Aside from hating spiky Ryzen, I've always just settled for "good enough" on noise. I'm in heaven with the A12x25. Thinking back, it was a while ago when I was dealing with a screaming 280X Vapor-X and three F12s at full speed
Was thinking about the Vardar for a while, but the A12x25 sates my gentle typhoon cravings lol
When the A12x25 is available as the A14x25 in black, I'll be all over that fan, Two Please!
As you say, absolute inaudibility from your sitting position isn't so important in most situations. Only if you are easily distracted by or sensitive to noise. Unfortunately, I am while working.
And no real need to approach a silent build from the silicon efficiency extreme point of view like I do.
Although yes, that is the most scientific way to begin, and will give you the best overall end results.
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Anytime I delve into this basic stuff most of us learn early on I have to apologize to all those enthusiasts with a strong knowledge base who already know these simple facts and principles. Yet, I still want and feel the need to help those newcomers that do not.
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So for the newcomers:
1) Begin by simply choosing lightweight fans
150grams and less the easiest to isolate
200grams to 250grams easily isolated using a fan controller with a wide range of PWM or dc adjustment
250grams to 300grams extra silicon material may be needed and a fan controller with extra low power "boost at start" capabilities
300grams to 350grams - Forget it, why bother? I've tried - Find another fan.
2) Mount them with four soft silicon grommets (pics below)
3) Tune your rpms from maximum down to 75% or 50% into a range that's comfortable for you and gives you great temps, doesn't need to be inaudible.
Zalman and Noctua both offer inexpensive single-channel rheostats that can control multi fans with Y-splitters.
OR even less expensive, my first super silent build was soft grommets to mount all case fans and using about (6) of those molex direct to PSU connectors with in-line resistor voltage attenuators like 49cents to 99cents each, and still free in some of the Noctua and BeQuiet fan packaging.
Those daisy-chain molex fan cables directly off the PSU not pretty or adjustable - yet still work.
The greatest single factor if you are just starting out building computers to reduce noise is isolating and absorbing the rotational energy produced by your case fans with soft silicon mounting grommets, instead of hard-mounting your case fans with fan screws and allowing that same noise energy to be transmitted throughout your chassis.
Then, I see enthusiasts after they've hard-mounted their case fans with fan screws adding foam padding to case panels or selecting a silent type case that restricts sound and air ventilation (the Silverstone MM01 is extremely restrictive in that regard) so they cannot hear the extra noise, which in turn usually increases your idle and load temps. I'm like WHAT???
Isolating and absorbing the noise energy
directly at the source (the fan mounting) is the best way to go. Don't let the noise energy transmit from your fan mounts throughout your case. When you isolate the noise energy at the source be it fan or water pump then even an open air build with no panels or foam padding can perform way down into the inaudible range, with lovely low temperatures.
Again, this basic info is only to help the newcomers, please don't be offended if you already OWN this knowledge base. 
So this post is for the 6,000 to 8,000 guests that view TPU continuously everyday, yet are not signed up as members. Thanks for stopping by, hope this basic stuff helps with your new build.
Class dismissed.
The best ones:
The worst ones:
from the front intake.
