Shootin a 12 strand & 16 strand D97 off same Hybrid style L/B ,, None are padded, both built by very well known stringmakers, the 16 strander is MUCH louder !! Im very surprised at this ...
There is a lot of debate on here about this subject. My experience is that the lower the strand count with D97 the lower the bow noise. Others will surely chime in with the opposite opinion. I think a full on test with a decible meter is in order.
i agree with the post above. when i switched to shooting 10 strand D97 it made every bow i shoot them out of silent. and i can compare between different bows cause all my bows are 66" so i just put the string on all my bows. and it made a large difference in every bow.
I don't like to go any lower than 10 strands, except super light draw weights. I haven't found any noticeable difference on my bows between 10 and 14 (loops padded to 18 on both), but I did find out a 16 or 18 strand 8125 sounded awful on my bow, and a 12 strand was quiet.
I don't think there's any "one size fits all" answer--too many variables.
Thanks fellas ,, Good talkin with ya Chad, can't wait to try out the new strings ... Adam
I personally can't tell much difference, but I haven't done a whole lot of experimenting.
I have done a lot of work on this subject with D97 and other string types, and have concluded the same findings as Ragnarok Forge above. As long as the loops are padded, the thinner strings are more quiet.