As noted elsewhere, the problem with the "boy racer" reviews is that they're likely almost never scientific, where tire noise is one example of the flaws of reviews (as others mentioned in recent threads).
The problem with noise is, as I see it, the same as the problem with almost all tire specs that matter to the consumer. o We don't have the specs
At least, not in the USA,
But this article below says Europe has noise specs! o Is noise really all the tire's fault?
"In addition to the ECE branding, beginning on Nov. 1, 2012... The external noise generated by the tire is indicated both in decibels (dBs) and by black sound waves that indicate the noise class of the tire, from 1 (quiet) to 3 (loud). 1 black sound wave: Already 3dB below the 2016 European limit 2 black sound waves: Already comÂpliant with the 2016 European limit 3 black sound waves: Compliant with the 2012 European limit
However, in the USA, we don't have noise specs printed on the sidewall.
Hence, it's _impossible_ (in effect), IMHO, in the USA, to compare tires by clearly valuable but factually unattainable specs, such as the amount of noise the tires will generate on your vehicle, on the roads you drive, the way you drive them, etc.
That's why I compare tires by attainable reliable specs, but that having been said, this noise concept intrigues me in that maybe we _can_ find more information about what generates this noise, and how to compare tires for it.
Googling, this may be apropos (depending on the reliability of the source) o The Fight Against Tire Noise
(1) "The most common noise produced by tires is tire pattern noise. Pattern noise is what people usually are referring to when talking about tire noise; it occurs because air is trapped in the tread pattern and is suddenly released as the tire rolls along the road surface."
(2) "Tires also make noise because the tread elements squirm under the weight of the car and slip over the pavement."
(3) "The squealing noise that occurs during rapid acceleration, hard braking and high speed cornering is a result of significant slippage of the rubber on the road surface. This slippage creates an intense self-induced vibration of the tread that produces the sounds TV and movie producers are so enamored with."
(4) "The combination of poor tire uniformity and a rough road surface can result in what is known as elastic vibration noise."
The article makes a bunch of "noise" expectation recommendations, such as:
(A) "In general, vehicles carrying a light load produce lower tire noise than those with heavy loads. "
(B) "Tires running higher inflation pressures generate lower noise levels compared to those with lower inflation levels. "
(C) "Radials are much quieter than bias tires, and high speeds result in more noise than lower speeds."
Where they summarize the problem set as: (a) "Slick tires on pool table-smooth roads would produce a lot less noise."
(b) " Unfortunately, the need for wet weather traction requires coarse road surfaces and tread patterns that drain away water. And roads are made up of a variety of materials that inevitably include bumps, manhole covers, pavement joints and other obstacles."
(c) "Tires get noisier as they wear because of their construction, tread design and uneven wear. As a tire wears and the thickness of the tread and its sound insulating properties are reduced, it gets closer to its belts and reinforcements â this can increase tire noise."
And... (d) "Directional tires often get louder as they wear; much more than non-directional tread designs."
See also these posts about tire noise in o