Between 40 and 90 dB, and the figure tracks two things: motor size, and whether a cabinet surrounds it. Here is the current range by printed figure, at the company's November 7 prices.
| Figure | What it is | Models and prices |
|---|
| 40 dB | 1.0 HP in a cabinet | 8010SPC ($1,162), 8010SPCAD ($1,253), 8010DSPC ($2,415), 8010DSPCAD ($2,499) |
| 56 dB | 0.6 HP or 12 volt | 1P1060S ($169), 12V1P10S ($279), 1P1060SP ($179, out of stock) |
| 58 dB | 2.0 HP in a cabinet | 10020SPC ($1,444), 10020SPCAD ($1,575), 10020SMSPC ($2,105), 10020DSPC ($2,465), 10020DSPCAD ($2,880, out of stock), 10020HDSPCADC ($4,580) |
| 60 dB | 1.0 HP | 8010 ($240), 2010A ($245), 8010A ($280), 4610S ($292), 4610AC ($335), 8010AD ($342), 8010AAD ($395), 6010LFC ($397), 8010ALFC ($440), 2010ALFC ($470), 4610ALFC ($605), 8010PK ($295, out of stock) |
| 65 dB | 4.0 HP in a cabinet | 20040SPCAD ($2,630), 20040DSPCAD ($5,070), 20040DSPCADC ($5,430) |
| 70 dB | 2.0 HP or 1.5 HP | 25 models, from the $415 5020W (out of stock) and $440 4620AC to the $3,850 20020DCADC (out of stock) |
| 75 dB and up | 4.0 HP, Quiet and CALAIR | thirteen 4.0 HP models at 75, the 80060C at 76, the 20060CAD at 78, the 60065C at 85, plus the 1510, 4710W and CALAIR models |
The 8010SPC and its cabinet siblings sit alone at 40
The 8010SPC prints "40 dB Noise Level", and so do three dearer 8010 cabinet versions that add an auto drain or an air dryer. Nothing else in the range gets that low.
Its pump is not the open 8010's. The cabinet holds the MP-100LF, which "operates at only 1400 RPM" in the company's words, where the open 1.0 HP pumps turn at 1680, and it delivers more air too, 3.00 CFM at 90 PSI against 2.20. The cabinet itself is a metal frame on four casters with two exhaust fans, lined with "1/4″ Acoustic Sound Proofing Foam insulation to reduce the noise by 30%". That 30% is a relative claim with no stated basis. The 40 dB figure is what gets ranked here, not the percentage.
Sixty, printed as "60 dB Noise Level" on its product page, which is what every 1.0 HP open frame model from this maker lists.
Five current open frame models carry the 8010 name and that 60. There is the steel 8010 ($240) and the aluminum 8010A ($280). The 8010AD adds an automatic drain valve ($342), the aluminum 8010AAD has one as well ($395), and the Industrial Series 8010ALFC costs $440. The 8010PK spray painting kit was out of stock.
Noise does not separate them. The 8010 and 8010A both list 2.20 CFM at 90 PSI and 165 seconds to fill from empty, so the choice comes down to tank material, weight and draining; the 8010A weighs 37.25 pounds to the steel 8010's 48.
A sound proof cabinet takes 10 to 20 dB off
Set each cabinet model beside the open frame pump of the same size and the drop is 60 to 40 for 1.0 HP, 70 to 58 for 2.0 HP, and 75 to 65 for 4.0 HP.
The price gap runs wider than most buyers expect.
| Motor | Open frame | Cabinet |
|---|
| 1.0 HP | 8010, $240 | 8010SPC, $1,162 |
| 2.0 HP | 10020C, $457 | 10020SPC, $1,444 |
| 4.0 HP | 20040C, $1,150 | 20040SPCAD with auto drain, $2,630 |
The 2.0 HP cabinets keep the SP-9421 pump of the open 10020C, while the 1.0 HP cabinet swaps in the slower MP-100LF. Every cabinet page we opened lists two exhaust fans. Anyone thinking of boxing in a compressor at home should read the compressor noise steps page on why that matters first.
Every open frame 2.0 HP model lists 70 dB
That is 10 dB above the 1.0 HP range, and what it buys is air: 5.30 CFM at 90 PSI instead of 2.20. Both motor sizes run at 1680 RPM by the company's pages, so the speed is not the difference.
