Just an FYI. I've tested a LOT of different control arm setups, and here's how rod-ended control arms affect NVH:
Lower Control Arms with rod ends affect NVH when going over bumps/potholes/rough roads. You'll hear a significant CLUNK when you hit a bump. It almost sounds like a loose sway bar end-link. LCAs transmit very little gear noise.
Upper Control Arms with rod ends have very little impact on transmitting NVH from a rough road, but they transmit a LOT of noise from the actual gears. You can hear the gears meshing (sounds like static or a whine), and if you have a worm-gear-type differential, you can hear the backlash from the gears during deceleration.
I have also found that a good set of polyurethane-bushing-equipped control arms gives you 95% of the performance of rod ends with none of the added NVH.