^^^I did the same. SZ, Bosch, and Thermador. Small (just two stores) independent appliance store on Long Island. Wonderful customer service!

The LG LF21G6200S earned a recommended rating from CR and meets your requirements. It earned a very good rating in noise (at Best Buy) and is well-priced at $1400. Ice maker didn't perform well but you don't care about that; you don't have to even hook it up.

Judging the noise level of an operating appliance in a sales showroom won't confirm how it will present in your home which has different accoustics. What you call glue in the door seams probably is blown-in insulation, and/or remnants of the protective adhesive shipping film that is peeled off at installation.

LG has had a problem with their linear compressors. A class action suit was the result. I don't know if they've resolved the problem they preferred to leave without a fix. Imo recent experience, CR is not doing any level of comparative testing that would make their info useful.

Costco has a $1200 Haier 4 door model that gets you a 2 year warranty or more if you use a Costco credit card.

A 4 door alternative is a Frigidaire. Frigidaire FRQG1721AV 33 Inch Counter-Depth 4-Door French Door Refrigerator with 17.4 Cu. Ft. Capacity, TwinTech™ Dual Evaporators, Adjustable Glass Shelves, Store-More™ Bins, Crisper Drawers, Adjustable Freezer Storage, LED Lighting, and CSA Listed

dan1888: "A class action suit was the result"

That was for refrigerators manufactured between Jan. 1, 2014, and Dec. 31, 2017.

"Imo recent experience, CR is not doing any level of comparative testing that would make their info useful."

How would you suggest CR improve its comparative refrigerator testing? It tests thermostat performance, temperature uniformity, energy efficiency, noise, ease of use, crisper performance and icemaker performance.

"Costco has a $1200 Haier 4 door model..."

CR tested that Haier QHE16HYPFS but it only achieved a 3/5 rating for noise.

I’ve had two Fisher Paykel single door refrigerators, and both were problem free. I highly recommend FP if you have service available in your area.

@ houseinthewoods18. I took note of the fact that you mentioned that you live in a rural area with limited choices. Before you purchase anything, I would strongly suggest that you call the local appliance service companies that do exist near you and ask them what brands they service. If you purchase a brand for which there is no local service support, you will essentially be buying a refrigerator that is disposable the first time it breaks down. If you are fortunate to be able to locate a local appliance dealer that also can service their own appliances, all the better as someone here has already mentioned. It’s getting tougher to find such appliance dealers that service what they sell, but it is definitely worth a try.

1. Fisher & Paykel Appliances .This branch, which manufactures household appliances like refrigerators and dishwashers, is wholly owned by the Haier Group.

Fisher & Paykel RF170BRPX6 N $2500.

is a 32-inch Series 5 Contemporary freestanding refrigerator.

The compressor is an Embraco, a manufacturer used by SubZero for some of their models.

It looks like the Haier and Frigidaire I listed aren't as good a product as this Fisher Paykel.

When we bought a new oven, upgraded the electrical panel to accommodate, had it installed, and turned it on, I don’t think the installer had made it back to the store before we called our salesperson to take it back. Then we did more research that we had not considered: quiet ovens.

Of course I came here to ask.

I had a couple of recommendations, and a great suggestion: ask our salesperson if we can come to store at closing time, wait until the tvs and stereos and fountain and some lights and fans are turned off, customers are mostly gone, and the store is quiet, and turn on our recommended oven (which they just happen to use to bake cookies for customers on weekends).

It worked. The recommended oven WAS quieter. We bought it and while it still makes a sound, because all the ones with electronics have a fan, we cannot hear it in the adjoining dining room, or upstairs.

It’s a Bosch.

Are you sure the quieter refrigerators won’t fit, or be accommodated?

Alignment of the doors is adjustable. Never buy a Samsung refrigerator. Our Whirlpool fridge is relatively quiet.

Alignment of doors is an installation problem. Depending on what kind of noise it's making that could be an installation problem as well. I had both those issues with an LG caused by the local appliance service people. It took a threat of return under the extended warranty for them to get someone from LG's recommended service provider to come out and fix it. Going on ten years and it's been fine since then.

"the two front doors are close to but not even at the height"

You can align the door and adjust their height following the (example) instructions on page 25 of the Owners Manual. You should also make sure that the refrigerator is level and sits firmly on the floor; instructions for both are in the manual.

