The noise may be the "same", but as with most things, its the personal perception that matters, and muzzle brakes are definitely louder to most folks as they direct gas to the sides or up and down instead of in a forward projected cone. My first deer rifle was a 94 Mauser with a Herters muzzle brake that just barely made the rifle barrel 18inches. Took me years to get rid of the flinch from the noise. Recoil on the other hand has never bothered me.