Found this generator at Home Depot. "deal of the day"

•63dB sound rating ensures low operational noise for peace and quiet


Peace and Quiet?! Compared to what? dropping a stack of dishes in a night-club?

I'll stick with my 49db Honda EU3000is.

While a 3db increase is a doubling of power, it is not a doubling of loudness. Loudness is subjective since the human ear is being used as a measuring device. If you take a couple of hundred people and ask them to turn up a sound source until it is twice as loud, the average change would be around 10db. A trained ear can hear a 1db level difference, however most individuals require a larger increase to detect a change unless listening to a single frequency tone.

As 12thgenusa noted, Decibels are logarithmic. It takes some adjustment of logic to accept that a 3db change is doubling, a 10db change is 10X power, 20db change is 100X power, a 60db change is 1,000,000X power, etc.

hotpepperkid wrote:

jolooote wrote:
I think you have your DB ratio wrong. Any increase of 3 db is a POWER increase of 100%. If you have a sound stereo amplifier of 100 watts rated at 59 db, a 62db amplifier is TWICE as loud (200watts). A 63db genny is 2.32 times as loud as the 59db genny.

I think it takes at least 3db difference for the human ear can tell the difference. So the difference between 63db and 59db is not detectable. Anyway for your tech types here is some reading for you.

Your first two sentences are a logic conflict.
First sentence sets up a condition. Second sentence doesn't meet that condition, but then concludes otherwise.

it also helps being an old coot who is half deaf. I was thinking that the loudness comparison mentioned before was a little faulty.
bumpy

jolooote wrote:
I think you have your DB ratio wrong. Any increase of 3 db is a POWER increase of 100%. If you have a sound stereo amplifier of 100 watts rated at 59 db, a 62db amplifier is TWICE as loud (200watts). A 63db genny is 2.32 times as loud as the 59db genny.

I think it takes at least 3db difference for the human ear can tell the difference. So the difference between 63db and 59db is not detectable. Anyway for your tech types here is some reading for you.

I think you have your DB ratio wrong. Any increase of 3 db is a POWER increase of 100%. If you have a sound stereo amplifier of 100 watts rated at 59 db, a 62db amplifier is TWICE as loud (200watts). A 63db genny is 2.32 times as loud as the 59db genny.

hotpepperkid wrote:

robsouth wrote:

powderman426 wrote:
63 db.

What's that you say? I can't hear you with that thing running. Lol

Your not likely to make many new friends.

Considering the Honda 2000i is rated at 59 db, I would consider 63 db very quiet. Registered at "normal room conversation". Can't get any machinery much quieter than that.

Your comparing a 2kw gen with a 3.5kw gen is like apples to oranges

yes but the larger generator is not that much louder than the small one.
bumpy

robsouth wrote:

powderman426 wrote:
63 db.

What's that you say? I can't hear you with that thing running. Lol

Your not likely to make many new friends.

Considering the Honda 2000i is rated at 59 db, I would consider 63 db very quiet. Registered at "normal room conversation". Can't get any machinery much quieter than that.

Your comparing a 2kw gen with a 3.5kw gen is like apples to oranges

Non CARB compliant, won't be seeing it here in CA.

I believe you can still pick up the original Champion 3100i for less than that. HD has them for $850.

I will add that at 63 db it is quieter at full bore than the 3100i and my 3500/4000. From a recent user report it would be quieter at running a AC than a pair of Champion 2000 inverter units paralleled.