I have 5 machines, some from the 80's and 3 from the last couple of years. It seems to me that the new machines are all quieter. 2 brother and a singer. I think it would be hard to find a noisy new machine nowadays. If you're really concerned, go to dealers and test drive some machines.

The quietest (is that a word?) I ever sewed on Old or new... Was a Singer 500a. A friend of mine had it and I cleaned it for her . I told her I was going to steal it. None of my machines purred like hers or sewed as smooth, And she rarely used it. :)

My most favorite and quietest (yes, that is a word) machine is my Elna, a 1986 50 year-special edition. But I do love the FWs, and a 201 (it really does go "tickety tickety toooooo" when I am sewing on it, no matter how fast or how long a seam), and an old Dressmaker that my son brought over for me to clean up a few days ago. I can't believe how quiet it is; but HEAVYYYYY. Old lady me, I cannot even pick it up. And the Rocketeer that a friend gave me not too long ago--I finally got it sewing, and it is very quiet.

The treadle is my quietest followed by my feather weight and then the Bernina

Our church quilting group has found that if we buy the carpet samples to put under our machines it makes for a quieter room when everyone is sewing. Of course it doesn't quiet down the talking, but the machines seem quieter. Haha!

you can put your machine on the rubbermaid shelf liner and it will be much quieter.

My Pfaff 1222E,Berninas 930 and 1031,Singer 221 Featherweight. The older machines are much quieter. Also a treadle is very quiet, there are 4 that I use.
Sharon W.

My two noisiest is my two commercial machines. The Mitsubishi needle feed is not as noisy as my Juki 127. It sounds like a jet engine when I turn it on. The motor is very loud. My old New home is guess is my next noisy one. It's be a while since I've gotten to use it, it has a broken spring in the top tension and I can't find one. My Janome HT2008 is the next quietest. But the quietest of all is my Singer 15-89 treadle. I had to use it while my Janome was in the shop. My Singer Quantam Lock 5 is pretty quit.

OH decky this is so funny

The older machines might be louder but they sure will out last any machine made today.