@DM.. Well, it's probably not the quietest pressing I've heard. There's definitely some background noise evident - especially from the needle drop until the first track kicks in - which is quite noticable at mid-volume.
But I have to say that I'm not put off at all. The warmth of the music means that it never occludes anything in the recording, and the dynamics definitely come through unaltered (at least to my ears). Maybe if it was an orchestral or ambient soundtrack it might be a problem.
I've run a side by side with my Satanik picture disc and it's just a little quieter, so if you have a copy to-hand that might give you an idea of the sound quality.
I'd probably still prefer a black version, but this is AOK for me for now. In fact I'm on spin #5 now and loving it