Ya can't have everything I guess. By the time I purchased a Kubota prime mover, a Kato power head, woodward governor, and Delco H9000 regulator I think my genset cost more per kilo than a Honda. Inside the gen shed I used discarded foam for soundproofing.
Honda IMHO makes a fine generator. But another factor is no Honda on the face of the earth produces power as cheap per kWh as my rig. It's all a big snarl of compromises.