Hard-Top Sound Reduction vs. Soft Top

[starrskream]

Following up on this thread, I decided to take a road trip and grab a used top from Alabama. I used the trip as an opportunity to test sound levels. Keep in mind idling registers at about 68-70 dB, so you can't really go lower than that.

All the numbers below were at the same speed, on the same road, with minimal cross-winds:

Soft Top: 88-90 dB
Hardtop: 84-86 dB

I then took what @starrskream did with the Boom Mat spray and re-did the interior with that, Hothead Headliners, and the Sound Assassin strips (see photos below). That brought it down to about 80-82 dB!

DISCLAIMER: This was measured with a cell phone, which is inherently inaccurate. Use as reference only.
Worth noting that although raw dB may not look like much, it's not a linear scale, so 90 to 80 is a LOT more than 80 to 70. Also, it doesn't consider the frequencies that get suppressed, and I can tell you that the ones it does suppress make for a much nicer in-cab experience.

Here's the sound dampening I did. 2 layers of Boom Mat on the entire top, plus the grey Hothead Headliners over Sound Assassin strips. It was a weekend worth of work, but paid off in my opinion!

Glad you liked the idea! That spray looks so slick compared to the white igloo cooler look. I have yet to do the back. I downloaded a soundmeter app and i saw 89db on the highway at 70mph. Who knows how accurate the app is though. I do have the mopar headliners which is why ive been slacking on the back because i dont notice the white as much. Making it black was my primary goal. Sound deadening was a bonus.

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[IanNubbit]

I disagree, and my posts in this thread will tell you why.

You’re measured 4 decibels. I said 2-5…

 

[sharpsicle]

You’re measured 4 decibels. I said 2-5…

That's not "very little". And there's more to it than just raw decibel readings, which I also talked about. I still disagree with your downplaying of the difference it makes.

 

[Dartboy]

Datapoint, on my phone app, I measured ~68dB with my ST on the way to work this morning. In a week or so, I'll be swapping back to my HT with newly installed Hothead liners with sound assassin strips and I'll check and post again.

~35mph on asphalt, AT Tires, windows up radio off.

Following up, it finally got cold enough to put the HT on- same road, same speed I was measuring between 64 and 65db. Definitely a quieter ambiance, less echo, can't hear my bedcover rattle.

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