Noise is defined by its disturbing effect relative to a desired signal

Evidence

Undesired sounds that disturb the desired sound are called noise. Often, noise specifically means a random, unstructured signal. A straightforward technical measure of quality due to disturbing noise is the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). — Ville Pulkki, Matti Karjalainen, Communication Acoustics- An…, 518

Categorization

• XREF: Connects to the reader’s broader reading on noise/silence (The Soundscape, One Square Inch of Silence) — here noise is defined operationally via SNR rather than aesthetically. — connects to: Noise is any factor degrading signal detection or discrimination — Almo Farina, Soundscape Ecology: Principles,…, 1238; Noise means unused sound that degrades communication across media — Almo Farina, Soundscape Ecology: Principles,…, 1227; Noise is best defined contextually as any sound that obstructs intended communication — Almo Farina, Soundscape Ecology: Principles,…, 1241
• corroborated: 2 independent passages support this claim — Ville Pulkki, Matti Karjalainen, Communication Acoustics- An…, 518