Mr Optimistic

I don't get out much these days but have just been to usa on united business class. Jeez it was noisy in the cabin at cruise, made more noticeable by the quiet descent. Am I a bit out of touch on this as I don't get recall such a pervading din.

PAXboy

Do you recall which type of aircraft you were on? If you look around this forum and others, you will see a wide range of views on cabin noise.

One of the factors is unknowable - we all hear sound differently.What seems high or distinct in pitch to me, might not to you. It is highly subjective topic.

Mr Optimistic

Oops! 777-200

edit: Google showed some discussion on this. My comparison was memory driven based on 747. The noise seemed to be a white noise 'rush', my take was the aircon, presumably design limitations in the ducting: lack of acoustic damping or bad edges causing turbulence.

Load Toad

Usually I make sure I'm sitting as near to the front as possible but recently I had a flight from BKK - HKG (in rough weather as a typhoon was on the way in) down the last row on a 744; I was quite surprised at how noisy it was back there compared to what I'd gotten used to.

Mr Optimistic

Googling showed a previous thread and robust intervention by Tightslot so I will tread warily . I was in a bit of a grump anyway as I don't care for sleeping fully clothed. However it did strike me as a design shortfall. All well and good to ply me with linen table cloths, glass to drink from and other geegaws but no real sense of quality in a fundamentally uncomfortable environment. If air change volume equals area times speed of flow then perhaps more duct area and less airflow speed? I wonder if cc don't end up with hearing issues if they are exposed to that din all the time.