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A-weighted sound power level and A-weighted sound pressure level are measures of amplitude of sound. The following table provides comparisons of A-weighted sound pressure levels to some familiar noise sources:
Familiar noise experience | Value measured at |
LpA (dBA re 20 µPa) | |
Data center, vacuum cleaner, voice must be elevated to be heard | 75 |
Conversation levels | 60 |
Whispering, open office layout, normal living room | 45 |
Quiet office | 35 |
Quiet library | 30 |
Sound quality reflects human response to a sound, indicating product health, annoyance, distraction, or pleasure, and is described through various psychoacoustical metrics. The presence of prominent tones, as defined in the international standard ECMA-74, is one descriptor of sound quality.
Transient response refers to changes with time—for example, response to GPU-intensive workload or when a system is turned on or off. For more information about PowerEdge acoustical design and metrics, see the Dell Enterprise Acoustics white paper.