The “choppy” air is the effect that you get when you are close to a fan and you talk into it. This diminishes significantly at very short distances.

If you’re at a distance where you can talk into the airflow and sound normal, you’re probably not experiencing “choppy” air.

And, in my experience, a lot of noise. Way more than a regular fan for the same perceived amount of air flow.

What? My Dyson fan is incredibly quiet compared to any other fan I've used.

This dispute could be a matter of frequency range. Older ears can't hear high pitch. If the Dyson noise is mostly high pitch, older ears will perceive it as quieter.

I agree on the noise of the Dyson. The quietest Dyson fans are not that quiet. I work in studios that require quiet fans. A Dyson fan that rotates is especially noisy due to the squeaking motor. If you need a quiet portable fan/filter find one that is static and has more than 7-8 speeds, preferably in double figures - and put it close to where you want the air, on low.

I searched for quiet fans, and could never find any reputed to be quieter than Dyson. I'd love a recommendation, if possible.

What part of the world would you be buying from? (I don't do Amazon).

Yes, I found exactly that.

There is a company called QuietMark, I've bought fans from there and sent them back for being above average noisy, they're not interested in outside contact.

I recommend to buy and try for your own situation. Measurements of loudness are not the full story as the tone of the noise will interact in ways that can be unpredictably pleasant or harsh.

The Dyson fan issue is the audible motor whine at lower fan speeds (and with oscillation on, it creaks as it turns).

"If you need a quiet portable fan/filter find one that and has more than 7-8 speeds, preferably in double figures - and put it close to where you want the air, on low."

Ignore the price, cheaper may be better, but having many speeds suggests some sophistication and the option for lower speed means lower noise.