If the background noise in a restaurant approaches this level, the room noise is like being at a party where everyone talks louder and louder as the size of the crowd increases. In the acoustics ...

It was supposed to be a joyful family gathering. Last spring, Kim Powers-Brown took an overnight train from her home in eastern Washington state to join her relatives at a restaurant near Seattle.

GUEST OPINION: Walk into a bustling restaurant at dinnertime, and the energy is undeniable. But if the sound climbs too high, that lively buzz quickly turns into a stressful roar. Noise has long been ...