If you say it often enough, it must be true

The Defender frost fan has had another outing at the Terrior field day (see attached clipping from the Nelson-Marlborough Farming supplement (click on it to see a larger version)).

And so another day, another contradictory specification.

This time the machine has been touted as producing 51 decibels of noise at 300 metres. Now the observant amongst you will be saying "Isn't that different to the original press release of less than 50dB?". Well yes! it would be. 

Should you be concerned?

Nooo..... No need for that, because the measurement is meaningless.

You see there still doesn't appear to be any independent testing data released for the fan. 

So the claim about having no special audible characteristics?

Worthless.

Should you be concerned about the 'whop factor'?

Gosh no. The odds of the tips of the machine's blades exceeding the speed of sound like an Iroquois helicopter are slim.

Does that mean it doesn't have special audible characteristics?

Ha! They wish.

I REALLY hope this fan is as good as they say. I really do.

But the longer they keep repeating that the fan is quiet and that it doesn't have special audible characteristics, the more concern I have that they don't have the data to back up the claim. This could be snake oil, peddled by a firm hoping to repeat something often enough so that people believe it. How are we to know?

Independent testing. Let a respected acoustics firm/expert do the measurements. Publish them to prove your claim. Seems simple. If the measurements confirm it, the world should beat a path to your door. 

If they're not.... Well I suppose you shouldn't release them...

Hang on...