tadziak

Hello,

I've had my C7 since September, but I'm not happy with the insulation of the car. Basically I just feel like I can hear way too much of ambient/exterior noises including: other cars passing by, people chatting on the sidewalk when waiting on traffic light, road works etc. etc.

Other cars I drove in (even from much lower brands like DACIA) mute all those sounds way better. Is there something wrong with my car or this model has it like that? I'm guessing partially it's related to the fact, that the car itself is quiet, there is little engine noise so all outside noises are more prominent. Even if I sit in the car on a parking I find that i can hear people talking, cars passing and other noises around way too much.

I would be grateful for your feelings about that matter.

subterFUSE

Sound dampening in a car is a tricky subject. There are many possible sources of noise, and different means of entry to the cabin. To solve the problem, you must first diagnose where the sound is originating from.

I just spent a lot of money adding sound dampening for my car stereo. We dampened all of the doors, all of the trunk, and both sides of the rear deck shelf. We did not dampen the floor, however. I'm beginning to regret not treating the floor.
I still have a lot of road noise from the tires.

Before I dampen the floor, I am planning to replace my tires with Michelin Pilot Super Sport. Hopefully, better tires might make a difference.

If the new tires don't solve the road noise, I'm going to have to install closed-cell foam and mass-loaded vinyl in the floor. Unfortunately, that means a lot of time and labor removing the seats and carpet. But it's the only way to cut down on the noise.


Here is a website devoted to sound dampening for cars. A lot of good info here.

http://www.sounddeadenershowdown.com/

AUDIQSS

Its not just you, but it may be your car. Several of the A6's I have driven have been very noisy in the right rear wheel well area. Not only did I hear road noise but sand/gravel hitting the wheel well. My 2013 A6 Presige is however much quieter in that area. I suspect some cars don't get as much noise insulation as others. Go test drive a few others and if they are quieter then complain at the service department and give them the stock numbers of the quieter ones to make you case.

gatorguy7

Which tires do you have? I have the Conti's and have been very happy with the lack of road noise.

dicktahoe

It's amazing how much "road noise" changes as you cross different surfaces. Some modern asphalt surfaces, that I think incorporate old ground-up tires, are very quiet. Whereas some concrete surfaces are very noisy. I dropped my inside noise on identical pavement by 2db by going from the OEM Pirelli to my new Michelin AS3.

keithl

I find the noise acceptable, but then the Michelin AS3 I put on are UHP tires so I expect some noise, the stock 19 inch tires were fairly quiet. I find the A6 and the AS3 tires still quieter than my Infiniti was with General UHP tires.

newmoon

I'm actually very pleased with how quiet my A6 is. My tires are Continental ContiProContact 18".

It's also very well insulated when at a standstill. If you're still hearing things while parked, I would check all the door and window seals, and don't forget the sunroof. Or maybe you have a different glass spec in your country. Mine is a Guardian acoustic windshield and Soliver side windows, "M50" front, "M40A" rear.

Homer1946

I have been impressed with how much quieter my car with the stock Conti 19s were as compared with the ones with the stock 20 inch Pirellis that I drove. Also, the stock Pirellis get MUCH more noisy as they age such that after 10k miles they sound like you are driving on course sandpaper.

As a side note, when I was test driving cars I drove one C7 which had MUCH worse road (wind) noise than the other cars (it was a Prestige), so bad in fact that I immediately drove another car to confirm to myself that that particular car was an aberration.

snagitseven

I think the OP is referring to outside noise intrusion other than from the tires. My A6 is a bit better at sound isolation than my last '09 A4 and about the same as my allroad and former '01 A6. Not as quiet as my friend's Cadillac but very acceptable to me for a luxury sport sedan. As already mentioned, it's best to see if you can isolate where the outside noise is coming from. You could use a db sound meter or db phone app and see if it's close to the published factory specs. (Although various tires can make a difference in the readings when at speed).

<table cellspacing="0"><tbody><tr><td class="display-name">Sound level @ idle (dB)</td><td>41.6</td></tr> <tr><td class="display-name">@ Full throttle (dB)</td><td>70.9</td></tr> <tr><td class="display-name">@ 70 mph cruise (dB)</td><td>63.4</td></tr></tbody></table>

subterFUSE

20" Pirelli

Not the worst tires I've ever had, but almost. The Dunlop runflats that came on my 545i were certainly worse. I went with Pilot Sport PS2 tires after that, and when they became available the Pilot Super Sports.