Armadillo Designs Aluminum Hardtop

[brocosaurus]

I find it so interesting that decibels aren’t a linear measurement.

Anyway…Unfortunately I have a Garmin. Are these noise apps really that accurate? My “earhole” noise app suggests it is greater than a four decibel decrease, but that is based on the elimination of wind noise. It’s noticeable. I believe Armadillo does have some decibel testing results on their website but I could be mistaken.

Between the Katzkin and Armadillo hardtop the bronco is now a tolerable vehicle on the road.

Took a look at the site and they're claiming 10-20~ DB reduction throughout a few different sections on the site. That would be pretty impressive if it's true. Maybe they or someone will eventually do a decent test and throw it on the youtube or something. There was someone that had a video with a db app but he was talking during the measurement so it wasn't useful lol.

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[brocosaurus]

Sometimes on longer trips in my old CJ-5, I wore those little sponge hearing protectors. Hard to complain about my Bronco noise after that.

The one day I drove 400 miles with lots of crosswind I wore airpods and it was fine and not a big deal. Kinda similar but probably no where near as bad haha

 

[Ninjak]

If anyone has a recent Apple Watch and this top, would love to get your results of the “Noise” app at highway speeds. I’ve got a shadow black top and Sasquatch and it’s 72db at highway which is not bad at all. If I could hit 68~ or lower with this top though it’s an instant buy for my road trips.

Any takers on measuring?

So I decided to go give this a try. It's a cool night in Miami, 57. Slight breeze. Test conducted using the noise app on the Apple Watch.

Vehicle Jessabelle:
2.7 twin turbo with Injen CIA, Injen Charge Pipes, Injen Down Pipe, Turbosmart BOV, Magnaflow Street Series Exhaust. Tires Cooper Discovery STT Pro 37x12.5x17 Rigid Radiance Series 40' lightbar.

@40 mph 68~70 db
@50 mph 70~72 db
@60 Mph 72~74 db
@70 Mph 75~77 db
@ 80 mph 77~79 db

The db's did not go out of the green zone and stayed under 80 db. @90 it did go over 80 to 81.
As I said before, most of what I hear is tire noise and some lightbar whistle. I also hear my turbos and blow-off. (NEVER will get tired of hearing that)

So this top is a lot quieter. I had only done one test in my soft top when I was considering getting the dirty dog liner, and yeah it started at 80db at low speeds. So very satisfied with the results.

 

[brocosaurus]

So I decided to go give this a try. It's a cool night in Miami, 57. Slight breeze. Test conducted using the noise app on the Apple Watch.

Vehicle Jessabelle:
2.7 twin turbo with Injen CIA, Injen Charge Pipes, Injen Down Pipe, Turbosmart BOV, Magnaflow Street Series Exhaust. Tires Cooper Discovery STT Pro 37x12.5x17 Rigid Radiance Series 40' lightbar.

@40 mph 68~70 db
@50 mph 70~72 db
@60 Mph 72~74 db
@70 Mph 75~77 db
@ 80 mph 77~79 db

The db's did not go out of the green zone and stayed under 80 db. @90 it did go over 80 to 81.
As I said before, most of what I hear is tire noise and some lightbar whistle. I also hear my turbos and blow-off. (NEVER will get tired of hearing that)

So this top is a lot quieter. I had only done one test in my soft top when I was considering getting the dirty dog liner, and yeah it started at 80db at low speeds. So very satisfied with the results.

Numbers seem really good considering the tires and exhaust!

 

[SierraBronco]

While we are at it.... How about Subwoofer replacement on the Wildtrak with B&O? LOL Ive learned over the past few days now that my ride is so quiet with the Armadillo Top... I can appreciate my music more and the SUB is just Horrible.... Also found out over the past few days that it costs anywhere from 1500-2000 bucks to swap out the sub and amp myself with these plug and play kits... Geeez.... I just want a different subwoofer to plop in there so it doesnt sound like a toy... Rest of the speakers were replaced and sound great now. Anyway.... Since you got the seats, did you do the sound system too? haha

Haven’t done anything with the sound system at all. With as noisy as it used to be I didn’t want to blast the ears of the doggos trying to overcome the windnoise. Figured just keep it to one loud annoying noise rather than multiple things.
Dogs > music

 

[Slei]

I find it so interesting that decibels aren’t a linear measurement.

