noise levels- canister vs HOB?

I have both XP3s and Emp 280s and the XP3s are quite a bit quieter.

my xp2 is very very quiet

eheim are the quietest by far, renas are pretty quiet unless they get real dirty then they might get a little noisy, but for most people they will be under your tank in the enclosed stand so that should pretty much quiet all but the loudest filters...I am currently running Emp 400's and an eheim 2028. the Emp stays bearable for the living room but i run the eheim in my bedroom...

At one point i had 3 rena cannisters in my bedroom under a wrought iron stand (125gal), so yes thay are pretty quiet...

i got a xp3 running in my room and i can barely hear it.

IMO its much quieter than a HOB

i have two xp4's and really dig everything about them. i think my ac110 might be a little louder than them actually

My Rena xP3 is far quieter than any of my HOBs (AC110, Emp 400, etc.). There is a very slight hum that is only detectable when you place your head next to it. Not quite silent like the Eheims but pretty bloody close!

I believe that cans are quieter than hobs. But that depends on the level of the water in your tank for a hob " waterfall effect. And how far under the water surface you place your spraybar or outlet on your cans. I have noticed that the covers rattle and vibrate on the ac hobs. Still love the ac110 though.

Canister are quieter if you chose wisely. I have a tank in my bedroom and I only use Rena XP3, Eheim Pro II 2026, and two Emperor 400s