While it is true that the origin of noise is the compressor there are other factors that contribute a lot. The quality of materials used, mass of the materials, how loaded the refrigerator is, location of the freezer, etc. all contribute to the noise. So, just the compressor does not say it all; the noise is a sum of the parts rather than one component. Also different models within the same brand will be quieter/noisier than others so saying a brand is quiet is incorrect. I have a 15 year old LG which is DEAD quiet - but if I say refrigerators from LG are as quiet as the one I have, I would be absolutely wrong.