EK F in the upper deck of the 380 is da bomb for quietness and F. Yes, QF F is very nice in the nose area, but I felt EK was also very good for noise.
It is true that the F cabin is remarkable compared to the 744.
As for the creaks yeah maybe I have heard one or two but can't say I lost any sleep (no pun intended) over them but I know my next flight in a month I'll be primed and paying extra attention because it iwll be in the back of my mind!!
(FirstClass World Problem)