Pretty disgusted with the loudness of the 205/45-16 tires I've had on my 16x7 Rota C10's in the past.

I've had Sumitomo HTR-Z II's, Yokohama AVS ES100's, and Kumho Ecsta SPT's, all V or W-rated, and they've all been loud as FAWK! They usually start out somewhat quiet when brand new, but get loud after only a few thousand miles. After 20K+ miles they're ROARING at highway speeds in my Integra!

Is there any such thing as a quiet 205/45-16 tire, or it that just the nature of a more low-profile tire?

 

I hate them (floppy soft sidewalls, poor wet acceleration traction, terrible feedback at cornering limits), but my Toyo Proxes 4 tires in a 205/45-16 were whisper quiet brand new and "still decently quiet" at 3/32" of tread, when rubbing killed them. For non-aggressive daily use, I'd potentially recommend them if you can get them cheap.

They're quieter than the original Michelin XGT V4 tires that came on the car (better overall tire too).

Never used one in an Integra size, but the Kumho Ecsta ASX have been fantastic on my wife's A4 in a 235/40-18 size (both that and a 205/45-16 have the same sidewall height).

Can't help on a quiet summer tire recommendation though.

 

Basically, that's the nature of tires as they wear and the tread depth decreases. But the ES100 and SPT are both considered fairly noisy as tires go. I don't think it has to do with the sizes, but rather, the tread pattern; most summer tires use relatively larger tread blocks for performance purposes. Low-performance all-season tires commonly used on family cars are likely to be quieter. Especially when they're new, and have full tread depth.

 

Also, I have noticed that almost all of my directional summer tires have been louder than the asymetrical ones. The Sumitomo HTR ZIIIs I have now are some of the quietest tires I have run.

 

will a 195 55 15 tire ride THAT MUCH better than a 205-45-16? I am thinking of going to 15's since I hate going over loud bumps and potholes with my 45's

 

It will be somewhat better, but you'll have to try it out to see whether it will be better enough to make you happy.