I like silence best but I'm in the back of the house, so when DH is there, I can listen to TV (Supernatural, Bones), radio(Southern Gospel), and my favorite old video movies, like; Hello Dolly with B. Streisand (original tape. I love to hear her sing Hello Dolly when she comes back to the restaurant), Man from Snowy River, Return to Snowy River, etc.
But when DH is not in the house, I have silence so I can hear the other parts of the house and/or the doorbell. I don't like someone to walk up to me with out calling my name so I can hear them. DH used to do that scaring me so I would tremble. He didn't do it to be mean just didn't think. I would turn around and there he would be standing! I recently told him I was going to start keeping my S and W--38 with a built in laser locked and loaded by my machine! He doesn't do it anymore!!! Lol
All my family know that threat and so do my friends but they don't know is I have it there or not. Our doors used to revolve with people all day.
I just hate it when some one scares me! When was a kid, my younger brother used to hide in our house and jump out and scare me (like he would be hiding in one of the closets and I never knew which one). It's one of my greatest pet-peeves.
I worked in a quiet hospital setting for 45 yrs so I think best and FMG best when it's quiet in the house. I can hear and feel the machine to catch a rhythm of the stitching!