GlueBall,
Not quite that simple.
Ignoring the physiological niceties ... noise (more specifically sound pressure level) is a distance squared function ... the idea is to get the aircraft higher within a closer radius of the airport so that the main noise nuisance is confined to airport adjacent areas. Short of having quieter engines, which is the thrust (do pardon the pun) of improving certification standards, the only ways to reduce noise is to reduce thrust (not overly effective) or increase distance (hence a steeper close-in climb) ..... If you prefer numbers ... in the idealised situation a doubling of the distance drops the dB reading by 6. Always necessary to keep in mind that the scales are logarithmic and small changes in the numbers equal big changes in the sound levels.
Unfortunately, operational techniques are a compromise arrived at in an attempt to appease various competing factions, of which the noise lobby is but one ... no simple answer.