I find this kind of an amusing thread, with so much discussion about the tires decibel level. Have to agree that yes, the ratings are A thru E, but the picture clearly ranged it A thru C and gave it a BOLD A rating, so in someone's book that's a top rating....
Now then, about that 69 decibel level.... is there an actual spec somewhere that says that's outside the car??? I mean...who would care unless you're the Green Hornet and buy only silent series tires? I've never seen such a rating on what a car's tires noise puts out to the masses. Maybe that exists, but a decibel level for a given tire inside the vehicle, now that's a real spec someone could use when deciding on what tires to buy because some are certainly louder than others. And then no actual stated weighted measurement level is given.... @ A weighted or C weighted? That's a huge difference between the 2 because C weighted is WITH the bass included whereas A weighted is the LF (low frequency) filtered out for better overall measurements when determining harmful db levels in factories and such for workers long term exposure to factory noises.
Since road noise is mostly LF content, then if the measurement rating is very important if that rating was inside the car. If it was measured at A weighted readings then it would not give a good indication of a car's low frequency management and insulation. C weighted would be MUCH more useful.
If the 69 db measurement level was outside the car at speed, then one would have to determine how they made that measurement. Did someone hold out a mic and db meter outside the window on a stick? The wind noise could only be mitigated to a certain level and then what's left would have to be summed into the reading. Unless, the tire noise is somehow measured using a near silent dynomometer (or perhaps subtracting a known dyno db level)... really wondering how that measurement was made and what weighting.
I just want my frickin' ONE
