How much water are you plan on pumping. Submersibles are genrerally quietest as their sound is muffled by the water . However, they supply heat to the water above what a noisier external pump would supply. They in genearl are also less efficient than external pumps and have shorter life spans. External pumps are generally larger capacity pumps though and come in high volumes pumps or high head pumps. The high volume pumps out pump the general submersible pumps on a per watt basis. My Dart, Iwaki and Pan World Pumps (external pumps) are about the same noise output as the power pack fan in my computer, which means I only hear the pumps when nothing else is making noise. Like the computer, TV, radio, microwave etc. which are all heard over the circulation pumps which are in a standard aquarium type backless cabinet.