Side note: Is the entire space 33"? You need to be sure there's room for the refrigerator + required air clearances around it. If your current refrigerator is 33" wide and includes the required air clearances or the refrigerator is standalone with no cabs, walls, etc., next it it, then a 33"W refrigerator will work.

Our SZ french door bottom freezer is super quiet. Hear the fan a bit after you open and close the doors but it goes away quickly.

Kate Cowers: "Our SZ french door bottom freezer is super quiet."

She's looking for a free-standing, 33" (max) refrigerator that costs less than $4K. Subzero refrigerators are built-in and the only model that would even fit is the 30" bottom-freezer CL3050U/S at $13,605.

Or a used SZ. If you can find one, it would work and last longer.

Thank you for all the thoughtful comments. Last week a technician came to the house and agreed that, there is nothing wrong with the refrigerator, it is just poorly designed and likely has limited insulation. He said that over the past 5 years, he's seen a lot of Whirlpools and KitchenAids with noise complaints. He did recommend Fisher and Paykel and Bosch as units he's familiar with that are designed to operate quietly.

My space is open, not a cabinet, so I need a freestanding unit, thus the primary problem with SubZero. Honestly, at this point, I'd spend > 10K on a refrigerator if it promised peace and quiet! But, this brand is not an option for my space. I have a BlueStar range that I like a lot, they sell free standing refrigerators that compete with SubZero, but only in 36" width. My space is, cabinet to doorframe, 35-5/8" so 36" will not do. I would be OK with anything between 30"-33". Counter depth preferred. Quiet operation is a must.

Bosch 800 series is the refrigerator I like and has very good reviews but it is 36" wide. Bosch has a 100 series refrigerator that is 33" wide. It lists for about 2K, has limited/no reviews, and given the price relative to the units that have lots of reviews, I am suspicious.

So, I guess F&P? Leibherr? I am still trying to ascertain that a local tech can work on Leiberr units.

This Lieberr is nice, but small. https://assets-cdn.liebherr.com/versions/9b51747a-582a-4cf2-ac7a-b4372358fa75/original/

Otherwise, I think this FP, but am still trying to figure out what the difference(s) between Series 7 and Series 5 are. Aside from Series 5 having a lower price (few hundred dollars). https://www.fisherpaykel.com/us/cooling/refrigeration/professional-refrigeration/17.1-cu-ft-series-7-refrigerator-freezer-ice-rf170wrhjx1-26609.html

I am suffering now from paralysis as I'm super concerned I could end up not solving this problem. That said, I have never heard a refrigerator as loud as the one I am living with so the likelihood of not solving seems low.

Gee, wdcruise.....so sorry you felt the needed to mansplain. Even dan1888 suggested an SZ so pfffffttttttt. And bpath talked about an OVEN, not a refrigerator.

Get a life. I was merely commenting on the brand and it's "quietness". Let the OP investigate sizes etc. If the brand doesn't fit, it doesn't fit, but at least it was a suggestion.

You only need 3/8th of an inch to be in choice heaven. Door trim is replaceable with slimmer door trim.

I'd do it.

@houseinthewoods18 I have had an FP with bottom freezer pullout drawer and ice maker for 7 yrs. It came with a 5 yr warranty addon as a special at the time. I got it through Ferguson Appliances in Charlottesville VA. I can not tell it is running even if I stand with my head against it! Lol. It is quiet. I am a noise phobe so believe me when I say it is silent. Everything has been perfection since purchase.

My Blue Star is ok. I got there hood as well with the double strength motors and regret the design as it is almost impossible to clean and the broiler, as everyone says, is uneven in it’s heat as is the oven itself. But the burners are great so everything is a trade off .

good luck you will LOVE the FP !

Seldom are refrigerators inherently noisy. There are several moving parts within a fridge and it only takes one that is touching a metallic surface to create an announce. I don't recommend someone totally clueless attempt this but any handyman should be able to handle it well. Be mindful of electrical and moving parts.

Move appliance away from wall to allow rear access to compressor and condenser assembly. While unit is running, press on various parts with fingers to locate vibration that is causing noise. That is to say when the problem area is pressed the noise will lessen or stop. From there it's a matter of realigning part which can be accomplihsed by various means. Shim with cardboard, bend pipe, apply tension with string,wire or spring.

Shouldn't take more than 20 minutes and costs nothing,win or lose.

Someone has to protect the poor fridges from idiot kitchen designers:

Doing that can cause themselves to be called an idiot Joe. For instance suggesting an enclosure similar to that picture should be vented wouldn't be met with favor.