I love love love this vitamix machine. Yes. It's loud because it's a blender. But it's not as loud as other blenders. I compared it to a ninja and the ninja is louder and doesn't pulverize as well as this one. The E310 is powerful and pulverizes everything I throw at it. It's only me and my GF, so the 48oz container is good enough. Definitely a great investment. Also, unlike many people here, I actually paid for my blender.