Anyway…Unfortunately I have a Garmin. Are these noise apps really that accurate? My “earhole” noise app suggests it is greater than a four decibel decrease, but that is based on the elimination of wind noise. It’s noticeable. I believe Armadillo does have some decibel testing results on their website but I could be mistaken.

Between the Katzkin and Armadillo hardtop the bronco is now a tolerable vehicle on the road.

This^^^.
db are a great way to measure audio systems or a specific job based risk but kind of suck for perceived volume. Depending on the frequency you may not even hear what is being picked up by a meter. Also as you say most apps are on non calibrated devices.

I have the Enduro 2 solar. I don’t believe it has a microphone.

Makes ya wonder though why a watch noise app would be preferred over a phone app. Are the microphones more accurate on the watch?

Unfortunately most of the time watches and phones are A weighted, not calibrated, and as such are not good at measuring perceived noise levels. C or better yet Z rated meter will give you a better idea of what the noise damping of the top is but only the peak noise level and that may not be the noise you are most aware of.

I have all the equipment to make environmental db measurements. If people were interested we could go deeper and do a full analysis to confirm the claims, showing what frequencies the top actually cuts down, and making some high quality balanced recordings of the sound.

Only issue is my top is not due till later this year, so unless someone local who is getting a top in the near future wants to partner up on it It will be 3 or 4 months till I can do so.

 

[userdude]

This^^^.
db are a great way to measure audio systems or a specific job based risk but kind of suck for perceived volume. Depending on the frequency you may not even hear what is being picked up by a meter. Also as you say most apps are on non calibrated devices.

Unfortunately most of the time watches and phones are A weighted, not calibrated, and as such are not good at measuring perceived noise levels. C or better yet Z rated meter will give you a better idea of what the noise damping of the top is but only the peak noise level and that may not be the noise you are most aware of.

I have all the equipment to make environmental db measurements. If people were interested we could go deeper and do a full analysis to confirm the claims, showing what frequencies the top actually cuts down, and making some high quality balanced recordings of the sound.

Only issue is my top is not due till later this year, so unless someone local who is getting a top in the near future wants to partner up on it It will be 3 or 4 months till I can do so.

I think there's somebody else in the Bay Area on this thread that has one?

 

[SierraBronco]

This^^^.
db are a great way to measure audio systems or a specific job based risk but kind of suck for perceived volume. Depending on the frequency you may not even hear what is being picked up by a meter. Also as you say most apps are on non calibrated devices.

Unfortunately most of the time watches and phones are A weighted, not calibrated, and as such are not good at measuring perceived noise levels. C or better yet Z rated meter will give you a better idea of what the noise damping of the top is but only the peak noise level and that may not be the noise you are most aware of.

I have all the equipment to make environmental db measurements. If people were interested we could go deeper and do a full analysis to confirm the claims, showing what frequencies the top actually cuts down, and making some high quality balanced recordings of the sound.

Only issue is my top is not due till later this year, so unless someone local who is getting a top in the near future wants to partner up on it It will be 3 or 4 months till I can do so.

If you’re going to be at the winter jamboree or united by bronco we’ll be at both events if you want to do some testing.

 

[Slei]

I think there's somebody else in the Bay Area on this thread that has one?

I know of one person getting one before me. Ultimately would be best to do a before and after on the same vehicle. I think they are upgrading from soft top and Im upgrading from (Mic)Hard top so maybe we can do both variations.

 

[Slei]

If you’re going to be at the winter jamboree or united by bronco we’ll be at both events if you want to do some testing.

