Air Conditioning - How to reduce A-C noise?

I have a central air-conditioning system in my small, third-floor condo. It's an Armstrong 1.5-ton, 10-SEER unit, with the compressor located on a pad on the balcony, which is required by the condo association's rules. The system works well, but the compressor is loud, especially when it kicks on. I did a Google search for A-C sound blankets, but the only ones I saw completely covered the compressor, which didn't seem like a good idea. Suggestions?

saw completely covered the compressor, which didn't seem like a good idea. Suggestions?

Why you say it wasn't a good ideal?

All high end equipment has a blanket to cover the whole compressor.

Compressor legs have rubber grommets and metal eyelets with bolts that would hold the compressor secure inside the condensing unit. I've read that when new from factory, the condensing units come with these bolts fastened tight (to minimize swings/vibration, etc., during transportation from the factory to the distributor's shelves.

These bolts are expected to be loosened up upon installation of the condensing unit at the customer's site.

Take a look, if you're lucky that may be your problem. All you'd need is an adjustable wrench.

But as Jay says, nothing wrong with a blanket cover. Residential compressor's main source of cooling is the refrigerant returning in the suction line. Yes, compressors need to be kept cool (for they have an electric motor inside which gets hot), but refrigerant return is does the job.

I said that I didn't think it was a good idea to cover the entire A-C compressor with a sound blanket because there's an exhaust fan in the top of the compressor that blows out the hot air. Blocking that flow didn't seem smart.

Refrigerant coming back to the compressor via the suction line is the main source of cooling for it, not the fan above. The job of that fan is to facilitate the removal of heat from the refrigerant circulating inside the condenser coil

Bear in mind that compressors of heat pumps (and some cooling-only units as well) come from factory with such blankets. A blanket won't cause the compressor to overheat/burn, else, no mfr would be using them at all.

Jay's recommendation is a good one.

I said that I didn't think it was a good idea to cover the entire A-C compressor with a sound blanket because there's an exhaust fan in the top of the compressor that blows out the hot air. Blocking that flow didn't seem smart.

The sound blanket goes on the actual COMPRESSOR, which is inside the outdoor condensing unit. You do NOT want to put any sort of blanket over the entire condensing unit. The compressor is inside the condensing unit and is accessed by taking off the access panel -- AFTER TURNING OFF THE POWER! If your uncertain about doing this yourself, a HVAC tech should be able to do it quickly and at minimal cost. He can also check to see if the compressor hold-down bolts have been loosened up so the compressor is riding on the springs.

Some unit may be too small to allow the blanket.. Like on my Trane XR11, it's a pretty small unit, and there would be no room for it.. Well, I could put it on, but the the air flow over the coil won't make it since the blanket would be pressing up to the coil.