Decibel / noise class
How loud an appliance is rated in dB(A), plus its EU label noise-emission class.
Noise level is measured in dB(A), a decibel scale weighted to match human hearing sensitivity. The scale is logarithmic, so every extra 10 dB(A) sounds roughly twice as loud, meaning the difference between a 45 dB(A) dishwasher and a 55 dB(A) one is far more noticeable in a kitchen or open-plan living space than the numbers alone suggest. Many EU energy labels also show a noise-emission class from A (quietest) to D (loudest), calculated from the same decibel figure.