So, wouldn't the same thing hold true for a .44 magnum whether it was for SD or large predator defense? I don't know. Also, where does .44 special fit in this question about loudness?
Yep, but short of wearing a pair of earmuffs, the electronic kind, that's the price you're going to pay.
Last night I was reading one of Mas Ayoob's articles in which he said he kept a pair of muffs on his night stand for SD/home invasion use and claimed they took very little add'l time to put on. Don't know if I agree with that, or even if I'd remember they were available if the SHTF at 3am, but it's something to consider.
I did wear a pair of electronic muffs this year while hunting deer from a stand on our lower pasture. I found that they increased my ability to hear deer moving behind me! Hell, I could hear the wind in the Johnson grass again. That's not happened in 30+ years. Seemed like a good idea, and they kept my ears warm too!
BTW, a .44 Magnum is no slouch as an SD weapon, given the right loads, read reduced to .44 Special levels. Any good HP, like Hornady's 200 gr XTP, pushed to 1000 fps ought to do the job if you don't have any reservations about using handloads for CC. The guns are not petite, however, and will require an OWB holster as well as a stout belt to make them comfortable, but if you live where your clothing choices allow that size of a revolver, I'd say you'd be well armed.
HTH's Rod