diff --git a/assignment-client/src/audio/AudioMixer.cpp b/assignment-client/src/audio/AudioMixer.cpp
index 1c2c4137a4..2c78257d2b 100644
--- a/assignment-client/src/audio/AudioMixer.cpp
+++ b/assignment-client/src/audio/AudioMixer.cpp
@@ -61,7 +61,7 @@
 
 const float LOUDNESS_TO_DISTANCE_RATIO = 0.00001f;
 const float DEFAULT_ATTENUATION_PER_DOUBLING_IN_DISTANCE = 0.18;
-const float DEFAULT_NOISE_MUTING_THRESHOLD = 0.003f;
+const float DEFAULT_NOISE_MUTING_THRESHOLD = 0.001f;
 const QString AUDIO_MIXER_LOGGING_TARGET_NAME = "audio-mixer";
 const QString AUDIO_ENV_GROUP_KEY = "audio_env";
 const QString AUDIO_BUFFER_GROUP_KEY = "audio_buffer";
@@ -78,7 +78,7 @@ bool AudioMixer::_printStreamStats = false;
 
 bool AudioMixer::_enableFilter = true;
 
-bool AudioMixer::shouldMute(float quietestFrame, float loudestFrame) {
+bool AudioMixer::shouldMute(float quietestFrame) {
     return (quietestFrame > _noiseMutingThreshold);
 }
 
@@ -142,7 +142,7 @@ int AudioMixer::addStreamToMixForListeningNodeWithStream(AudioMixerClientData* l
     }
     
     // if the stream should be muted, bail
-    if (shouldMute(streamToAdd->getQuietestTrailingFrameLoudness(), streamToAdd->getLoudestTrailingFrameLoudness())) {
+    if (shouldMute(streamToAdd->getQuietestFrameLoudness())) {
         return 0;
     }
     
diff --git a/assignment-client/src/audio/AudioMixer.h b/assignment-client/src/audio/AudioMixer.h
index 836554c44a..ccf7727265 100644
--- a/assignment-client/src/audio/AudioMixer.h
+++ b/assignment-client/src/audio/AudioMixer.h
@@ -60,7 +60,7 @@ private:
 
     void perSecondActions();
     
-    bool shouldMute(float quietestFrame, float loudestFrame);
+    bool shouldMute(float quietestFrame);
 
     QString getReadPendingDatagramsCallsPerSecondsStatsString() const;
     QString getReadPendingDatagramsPacketsPerCallStatsString() const;
diff --git a/domain-server/resources/describe-settings.json b/domain-server/resources/describe-settings.json
index ba4cfe8dfd..a49e1072eb 100644
--- a/domain-server/resources/describe-settings.json
+++ b/domain-server/resources/describe-settings.json
@@ -93,8 +93,8 @@
         "name": "noise_muting_threshold",
         "label": "Noise Muting Threshold",
         "help": "Loudness value for noise background between 0 and 1.0 (0: mute everyone, 1.0: never mute)",
-        "placeholder": "0.003",
-        "default": "0.003",
+        "placeholder": "0.001",
+        "default": "0.001",
         "advanced": false
       },
       {
diff --git a/libraries/audio/src/PositionalAudioStream.cpp b/libraries/audio/src/PositionalAudioStream.cpp
index 162b11db0f..c315c04026 100644
--- a/libraries/audio/src/PositionalAudioStream.cpp
+++ b/libraries/audio/src/PositionalAudioStream.cpp
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ PositionalAudioStream::PositionalAudioStream(PositionalAudioStream::Type type, b
     _lastPopOutputTrailingLoudness(0.0f),
     _lastPopOutputLoudness(0.0f),
     _quietestTrailingFrameLoudness(std::numeric_limits<float>::max()),
-    _loudestTrailingFrameLoudness(0.0f),
+    _quietestFrameLoudness(0.0f),
     _frameCounter(0)
 {
 }
@@ -62,16 +62,14 @@ void PositionalAudioStream::updateLastPopOutputLoudnessAndTrailingLoudness() {
         }
     }
     if (_frameCounter++ == TRAILING_MUTE_THRESHOLD_FRAMES) {
+        _quietestFrameLoudness = _quietestTrailingFrameLoudness;
         _frameCounter = 0;
         _quietestTrailingFrameLoudness = std::numeric_limits<float>::max();
-        _loudestTrailingFrameLoudness = 0.0f;
+
     }
     if (_lastPopOutputLoudness < _quietestTrailingFrameLoudness) {
         _quietestTrailingFrameLoudness = _lastPopOutputLoudness;
     }
-    if (_lastPopOutputLoudness > _loudestTrailingFrameLoudness) {
-        _loudestTrailingFrameLoudness = _lastPopOutputLoudness;
-    }
 }
 
 int PositionalAudioStream::parsePositionalData(const QByteArray& positionalByteArray) {
diff --git a/libraries/audio/src/PositionalAudioStream.h b/libraries/audio/src/PositionalAudioStream.h
index 4efadf5680..e641791ef5 100644
--- a/libraries/audio/src/PositionalAudioStream.h
+++ b/libraries/audio/src/PositionalAudioStream.h
@@ -36,8 +36,7 @@ public:
     void updateLastPopOutputLoudnessAndTrailingLoudness();
     float getLastPopOutputTrailingLoudness() const { return _lastPopOutputTrailingLoudness; }
     float getLastPopOutputLoudness() const { return _lastPopOutputLoudness; }
-    float getQuietestTrailingFrameLoudness() const { return _quietestTrailingFrameLoudness; }
-    float getLoudestTrailingFrameLoudness() const { return _loudestTrailingFrameLoudness; }
+    float getQuietestFrameLoudness() const { return _quietestFrameLoudness; }
 
     bool shouldLoopbackForNode() const { return _shouldLoopbackForNode; }
     bool isStereo() const { return _isStereo; }
@@ -67,7 +66,7 @@ protected:
     float _lastPopOutputTrailingLoudness;
     float _lastPopOutputLoudness;
     float _quietestTrailingFrameLoudness;
-    float _loudestTrailingFrameLoudness;
+    float _quietestFrameLoudness;
     int _frameCounter;
 };