Maybe the noise from some of the very cheap open frame gensets had an impact on your observations. I ran a Honda 2000i for 15 years until it finally bit the dust. I replaced it with a 3100 Champion and I nor the wife could tell the difference in the sound coming from the Champion vrs the Honda. A few months later we went camping with a friend who has a Honda 2000 and we did a vey unscientific sound test, walking away until the generators could not be heard. It was essentially the same distance. I paid $650.00 for the Champion (Costco) which could run my AC as well has everything else, it would have cost me over $2000.00 in a Honda product for the same output and essentially the same noise. I was a true Honda believer until I made the switch. FWIW