Opinion about 77W sound

MajorHaan · Tue Nov 13, 2018 11:04 am

Hello,

I will make my first transatlantic flight next summer (for a CDG-YUL flight). For my flight I have the choice between A330-300 (before wings, at the level of engines), 777-300ER (before wings) & 787-900 (behind the wings).

Looking at the opinions, I noticed that many people criticize the sound of the 777-300ER (77W) plane. I would like to know if the 77W is so noisy and uncomfortable as that? Or it depends on the place in the plane (front/middle/rear).

Compared to the A330-300 & 787-900, which one is better? If you have a choice, what will your choose?
The only aircraft I have taken are the Boeing 737, Airbus A320/321, Airbus A340 & Airbus A380 (by far my best flight).

Thank you in advance
(Sorry if it's posted in the wrong place)

sergegva · Tue Nov 13, 2018 3:38 pm

The noise inside the cabin depends on the aircraft model, but also on the type of engines installed, and there are several possible ones for all these aircraft. Logically, the most modern (787-9) should be the quietest. To be confirmed by specialists... Although anyway, there is a debate on noise inside aircraft. I personally find the 77W quite noisy, but I've never been able to compare it with a 333 in a short period of time.

As for the location of the seat inside the aircraft, I would say, the closer you are to the engines, the louder it gets, no matter what the front or back.

Personally, my choice would be A333 (wider seat) > B77W > B787-9 (because of auto-dimmable windows that can obstruct the view & because it will soon become the most common widebody aircraft, so there will be many opportunities to fly with it)

TheFlyingDisk · Tue Nov 13, 2018 11:23 pm

While I've not had the chance to fly on an A333, I did fly on an A346 and a 77W back to back once - and on both planes I was right by the wing & engine. Granted, the Airbus does have a quieter cabin, but to be honest the 77W's cabin is not as noisy as many on Airliners would like to portray. I was able to sleep soundly on all my 77W & 77L flights.

Or maybe my tolerance for noise is higher, I don't know.

spacecadet · Tue Nov 13, 2018 11:46 pm

I've flown the A330 and 77W but never the 787. I find the 77W and A330 to be pretty comparable in noise level. The 787 is reputed to be quieter but I would definitely think that being in front of vs. behind the engines would negate at least some of that advantage.

Keep in mind that at cruise, most of the noise you hear is actually not engine noise but wind noise. That said, I do think that more modern planes seem to have some better sound insulation in the interior cabin - I have flown on the A350 and thought it was impossibly quiet, even behind the engines as I was. It was almost uncomfortably quiet! I'm just not used to that on a plane. The 77W is definitely far louder by comparison.

So, I don't know how helpful I'm being here, but I guess I'd say the 787 is almost definitely going to be quieter in general than the 77W or A330. But, being behind the engines, you will definitely pick up a little more engine roar on the 787... though the extra soundproofing may or may not muffle the wind noise to the point where it's still quieter overall.

Personally, I'd probably try the 787 to see how it is, knowing how loud the 77W can be already.

hoons90 · Wed Nov 14, 2018 1:18 am

I've heard the same about the 77W in the past, but I've flown on the 77W at the very front (only three rows away from door L1) and found it significantly quieter than I expected. Of course, almost nothing beats the A380 in terms of quietness.

Lightning12 · Wed Nov 14, 2018 1:30 am

To me it depends on where you prefer to sit in the row of seats. For example, on the A330 and 777, both are a lot louder if you sit in the seats on the side compared to seats in the middle block. For example, (speaking from personal experience), I found that sitting in the middle block of a 2-4-2 A330 is quieter than sitting in the side block of the A350 and A330 in a similar position, even though the A350 has a new engine. The 777 middle block is also quieter than the window seat of the 777. Can't comment about the 787, because I haven't been on it. Probably quieter than the 777. I don't think anything will be quieter than the A380 though.

spacecadet · Wed Nov 14, 2018 6:04 am

I've flown in both the middle and sides of the 77W, as well as the front and back, and found it pretty loud in all areas. Of course it's a bit louder in the back than the front. But that would apply to planes that are generally quieter overall too.

