A counterpoint to the noise that an open office creates can be the silence it enforces. In a past life we had an open office with 20 people situated in "pods" of 2-3 desks. We were all developers and the problem wasn't that it was too noisy but was too quiet. I was afraid to say anything to anyone because the whole room could hear it and it would disturb everyone. Even just moving in your chair could cause a cacophony of squeaks and groans (or at least it felt that way). It felt like working in a library where everyone was afraid to breath too loudly.