Hands On With DJI’s Low-Noise Propellers

Back in August, DJI announced a new iteration of the popular Mavic Pro, the Mavic Pro Platinum. As well as sporting a brighter paint job, the Platinum comes with a slightly longer flight time and the promise of noise reduction compared with the standard model.

At the time the launch was a little underwhelming. But only because we were expecting something much bigger. New paint jobs somehow became press-release-worthy in 2017, so it took a while for the small improvements that came with them to be appreciated.

The Mavic Pro Platinum’s offers upgrades to flight time and noise. Some internal and external tweaks have given the Mavic Pro Platinum an 11 percent gain in flight time (taking it up 30 minutes) and a 60% noise power reduction. These are provided by the combination of new low-noise propellers and redesigned FOC ESC drivers, which offer sinusoidal current and increased stability.

Testing the Mavic Pro’s Low-Noise Props

The good news for standard Mavic Pro pilots is that the new low-noise props are compatible with the old Mavic. Over the past week, we’ve been testing them out to see if we can hear the difference. So are they worth the extra $20?

The resounding answer is: Yes.

According to DJI, “When used with the Mavic Pro Platinum, up to 4dB (60%) of aircraft noise is lowered during takeoff and landing, and flight time is extended to 30 minutes. Noise reduction and flight time are also enhanced when used with the Mavic Pro, but not as much”.

Although we didn’t notice a huge impact on flight time, there’s no doubt that the Mavic Pro’s volume and pitch was altered. It’s perhaps 5% quieter, which isn’t much but is enough to be noticeable. More important to us was the change of pitch. The standard Mavic can sound a little whiny, like an annoying and very large mosquito. With the new Mavic Pro Platinum props, that pitch is toned down and the drone doesn’t generate the same annoying whine.

For $20, you can’t really go wrong. Sure, the improvements are minor, but if you’re looking for a way to fly your Mavic a little more conspicuously, look no further.

Prioritizing Public Perception

It says a lot that DJI has taken steps to address the issue of noise in 2017. Just like the new paint jobs given to the Mavic Pro and the Phantom 4 Pro, the issue of noise is essentially a cosmetic one. Although low-noise props improve the pilot’s experience, they are designed to improve the perception of the general public, too.

We doubt this will be the last step that drone manufacturers take to make their aircraft more public-friendly from a cosmetic perspective.