How satisfied are you with the sound insulation in the new A4?

**tadziak** · 03-04-2016,01:17 PM

Hello,
I'm curious about the feedback of the owners of the new A4 concerning the sound deadening in this car. Already in all the promos and previews Audi claimed that the new A4 is the quietest in the class. My feeling is that it's fairly quiet in terms of wind noise, tire noise, but not so great with external noises like passing cars, traffic, any ambient noises like people chatting on the sidewalk. When I wait in the car with the engine off I can hear the birds chirping outside.

What are your thoughts on that? Shouldn't it be a bit more "cut-off" from the surroundings?

**xtremist** · 04-04-2016,01:10 PM

I think it's OK, i don't think there is anything wrong with hearing the outside world. Or would you prefer people to not hear your music / phone conversation.

If you are more 'cut-off' will you hear that emergency vehicle behind you or honk of the horn from another motorist warning you of something.

If you want to be 'cut-off', I'm sure a Rolls Royce or Bentley are probably better suited and a man up front ferrying you about form A to B (albeit a few more £'s than our humble A4's)

**ILikeJam** · 04-04-2016,02:11 PM

I thought this during my test drive - Audi and all the reviews are raving about how quiet the car is, but it didn't seem particularly special to me. Obviously it is very quiet and refined, but I didn't feel any more so than any other German car from the past 10 years.

Obviously loads of factors come into play - road surface, speed, wheel size, tyre type, weather conditions, etc so it's hard to make real comparisons. I thought it was better than our 2015 Honda CR-V, but I felt my old 2006 3 series was quieter. Currently have a 2014 1 series and it seems on a par with the new A4, although I didn't drive them back-to-back so I can't really be sure.

It's probably just psychological - because I've heard so much about how quiet it is I was expecting it to be totally silent, which of course it was never going to be!

**MJC_OK** · 04-04-2016,08:14 PM

When I first got mine I was very impressed, the difference between this and the B8 was noticeable. Now I'm used to it, and it's "fine", nothing bothers me but neither is anything really cut out

**Col** · 04-04-2016,08:19 PM

Does it pass the Alien test ?

..... In space no one can hear you scream

**Schmy** · 04-04-2016,08:34 PM

It's good but not remarkable, which is what the reviews said it would be.

I've noticed some wind noise from the mirrors at quicker motorway speeds.

**daniel241085** · 05-04-2016,08:11 AM

I have been pretty impressed compared to my previous A3 S-Line.
Mine is an S-Line with 18" wheels. The biggest test was when someone called me in the car and they actually thought I was in an office as there was virtually no noise coming from the car/road surface. And this was while doing let's say the normal motorway speed.

**ILikeJam** · 05-04-2016,09:26 AM

Originally Posted by daniel241085

And this was while doing let's say the normal motorway speed.

Let's say we believe you!

**tadziak** · 05-04-2016,10:48 AM

I did some more testing - you might even say 'scientific' (or crazy)

I have a sound level meter at home. What I did is I put a phone playing some music next to the door - first of the A4 and then the Golf Mk7 and messured the noise inside the cabin (without the motor running). In every try Golf was around 1.5 dB quieter. This is quite a big difference and Golf is also not really a model car when it comes to sound insulation. I also noticed that the A4 doors seem rather light and thin. Even the Golf's door seem more robust heavier.

My idea is that Audi is so much focusing on aerodynamics, all sorts of tweeks in the body of the car to prevent wind noise that they don't focus enough on normal sound insulation from the 'outside'.