With 25 models, the 70 dB group is the largest in the range. Tank size moves the weight and the price. It never moves the figure.
| Tank | Models and prices |
|---|
| 4.6 gallon | 4620AC ($440), 4620AC-22060 ($460) |
| 5 gallon | 5020W ($415, out of stock) |
| 10 gallon | 10020C ($457), 10020C-22060 ($435, out of stock), 10020CHAD and 10020CHAD-22060 ($570 each), 10020SMHAD ($995) |
| 15 gallon | 15020C ($650), 15020C-22060 ($720) |
| 20 gallon | 20015 and 20015HP, both 1.5 HP ($680 and $870), 20020 ($720), 20020AD ($770), 20020CTR and 20020CTR-22060 ($950 each) |
| With an air dryer | 10020DC ($1,202), 10020DC-22060 ($1,095), 10020DCAD ($1,346, out of stock), 10020DCAD-22060 ($1,346), 10020DSMAD ($1,915), 10020HDCADC ($2,260), 10020HDCADC-22060 ($2,360), 10020HDSMADC ($2,855), 20020DCADC ($3,850, out of stock) |
The company never explains why the bigger pump is louder.
What do the letters in the model numbers mean?
Each suffix names an extra. AD adds an automatic drain valve, A (AC on the 4.6 gallon models) marks an aluminum tank, LFC is the Industrial Series, SPC a sound proof cabinet, DC an 80% air dryer, and SM a SMART model.
The digits give the size. Read against the spec rows, the first part is the tank in gallons and the last two digits the horsepower: an 8010 is 8 gallons and 1.0 HP, a 20040 is 20 gallons and 4.0 HP. A "-22060" ending marks a 220 volt, 60 Hz version.
Only the cabinet letters change the printed figure. An 8010AD, an 8010ALFC and a plain 8010 all list 60 dB; an 8010SPC lists 40.
The 20020CR continuous run model ($1,525) and the 20060DCC with its 98% drying system ($6,480) carry no dB number anywhere on their pages. Both are 20 gallon machines.
Older names have dropped out of the shop altogether. The motor page still says the SP-9413 motor "Supports" the CAT-2010SP, CAT-4610, CAT-4710SQ, CAT-5510SE, CAT-10010, CAT-10010DC and CAT-10010DCAD, yet none of them had a new product listing on californiaairtools.com on November 7, 2026, and no CAT-6310 showed up either. We treat them as discontinued.
Out of stock in the company's own shop that day: the 5020W, 4710W, 1P1060SP, 8010PK, 10020C-22060, 10020DCAD, 10020DSPCAD, 20020DCADC and CALAIR 60037BD.
Quiet and CALAIR models print 75 to 90 dB
The word "Quiet" without "Ultra" is a different product line, and the figures show it. These models match or pass the 75 dB of the 4.0 HP Ultra Quiet machines.
The 1510 lists "75 dB Noise Level" on a 1.5 gallon tank for $175, and the out of stock 4710W lists the same. At 200 PSI, the high pressure CALAIR-20013 prints "85 dB Noise Level". Loudest of all are the oil-lubricated, belt-driven CALAIR 60037BD and 80050BD at "90 Decibel Noise Level".
Wear is rated differently too: "1000 Plus hours" on the 1510 page, 3000 on the Ultra Quiet 1.0 HP pages. For a quiet home setup, the 2010A or 8010 lists 15 dB less for about $70 more.
The company pitches its 56 and 60 dB models as "ideal for anyone working inside where noise is a major issue". Without a distance for the reading, though, how one sounds in your room is something no page settles.
Inside the company's own ladder the gaps are clear enough to plan around: a 60 dB model sits 10 below the 2.0 HP range and 4 above the 1P1060S, and the cabinets go lower still. Placing other brands beside it is harder. The quietest air compressors guide ranks California Air Tools next to Makita, DEWALT and others, and the airbrush compressor guide covers hobby units from Paasche, Master Airbrush and Sparmax. Why a bare dB figure from one maker rarely lines up with another's, from distance to weighting, is the subject of comparing decibel ratings.
