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Does thicker floor underlayment actually quiet footsteps downstairs?
How much difference does thicker acoustic underlayment make to someone in the room below, as opposed to just changing how the new floor feels underfoot? I’m trying to separate impact noise, like footsteps, from airborne sound such as voices, since those seem like different problems.
The flooring type and existing subfloor matter here, and neither is specified in a general comparison. What would you check first for compatibility, maximum added height, and any warranty requirements? If a manufacturer lists an impact or airborne sound rating, how do you tell whether it applies to the proposed flooring and a comparable floor assembly, rather than just the underlayment by itself?
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I’d put less weight on a rating for the underlayment by itself. It won’t tell you how the installed floor will perform: the result depends on the tested assembly, including the flooring and subfloor. Compare those layers with the proposed setup, and treat the rating as a useful guide only if the test assembly is genuinely comparable.