I sometimes forget there is a big world out there that has not been introduced to the magic of central air. But I feel your pain. I lived in a post-WW2 3-story walk-up in Alexandria VA for several years and it had no air. I had two window units, one in the bedroom and one in the living room. This helped cut the cooling demand by 1/2 on each unit and made for quieter operation as the unit wasn’t constantly cycling on and off or constantly running. If you’re electrically handy and have a centered overhead light, swap that for a ceiling fan. Moves more air than portable fans and much quieter.
Lastly, if you’re trying to enjoy quieter more nuanced listening or movies, I still revert to headphones. Especially in the evening when I don’t want to the household with explosions and John Wick gun fight sequences. I found quality headphones were great for my apartment as I could crank up the A/C on hot summer evenings, fix myself a cold beverage, put on my tunes or movie and block out the noises of city living - fighting neighbors, a/c hum, police sirens, traffic, the roommates who didn't want to listen to the subtleties of my music selection that evening.