Don't just listen to the anecdotes of others. Try for yourself.
Observe a queenright hive so you know just how it behaves normally. Remove
the queen and watch and listen to the way they behave. Better still have 2
matched hives close to each other so you can compare one without the queen
with one with.
Press an ear to the outside of a queenright brood box and tap the box once.
Do the same with a queenless hive. Tell us the difference.
Chris