wow,

i think you have it wrong..

the star specs are very quiet.. i have about 12 k miles and 5 track days.. i can hear them now, but not like the stock bridgstones..

beers :beer:

Well, it has been a while since I had the Bridgestones, but lots of people note that the Star Specs can be loud. Just take a look at the reviews on Tire Rack. A few people consider them quiet, but many more comment on noise, eg:

"At first the tires where a little noisy, then I decided to check tire pressure..sure enough it was to low(36psi). I let the tire cool down and set pressure to 44psi, and the results where immediate, noise was down (really none) and ride was smooth" [I think that's crazy, BTW]

"My only complaints, which shouldn't be deal-breakers, are road noise which seems somewhat higher than the seemingly harder tread of the OEM rubber [Bridgestone RE050a Runflats]"

"The Bridgestones [RE01 R] were quieter on the street and noisier at the limit on the track."

"However, after the first driving event these tires developed a loud hum/resonance at 46/47 mph. This annoying trumpet-like hum/resonance can also be felt through the steering wheel."

"other than a bit of noise, these tires are awesome in the traction and handling department. They make the car feel like there are R-compounds mounted. I don't know why Dunlop cannot develop a tread design that is quiet though."

"The only real drawback is the hum the tire produces on the highway but I can live with that."

"The only strike against this tire for me is the noise level--I'm not sure if the volume is just due to the tires being new and not having a wear pattern in them yet from my driving, but they are much much louder than my former tires (Kumho Ecsta Supra), and my 3 year old winter tires I just took off (Michelin X-Ice). Anyhow, I'm really hoping that they quiet down with a bit of wear. They are quiet on the highway at speeds around or above 140 km/h but at any slower speeds, there is a noticeable whine from them. I'm also hoping that with the warmer weather, the road noise will quiet down"

Many more comments like these, I just pulled these from the first few pages.

I never heard of tires getting quieter as they wear, but I don't really know that much about tires. After reducing the pressure to 32 psi, they do seem a little quieter but still much louder than I remember my old, worn RE40s. Who knows, maybe your Bridgestones were particularly noisy.

I'm such a moron for not buying 8 of these instead of 4 last year.
Now Tire Rack has got the RE040s back at their traditional price...in fact they're selling them for $250 now...DOUBLE what I paid for each tire last year! I've still got about half the tread left on the ones I own, but I can't believe they went back up this much after the special ended. Ouch