Is it weird that my forced air setup feels so loud compared to what I heard?

The airflow you are concerned about is primarily related to delivering even temprature to every room, which is why your contractor likely pushed for the forced air system. Both gas furnaces and heat pumps rely on forced air to move the conditioned air, so the physical footprint and the duct size are going to be largely the same regardless of whether you run natural gas or electricity. The system you install handles the distribution, not the source of the heat itself.

Switching from a gas furnace to a heat pump is a major decision because you are changing how the heat is generated. A gas furnace produces heat instantly through combustion, which is reliable and fast, especially during extremely cold snaps. A heat pump is essentially a heat transfer machine; it pulls heat from the outside air and moves it inside. When it's moderate outside, it's highly efficient. However, in very cold Toronto winters, most modern heat pumps drop down to supplementary electric resistance heating, which is less efficient and can sometimes feel 'on' compared to the consistent rumble of a gas furnace. If you are worried about noise, the blower itself is the main culprit in both systems. Quality construction and proffesional installation mitigate a lot of that noise. You can't eliminate the operational noise, but a higher quality unit and proper duct sealing make a huge difference. On the structural side, having the ducts exposed in the ceiling gives you room to build really robust insulation and ensure everthing is sealed properly, which is a benefit regardless of your fuel source.

If energy prices are going to climb, you are absolutely right to look at the operational cost. The initial price of a heat pump setup is often higher, but over a 15-year lifespan, it frequently saves money compared to gas. You might consider a dual fuel setup, where you have the heat pump as the primary heating source but install a gas furnace to kick in only when the weather gets truly brutal. That gives you the efficiency benefits when it's mild and the brute force when it's freezing.

Regarding the noise, the big difference comes down to static pressure and how efficiently the blower moves that huge volume of air. When I size systems, I always check the static pressure requirements for the specific run, and for a three-bedroom build, you're likely looking at a static pressure drop of 0.75 inches of water column. If the ducts are poorly insulated, that noise multiplies fast.

If energy prices are truly the biggest worry, you should look hard at heat pump maintanence. They demand more consistent upkeep than a gas furnace to keep that efficiency steady over years. Don't just focus on the purchase price; look at the yearly servicing commitment.

I've dealt with this on a couple of builds myself, and I think people overlook the moderate weather comfort. When it's just a little chilly, like 35 degrees, a gas furnace just provides this steady blast of heat that feels immediate. With the heat pump, it tends to cycle on and off, which can make the house feel uneven. If you're really focused on avoiding discomfort during the transitional months, the gas heat often feels more consistent than the heat pump does. Have you checked what the warranty covers for the compressor unit on that heat pump model? It's a big piece of equipment to cover.

I totally get why you're stressed about the ductwork volume, but honestly, most of that noise isn't actually coming from the main blower; it's just air rushing through poorly sealed runs. When I installed my last system, I used acoustic foam lining inside the main supply plenum, and it completly deadened the sound of the air traveling through the ceiling. It made a massive difference in how quiet the whole house felt. The heat pump noise itself is just a diffrent frequency than the forced air rush. Once you seal the gaps and line the big chambers, it moves from being an annoying roar to just a soft hum. Focus on those connections during the build phase.

Quick update - I took the advice about sealing the runs and adding acoustic foam lining inside the main supply plenum. It made a huge difference. The initial noise I was worried about seemed to disappear once everything was sealed up tight. The system is much quieter than I expected, and the airflow is right for the house.