Superfly_A6

I didn't think this topic would take off as it did. I didn't read through the post, but my experience is that the A6 is very silent on the road. In fact I was very pleased on how the car isolates the noise, especially on the highway. Cruising at 130km/h the A6 is a very nice place to be in.

James517

I also think that my A6 is pretty darn quiet. We have horribly pebbled roads around Seattle. No question; in the A6 I can hear them. But I sold my last car because it was so noisy on those roads that it was hard to listen to the radio. You had to talk over that drone. The Audi is a dramatic enhancement.

Consider, however, that there is a degree of risk if the interior were so insulated from noise that you couldn't hear something going wrong with the car or the road. We have that issue with pilot's noise cancelling headsets. You want a headset that makes flying comfortable, but not so isolating that you can't hear something going wrong. I think it's a hard balance to achieve.

However, there are days when work has been challenging and I'd prefer the quietest interior possible. Those days, I'd be happy to turn on active noise cancelling. (I just have never seen active noise cancelling so good that you can see the other person in the car moving their mouth, but you can't hear anything they're saying.)

subterFUSE

So I downloaded an SPL meter app for my iPhone, and today I tested the road noise on my drive home.

I was averaging 65-70 mph on a new, fresh asphalt highway. This road was poured not even 12 months ago.

The average noise level was 80 dB, with peaks of 95 dB when driving over less smooth sections.

This is very loud, needless to say. 90+ dB noise levels can and will cause hearing damage over the long term.

I'm going to get rid of my Pirelli tires soon, and get some Michelin PSS. Hopefully this will make some improvement. Will report back when I do.

snagitseven

Just checked my noise level with my iPhone Sound Meter app.
Averages were 53 db at warm idle, 71 db at 70 mph and 81 at full throttle, both driving on medium quality asphalt interstate in light traffic w/AC fan on low and moderate side wind; 19" Bridgestone RE970AS all seasons w/half tread remaining.

Not as low as the specs indicate but not too bad either and not close to 80 db at 70 mph. I'm sure that various tires, road surfaces and wind would contribute to significant differences in the results. Especially the Pirelli P-Zero which after some wear, is apparently a poster child for road noise.

TheNit

I'm usually driving so I didn't notice much road noise until we were on a long highway trip and the wife was driving. I was trying to sleep in the passenger seat and the roads were wet (raining) and I couldn't stand the wet road noise coming into the passenger side of the car. Going in for service tomorrow and will mention it. Was checking the forum before going in for my first service and this thread reminded me of that issue.

cagambler

Subterfuse,

Which app did you use? I've got two loaded on my iPhone 5S and get different results. I talked to the developer of the best of the two (SPLnFFT in my opinion), and he said the best weighting to use is db(a).

I also am unhappy with the road noise. I believe the culprit to be the tires. I'm also on the stock Pirelli P Zero 19 inchers.

Tire Rack has a new Pirelli that users rate much better for road noise--Pirelli Cinturato P7 All Season Plus Grand Touring All-Season. How much improvement would you expect from a tire that users rate a 9.2 instead of the P Zero's score of 7.4?

cagambler

Subterfuse,

Please say more about this comment you made, "a lot of closed-cell-foam and mass-loaded-vinyl will be going under the floor carpet".

I think sound deadening is going to have to be the solution, but I have no idea what product to use, where to put it, and what type of business to go to do have it done professionally.

subterFUSE

I used the app from Ultimate Ears (UE). I fully concede that an iPhone app is probably not the most reliable meter, but for a base level measurement I think it's OK.


I'm actually going to buy a real SPL meter from Radio Shack for tuning my car stereo, so I'll try it out with that.

subterFUSE

As you might have noticed from my signature, I have already done a complete aftermarket car stereo in my S6. When we were installing my system, we added over 80 sq ft of sound dampening material to the doors, trunk and rear parcel shelf. We did not dampen my floor, however.

Even with all that dampening, the road noise is still considerable. The next step for me is to change the tires to Michelin Pilot Super Sports. My hope is that ditching the Pirelli tires will reduce a lot of the road noise I am experiencing.

If the tires do not reduce the noise enough, the next step will be to take out the seats and carpet and install a layer of CLD, Closed Cell Foam and Mass Loaded Vinyl.

You should review this website before making any decisions to add sound dampening. Sound Deadener Showdown

If you do the dampening incorrectly, it will have little to no effect on the road noise. My car is a prime example. We added a lot of CLD, but no foam or MLV. So my doors do not resonate from the speakers, but they are not blocking road noise effectively.


Bottom line: I would suggest you wait until I have purchased my new tires and see how it turns out. I'm planning to do this by the end of this month.

I'll report back, for sure.

subterFUSE

IMO, it should be illegal for any company other than Michelin to be allowed to make tires. Call it consumer protection.

I rode on Michelin PSS tires for many years in my BMW Before I got my Audi, so I'm very familiar with them. I predict they will reduce the tire noise at 70 mph by 6-10 dB. That's how bad I think these Pirellis are.

But, I have certainly be wrong plenty of times so we will just have to see. I'm going to get new tires at the end of this month. At least, that's my plan.