Kent350787 · Fri Nov 16, 2018 4:11 am

The 77W is definitely noisier than the 787. I've done sectors back-to-back on each. I've flown multiple A330 sectors, but not back to back with 77W. My general view is that the A330 is quieter than the 77W, but I couldn't quantify by how much.

spacecadet · Sat Nov 17, 2018 5:42 am

My previous comment was edited for some reason, which I don't really understand (or appreciate). There was a lot of extra context that I wrote that was later cut out, which I will try to repeat here.

I've flown the A330 and 77W, as well as the A350, which is the 787's most direct competitor. I haven't flown a 787. The A330 and 77W are pretty similar in noise. The A350 is *much* quieter, which makes me think the 787 probably is too. That said, flying behind the engines on the 787 is going to negate some of that advantage.

But keep in mind that most of what you hear at cruise is wind noise, not engine noise. You're going to hear that on any airplane. So most of the noise advantage is going to be on takeoff and landing, though I do think the newer planes have a bit better sound insulation in general.

Personally, I would try the 787 since I *know* the 77W is loud.

global2 · Sat Nov 17, 2018 9:39 pm

I have been flying longer than many members on this board have been alive, and I have to say that I never even realized there was a significant difference in noise levels between one type of modern era widebody vs. another until I read the many comments about it on Anet. It's similar to the histrionic remarks by some posters about how the 5/8 of an inch less seat width is the difference between some imagined luxurious comfort vs. extreme torture.

I've always enjoyed flying on the 777, and felt that the huge engines produced a much lower pitch rumble vs. higher pitch whine of smaller powerplants. The sound of the rumble lowering even further when they throttle back for initial descent is cool! I generally try to always sit by the window, but as others have mentioned above, sitting in the center section is probably quieter. I invested in noise cancelling headphones which make a huge difference; the music I listen to sounds so much better (I don't use ear bud type earphones), and for sleeping they muffle all the various interior cabin noises, like incessant chatting and clinking glasses in the galley, which is the real reason why I felt a need to buy them.

Kent350787 · Sat Nov 17, 2018 11:09 pm

spacecadet wrote:
But keep in mind that most of what you hear at cruise is wind noise, not engine noise.

This is the big difference for me between 787 and 77W, especially near the doors.

trauha · Sun Nov 25, 2018 4:45 pm

Earplugs are way more effective in decibels than the difference between those planes. The brand and tightness of the fit of the earplugs make a big difference too.

dennisJ986 · Mon Nov 26, 2018 11:34 am

I've flown 77Ws many times and haven't noticed any meaningful difference. The biggest risk in noise discomfort may come from a screaming toddler or loud adult nearby

masi1157 · Tue Nov 27, 2018 7:10 am

sergegva wrote:
The noise inside the cabin depends on the aircraft model, but also on the type of engines installed, and there are several possible ones for all these aircraft.

No, not really. In case of different engine options (of the same generation) on the same A/C model, cabin noise will be rather similar. Along most of the cabin the engines are not the dominant noise source anyway, it is the boundary layer (on the fuselage skin) and on some models even the cabin air distribution. Only in the aft of the cabin the engines play a role, but there it is not the engine itself but its exhaust jet. Latest generation engines tend to be quieter here, but that is again not due the engine itself but mostly its exhaust velocity and bypass ratio.

sergegva wrote:
As for the location of the seat inside the aircraft, I would say, the closer you are to the engines, the louder it gets, no matter what the front or back.

Again: No, not really. During takeoff and climb you will have some buzz saw noise in the fwd cabin in front of the engines. During cruise it will be exhaust jet noise (far) behind the engines. The middle of the cabin above the wings (and closest to the engines) is often the quietest part of the cabin during cruise.

In the fwd and mid cabin the ranking is (quiet to noisy) A330/B787 - B777, in the aft cabin it is rather B787 - B777 - A330. But in any case I wouldn't make my decision depending on cabin noise, they all are far too noisy for your health and comfort during a 10h flight.

Gruß, masi1157

Opinion about 77W sound

Opinion about 77W sound

Re: Opinion about 77W sound

Re: Opinion about 77W sound

Re: Opinion about 77W sound

Re: Opinion about 77W sound

Re: Opinion about 77W sound

Re: Opinion about 77W sound

Re: Opinion about 77W sound

Re: Opinion about 77W sound

Re: Opinion about 77W sound

Re: Opinion about 77W sound

Re: Opinion about 77W sound

Re: Opinion about 77W sound

Re: Opinion about 77W sound

Who is online

Popular Searches On Airliners.net