I live in Amsterdam and beg to differ. You are probably only referring to Jordaan, indeed it's pretty quiet for a simple reason: most streets aren't accessible by car (or if they are, they are a huge pain to drive around on). Have you been to de Pijp? Or the Oud Zuid? They're much more accessible by car and they're also incredibly noisy. I have lived in all 3 and can tell you that the difference is noticeable to say the least.