Not sure about all this talk of them being a noisy tyre
I can't hear them any more than I could hear the Conti's on my A3. Other tyres may well be quieter but there will not be much in it I'm sure.
On my Mk6 GTD, the Bridgestone tyres were very noisy. My wife noticed it also. At motor way speeds, we literally had to shout to be heard. When I replaced the OEM Bridgestone tyres with Good year AS2 tyres, they transformed the car. Not only quieter, but noticeably more comfort and better grip.
My wife has an A3. It was/is noticeably quieter than my old GTD and new GTI. I'm fairly certain that it is due to the tyres. When the GTD was on 16 inch winter tyres it was almost as quiet as the A3 on it's 16 inch tyres.
I have to confess that, during the summer, I didn't notice any problems with the Bridgestone tyres on my GTI. The only issue I noticed was that noise levels were back up. However, from my previous experience with Bridgestone tyres I was not prepared to take a chance on them again. I have had a few accidents were I realise that poor tyres were a contributing factor.
My GTI PP now has Michelin PS4 tyres. Now that it has turned wet and cold I am very impressed with the grip levels. Also, the car is noticeably more comfortable. Initially, I was disappointed with the noise levels. Especially at motorway speeds. However, it has improved a bit. (Or maybe I've just gotten used to it
). By comparison the A3, with it's 16inch tyres, is certainly a much quieter car.
I always give this site a look before deciding on our tyres -
http://www.tyrereviews.co.uk/