Hi Karl,
Thanks for the email and sorry for the delay. Was out of the office for Labor day weekend. Hope you had a great weekend.
Hearing the first and second crack is not a problem in any setup or any grill to my knowledge and experience. It is quite a distinguished sound and is easy to identify within a couple of roasts, even to the new roaster. I will offer my assistance to help you hear and identify these if you wish.
It seems, however, that there was one person, from some old memory that was hearing impaired…not able to hear conversations at a table and things, seems he did have some trouble. But, in normal cases, I know of not one person who has had trouble with hearing any cracks.
Thanks
Shane.