Sound signals and the manifold nature of our acoustic environment are rarely covered by social science research activities. This paper focusses on the results of an interdisciplinary research project at Technische Universität Dresden, which opens up a new social-acoustic vista by exploring the interaction between acoustic environment, technology and human individuals. On the basis of daily minutes and guideline-based interviews, people were asked about their everyday acoustic perception. Here, the sound perception is characterised as a social process elapsing highly unconscious, depending on individual factors and also significantly on situational influencing factors. Thus, acoustic signals and their interpretation are linked to a situation-specific cultural knowledge. An age-based analysis revealed similar perception patterns. Concerning the technical design of home appliances, the sound emission is currently of minor importance especially for the older people. In future investigations, especially in those with technical questions, it should be clarified if the requirements or requests exhibit an age-specific or generation-specific character.