Steve, This shelf is about 1/4" above my knuckle. Where as my 2015 red stripe is literally just above my knuckle (1/16") As for quiet? First, I don't use silencers. I play around with the brace height, untill I get the bow as quiet as possible. Also, without them, a bad release is imediatly noticeable by the louder "twange". I like to hear a dull "thump" on the release. Come hunting season, I tie on a few rubber wiskers and I'm a happy hunter!
All that being said, It's just as quiet as my red stripe!! My only minor gripe, is that the rubber grip tends to shift a little bit? But, I'll attribute that to it just being "new"...??