most annoying sound

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"They also played the participants a number of more pleasant noises. Here were the four they rated as the least irritating:

1. Applause
2. A baby laughing
3. Thunder
4. Water flowing"

Surprised that a baby's laughter was 2nd and not 1st. I LOVE thunder though, whenever there's lightning I go outside to feel all the vibrations in the air, it's such a good sound.
 
What I find interesting is 16 participants gets a published write-up. That doesn't seem to jive with some other listening test requirements I read about.

I very much agree, but I suspect 100-1000 participants would be too much time wasted with the MRI machine, they have to reserve it for the use. It is after all preparations for the test + preparations for the machine + 74 sounds played + time to evaluate each sound + analysis of the material and the brain scans + whatever else 16 times over. It takes a while. Not comparitive to 100 people on the street answering 5 questions each.
 
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All time? Those $#@%^%$ car subwoofers that don't turn it down at night I can hear 5 blocks away when I am trying to go to sleep. There was one that could make the pictured on my living room wall jump. MY subs in the room are not that loud! My insurance premiums are going to be buying him hearing aids and he will be claiming disability on my tax money.

Harley's with no mufflers. They actually cause me physical pain. Bikers are also mostly going deaf so they don't know how loud it is for the rest of us.

What is in common? No respect for others. Same category as the stupid ringtones and the telemarketer pause.

It seems to have been lost that the concept of a "free society" was to be free in your actions so long as they don't hurt anyone else.
 
Actually it's funny but comment #10 for the original article nailed it for me. As
someone who has in the past camped on the cheap and sometimes at the last minute I used a lot of styrofoam coolers (sorry world). The sound of the lid scratching against the cooler body when driving is one @&%#ing annoying sound.

Matt
 
For me:
ICE systems.
Phart pipe exhaust pipes
Girl who lives above me, her tumble drier at 2am (I have a test tone thats almost perfect pitch to it, so I play that till she gets the message, which is usually within 15 secs)
 
Children singing en masse.....you know that, flat, awkward and dull drone that they produce.
The sound of "dump valves" being opened just for effect!
"Strimmers" on a quiet Sunday morning.
Guns of any sort being fired (just been to Capri in Italy and woken each morning by some **** with a shotgun shooting at songbirds in the woods)
English church organ music.
Babies crying on planes
Seagulls during nesting season.
People shouting for no reason.
 
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