Sounds Like Buying?

When ya have 5 or 6 running at the same time they all neutralize each other out.

Yes and Yes.  Except the whistle seldom makes a different.  The chuffing and diesel sounds and braking, etc., make a tremendous difference though. So I tend to be buying Lionel lately because the sound is so much better than anything else.  

By the way, I have both the Southern Crescent and the Blue Comet (with the original "flawed" whistle sound).  The SC's chuffing is slightly better than the BC's, I think because it has a bigger tender for resonance.  Its whistle sounds good, but to me it sounds just like a lot of other steam locos.  The Blue Comet whistle sounds like a great big steamship to me and the sound is both entertaining and unusual - would not trade it for anything. The only whistle I abosllutey adore to the point I deliberately play it a lot is that on the MTH European 241.A - a rich, shrill, long whistle that is sooooo cool. 

Sound is very important to me. Whistles are also on the top of my list when buying steam and horns on other powerered units. Legacy is by and far the best out there so that is where my money is going. 

Since there are no train dealers anywhere near me, I don't get to listen to sounds before I buy a locomotive. Also, I am a specialist collector - I hardly ever buy a locomotive any more that isn't Milwaukee Road, and I buy most of what comes along in Milwaukee Road steam. I do buy European items from time to time, and I love the high-pitched whistles - but I only hear them when I unpack my new toy. 

Sound is a secondary consideration compared to control system preference and value for money. I just bought an ABBA set of F7 diesels. I know the Lionel probably has better sound, but I prefer DCS over Legacy and the actual selling price for four units was about $200 less for the MTH, so that's what I bought.