Our 2015 budget Whirlpool, installed by my home's builder (and with all the features of the new machine described above) can be heard on the other end of the house. It is both motor and spray noise, and I have observed that the spray is louder when the machine is emptier.
But, it's still a *LOT* quieter than the early 2000s GE Nautilus we had in the flat we moved from. I have to strain to hear it in other parts of the house, and if I am engrossed in something, I forget that it's running. In my den with no wall separating it from the kitchen, I watch television with a comfortable level of volume when the dishes are being cleaned. But, being a light sleeper I can't run it when I'm sleeping on the other end of the house. It's a pleasant hum, not the growl and whine of a Nautilus or Hotpoint, and not the mechanical buzz of a FrigiLux. Much quieter during the drain portions, natch. There is no hiss or gurgle when it is filling, and we have fairly high water pressure.
As to drying performance, one must be certain to use rinse aid with this machine - possibly all modern machines. Post after post from my neighbors on the subdivision's social media site and review after review at Best Buy have complained about poor drying, and it's almost all the time no rinse agent with the hard water we have here. I don't need that, as I have a mechanical softener installed. It is as all modern units, however, in that there is a slight trace of water on top-rack items - particularly plastics. My marriage partner complains about spots on the cutlery, although she is somewhat of a perfectionist. She also doesn't do the washing up; she just unpacks the machine when the load is finished. The several times that I have unpacked it, the spotting seems miniscule to me, and so faint that it's not glaringly obvious.
The leftover water happens even when the heater is switched on. *But*, this is if the machine is left alone. I try to practice active drying by shaking off the plastics as the machine is draining. Well, I suppose that's the only advantage to its not being whisper quiet - I can tell when the final rinse is done. After a minimum of 10 minutes, I open the door, let the steam escape, and allow natural convection to finish them off. Using that method, there is no remaining water even on the plastic items. It is a statement of the obvious that drying is greatly improved when I use both the water heating switch and heated drying. My apologies: I forget what the temperature of the main wash and final rinse is boosted to when the water heater does its work.
There is a soil sensor that operates only on the Normal cycle which - like Eugene - I rarely use. If I have even moderately heavy soiling, it adds one extra rinse after the main wash...every time.
Filtering: Due to the high grade and quality of mesh used, and a complex routine the machine performs to clean itself after the main wash, I can go without cleaning the filter for months at a time.
I've been using her once to twice a week for five years with no repair needed, and with no degradation in cleaning performance. A guyfriend of mine in the next street over had three service calls his first year, and it looked like Whirlpool would end up replacing it. But, he's had no problems after the last repair; none at all. This being sub-$400 when new, it goes without saying that it feels light and flimsy. But, parts, hardware, &c, are all intact after five years; e.g., nothing's fallen off/come loose/broken off, and it still has the original controller board (The "cycle's done" indicator light stopped working on *that* before the first year was up...)