Thanks but doubt Ill make either. Was considering making the drive for United by Bronco but work got in the way.

 

[brocosaurus]

This^^^.
db are a great way to measure audio systems or a specific job based risk but kind of suck for perceived volume. Depending on the frequency you may not even hear what is being picked up by a meter. Also as you say most apps are on non calibrated devices.

Unfortunately most of the time watches and phones are A weighted, not calibrated, and as such are not good at measuring perceived noise levels. C or better yet Z rated meter will give you a better idea of what the noise damping of the top is but only the peak noise level and that may not be the noise you are most aware of.

I have all the equipment to make environmental db measurements. If people were interested we could go deeper and do a full analysis to confirm the claims, showing what frequencies the top actually cuts down, and making some high quality balanced recordings of the sound.

Only issue is my top is not due till later this year, so unless someone local who is getting a top in the near future wants to partner up on it It will be 3 or 4 months till I can do so.

Super cool of you to drop that knowledge and also be willing to test it for those of us interested!

 

[Gtrekker]

So I decided to go give this a try. It's a cool night in Miami, 57. Slight breeze. Test conducted using the noise app on the Apple Watch.

Vehicle Jessabelle:
2.7 twin turbo with Injen CIA, Injen Charge Pipes, Injen Down Pipe, Turbosmart BOV, Magnaflow Street Series Exhaust. Tires Cooper Discovery STT Pro 37x12.5x17 Rigid Radiance Series 40' lightbar.

@40 mph 68~70 db
@50 mph 70~72 db
@60 Mph 72~74 db
@70 Mph 75~77 db
@ 80 mph 77~79 db

The db's did not go out of the green zone and stayed under 80 db. @90 it did go over 80 to 81.
As I said before, most of what I hear is tire noise and some lightbar whistle. I also hear my turbos and blow-off. (NEVER will get tired of hearing that)

So this top is a lot quieter. I had only done one test in my soft top when I was considering getting the dirty dog liner, and yeah it started at 80db at low speeds. So very satisfied with the results.

Thank you and enjoy your build... Nice setup!!!

 

[SierraBronco]

Sooooooooooo…their interior storage panels really do provide a ton of storage. Awesome use with the gullwing doors. Trying to only put lightweight stuff up there but wow have they opened up space in the toolbox. And having all the extra headroom up front makes the overhead storage that much more versatile. Handheld radios now clip in from the top and it allowed us to be pretty lazy about needing to take the top off try out different mounting options to hold the winch remotes.

Only “negative” so far is that the lack of wind noise does make it to where we can hear the portals. It’s obviously not terrible and just like before the conditions need to be just right. (This isn’t a negative at all. Straight cut gear noise > wind noise all day every day)

 

[Ninjak]

@SierraBronco : That is not a bad place for the fire extinguisher. I run the DV8 as well, I was trying to figure out where I would put one.

Did my first wash today, no problems there. Ran it through the touchless wash I always go to. I thought I would hear the water hitting the roof...nope. Had my music on, not even loud, and I paid it no attention. Also interesting, the rear molle has some sort of way to drain out water. I was wondering how it would work.

 

[SierraBronco]

@SierraBronco : That is not a bad place for the fire extinguisher. I run the DV8 as well, I was trying to figure out where I would put one.

Did my first wash today, no problems there. Ran it through the touchless wash I always go to. I thought I would hear the water hitting the roof...nope. Had my music on, not even loud, and I paid it no attention. Also interesting, the rear molle has some sort of way to drain out water. I was wondering how it would work.

We’ve had the unfortunate ability to test out that fire extinguisher location and I can confirm that it was a very useful spot in an emergency situation. We’re going to put the normal dry element extinguisher in the back as a backup or for fires that aren’t under the hood/not a vehicle. But the non-corrosive $450 extinguisher will be up front. Already had the experience of the fire melting things and not being able to open the hood as a result-I can see the same thing happening in the back.

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