Theres a guy in my towns cycle club with a new bianchi and his cassette is REALLY loud, everyone else rides newer modern bikes and their cassettes aint any louder than my freewheel, so I really think it just depends on the freewheel/cassette. I personally like them to make noise (just not too loud of course), I think my marinoni has a regina and I love the sound of it... just gotta get out in the very early morning when the wind isn't so bad so I can hear it!