which models though. They're dying around the 9-10 month period.

My Kitchenaid SxS has also been very quiet. Pretty much the only noticeable noise it makes is when the internal ice maker dumps ice into the bin. But that's been deactivated since last fall, and frankly I don't miss the ice.  I suppose I'll reactivate it once outdoor temps get toasty enough. Probably around June/July.

According to the sticker inside the fridge part, this model was made in December 2000. I probably purchased it in 2001. Still running strong.

As far as I can determine, and I had to use a cell phone to take a photo, it's Model # KSRS25IHSS02.

Bingo! Found the file for this fridge in one of my filing cabinets. I got the model number right. Apparently I paid $2109.60 for it, 22 years ago, including tax, delivery charges ($40), and extended warranty ($90). Whew!

I should add that the file shows the KA SxS fridge failed after less than a year (2002). However the warranty covered that, a repair guy came out and fixed it, and it's been trouble-free ever since.

A couple years ago I was visiting a friend on the other side of town. There, someone had put an old single door GE fridge out on the curb. I thought about it for a few minutes, and then said to myself, "What the eff?" and loaded it into my van. Still haven't plugged it in, though.

It's probably from about 1949, with a little freezer. Needs a new door gasket. I got the material, just kind of lost interest. I suppose I might install it and try the fridge out this summer.

OK, I didn't realize the thread police were active on Saturday.

However, I imagine the old GE fridge would be reasonably quiet. Like I said, I've never plugged it in to check on the sound, at least that I recall. I probably plugged it in when I got it home, just to make sure it still ran.

I promise to let everyone here know what the decibel level is if and when I get it back up and running.

M'kay?