Hi!
Yeah I noticed that in my completely standard mk5 this weekend gone, it’s so faint that it doesn’t bother me and if it does, music always fixes it
2nd gear is the loudest when I’m giving it the beans. 3rd and 4th both whine a little bit. 4th is most audible on smooth road, between 30-40mph like you said.
I wouldn’t worry, my car is a hair under 80k and in good working order, after 14 years it’s not a shock that a gearbox whines a bit. Does make me think I should consider a fluid change however.
I wouldn’t have thought that suspension would cause that much of a change in noise? Placebo effect?