I had been using feathers for a few seasons a couple years back. They are louder in flight. How much louder I can't say, but they are noticeably louder. The reason I switched though was durability. I often found damage to arrows from walking in and out and a raising and lowering my bow. They were very touchy and required a lot of care. You had to keep them dusted so they didn't fold down when wet and be very careful when transporting them. To me it just wasn't worth the aggravation.