The latest wave of appliances is really fucking loud for some reason.

I think they're using different kinds of motor windings, bearings, insulation, etc. it's not related to the refrigerant or other system parameters. I've had older r600a fridges that were dead silent compared to anything sitting in a Best Buy showroom right now.

Likely high speed compressors --- the oldest hermetic systems used an induction motor running at 1800 RPM, then later they went to 3600 RPM, and now they're running on a VFD that possibly goes much faster. By making it pump faster, they can use a smaller compressor and reduce costs, at the expense of longevity and noise.

Ew.

They use lighter lubricant oils than were historically used, which allows more vibration. It’s also why compressors burn out far more quickly than they used to.

That too. https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=32462954

You can't? Refrigerators have always made a noticeable background noise as they cycle on and off.

The advantage of the newer variable speed scroll compressors in some high end fridges is that they can run continuously at a slower speed.

I'm not the same person, but I do not (and never have) noticed any noise when my fridge is running. Whether that means we have different fridges or different tolerances for noise, I'm not sure.

It's tolerance. I've bought several of the quietest fridges and they all bother me. Old fridges sound nicer but newer ones are actually quieter.

Is it the fridge noise in particular or all noises that you find you are sensitive to?

In practice the fridge is the only common thing. Most stuff in a house is quiet or, like fans or furnaces, make simple sounds that are easy to ignore.

More likely you have a noisier house/neighbourhood. I used to think my PC was silent until I moved to a quiet place and then I could suddenly hear it very clearly.

Yes, absolutely. In particular, I find this obnoxious when staying in hotel rooms that have a minifridge.