I would suggest the Sharp 9,500 BTU.  It's one of the quietest at 36dB, comes with a remote, and is an air purifier too!  Bought one a couple of weeks ago and love it!!

if you still haven't made that purchase, the danby12000 btu unit has recently dropped in price to $399.99. The sharp is definatly a much quieter unit but at twice the price. The danby has a fresh air inlet which is separate from the exhaust vent. Just a suggestion. That is the best option I've seen in that price range.

Any Portable Danby A/C's are garbage. We bought a portable last year and it doesn't work at all. It s a 12,000 btu and we live in a small Apt. This thing gives off no cool air porperly at all.

Unfortunatley we found this out too late. Now we have a brand new unit sitting on our porch and no one wants to take responsibilty for a defective product; not even the manufacturer.

 

Best advice! Buy a window A/C of 10,000 btu's or less. In the long run most are quiet, cost less,and do their job. We have a 10,000 btu, put it on energy save, and use a good 18" fan to circulate the cool air.