So the catch phrase of the day is "Low tone" . Every can I see a review of has a nice "low tone" according to the reviewer.

Question is, opposed to what? What are some cans that do NOT have a low tone?

Two cans, registering the same dB measurement, can be distinguished by their tone.
A lower tone or frequency (not speaking nauseatingly low) is more pleasing to the ear and therefore a more desired trait of a silencer.

I'm not sure they're trying to make a comparison, but, if they were, to a higher tone would be my guess

Can X has a great low tone. Can Y has a really nice low tone.

So what's a can with a shitty high tone??

The one not getting bought

All this tone s--t (and I know many sound different) is because people are starting to test with meters and some cans don't stack up. Only way to keep people thinking is to cut down the equipment or come up with some other way (tone) to say they are closer or better.

Low tones (lower frequencies) travel better over distance than higher frequencies. If the shooter intends to produce less noise from a firearms discharge, you want the opposite of "low tone."

John Titsworth wrote:Low tones (lower frequencies) travel better over distance than higher frequencies. If the shooter intends to produce less noise from a firearms discharge, you want the opposite of "low tone."

Truth.

Low tones will also penetrate barriers more easily than high tones. High tones are more easily reflected.

Well, there's always that annoying and distracting "ping" "tuning fork" tinninitus sound that a bunch of AAC suppressors has.

I prefer a low tone as the sound is closer to a car door slam than a hammer hitting metal. Car door slams aren't alarming, relatively speaking. Hammers hitting metal are a more stressful sound. The character of the sound is important for me, but that's a matter of taste. I've always been overly sensitive to higher pitched sounds.

John A. wrote:Well, there's always that annoying and distracting "ping" "tuning fork" tinninitus sound that a bunch of AAC suppressors has.

Yessir!

I did not mean to imply I'm an advocate of the ping, I like that bassy note even if it gives my position away to the nutria.

John A. wrote:Well, there's always that annoying and distracting "ping" "tuning fork" tinninitus sound that a bunch of AAC suppressors has.

My TiRant 9mm has that sound except with Hush Ammo but I had some FTF with it so I dont use it much. But it was a demo can and I got it for like 400 bucks.

Don't poop on tone just yet. The human ear will naturally pick up certain frequencies before others. Around 2000 Hz, your ear is super sensitive (maybe a evolutionary thing to sensitive to your kids voices or big animals sneaking up you. But not your wife's voice. For some reason it doesn't hold true here. For me anyway--but I digress).

So, if there's a lower tone and 2K higher pitched tone happening at the same time at the same loudness, you'll pick up the higher tone. For you to recognize the lower tone, the higher one has to drop up to 10 dB. That's half as loud and a huge amount of energy.

That 1K-5K Hz range is where sound can be kind of painful. Like the lady singing and breaking a wine glass. When you reduce the sound pressure level (SPL or dB) in this range, you'll be able to identify the deeper tone and there's the added benefit of it being more pleasant to the ear.

Look up equal loudness contour if you feel the need to geek out.

Mageever wrote:Don't poop on tone just yet. The human ear will naturally pick up certain frequencies before others.

Agreed and I'm not pooping on tone. I'm just wondering where are the cans with the "high" tones

The Silencerco Osprey9mm is notorious for a high pitched tone. It annoys my ears. Most people prefer "low tone" cans.

Lower the frequency, the longer the sound will travel over distance and time. The higher the frequency, the faster the report will drop off. So it's a catch22. I still prefer a lower pitch can and could care less if the report is more distinguishable than a higher pitched sounded can.

Fireman1291 wrote:The Silencerco Osprey9mm is notorious for a high pitched tone. It annoys my ears. Most people prefer "low tone" cans.

Lower the frequency, the longer the sound will travel over distance and time. The higher the frequency, the faster the report will drop off. So it's a catch22. I still prefer a lower pitch can and could care less if the report is more distinguishable than a higher pitched sounded can.

I gotta agree with that. (Except the Osprey, no personal experience there.) I find higher pitched suppressors annoying, and higher pitched voices are very aggravating to me as well; I'd rather have a low tone even if it does carry farther. This same point comes up in 2-stroke vs 4-stroke dirtbike discussions when the subject is riding in the woods near populated areas.

Kinda makes me wonder, the preference to low tones may be more of a guy thing, I wonder if the higher tones sound better to some women?