Suspension vs HDD Brand or Model for noise reduction

[Quietstick]

Hi All, apologies if I've missed this in my search but:

There's been comparisons of different models / brands of HDDs in terms noise,
There's been a whole list of suspension and other noise dampening methods,
But my question is, does the HDD model matter when using an effective noise dampening method?

More detail:
I've used a WD 500AAKS which has a very distinct ticking sound, and a WD 10EADS and a Samsung HD 103UJ in the same PC (Coolermaster Sileo 500), and yes, the latter 2 were quieter with normal mounting but as soon as I decoupled the drives by just placing them on the sound proofing foam they were all pretty much as silent as each other!

I imagine people using properly suspended internal enclosures would hear even less of a difference between brands.

Part of the reason for this is that I'm also thinking of buying a new HDD and was looking at a WD Caviar Black (which has a listed max noise level of 34dB. (I realise there's also a 'perception' component to the noise)

[MikeC]

No question mechanical decoupling reduces the audible differences between HDDs. When the overall noise of the rest of the system components and/or general ambient noise exceeds the acoustic noise of the drives, then those difference can become inaudible.

You mention the WD5000AAKS (7200rpm) as one of the drives that ended up sounding like the others -- it is rated for 33dBA max, compared to 27dBA for the WD5000AAKS (Green)... so the 34dba of the model you're considering should work fine for you.

[Quietstick]

Mike, thanks for confirming that and pointing out that the noise levels on the prospective buy and the old disk were comparable. You're a legend. Keep up the good work - much appreciated to you and your team.

Slightly off topic: If anyone's interested in what the code means on WD model numbers, check out:

http://www.wdc.com/en/library/2579-001028.pdf

[ntavlas]

One characteristic that could affect the choice of mounting method is the amount of vibration produced by the drive. I remember having a drive (a 40GB WD) that managed to transfer vibrations to the case in spite of lying on 4/5 inch thick foam. That was some time ago though and I don`t think that this would happen with a modern hdd. Half an inch of foam seems to be enough to remove the low frequency hum of the drives I`m using now.

Talking about WD model codes, I especially like the EARS one, sounds very relevant

[Quietstick]

^ Does it come with a DIN number??