I just wanted to start a thread about buzzing plasmas....

It might be a useless thread but I just want to
know if others have the BUZZ like I do? (I have a Pioneer 6070)


Does your plasma buzz?
What kind of buzz? Does it BUZZ louder on bright scenes? and how loud is it? And can you hear it during quiet scenes?

thanks, rp

OK I'll bite. :p

I have a 429UK and I first noticed the buzzing when using the break-in DVD without speakers attached. It was definitely loudest when the screen was completely white. I could hear it from my seating position 6-8 ft away. When I connected speakers and watched normal content - DVDs, TV - with the volume at a low level I couldn't hear it.

Philips 9631...no external audio, I use the TV as-is....only buzzing I hear is if the TV is muted and put my head around the back of the TV to within about 6" of the back panel. ;)

All TV's have different electromagnetic sounds....I wouldn't worry about any buzzing if you can't hear it during normal viewing/playing...and especially if you couldn't hear it from closer than 3'-4' with the MUTE on.

5071HD, no buzz muted unless you are ~6 inches from the back right side of the set. Turn the sound on, and good luck picking it out.

Dustin

Hitachi 55HDS69...slight buzz when audio is very low, but can't hear it at all during normal operation.

I can hear my 6070 buzz from 12-14 feet away with no sound. I can hear it easily....
Even with low sound from 12ft away I can still barely hear it especially on bright scenes....

Thanks, rp

Does your plasma buzz?

Panasonic TH-50PX60U and no buzz whatsoever.

Pio Pro1000, normal low level buzz all the time, not noticeable with surround sound on, buzz gets louder as the picture gets whiter. If you listen closely you can hear it, but it doesn't bother or distract me.

50Px500u.....not a hint of buzzing. :)

I just wanted to start a thread about buzzing plasmas....There are already several threads about Plasma buzzing . . . . .

The bottom line is if you can hear a buzz at say 3 feet away or more, the TV is probably defective and needs to be replaced or repaired. There are seemingly hundreds of posts here in various threads from owners of various brands that report no buzz at all at more than a few feet so this is the norm.

If you hear it from your chair, have the TV replaced if you can, otherwise have it repaired under warranty.

So are you saying that if you hear your plasma buzz 3 or more feet away (with sound down) it is probably defective?

All plasmas could be defective if you hear a buzz 3 feet away or more?


thanks, rp


There are already several threads about Plasma buzzing . . . . .

The bottom line is if you can hear a buzz at say 3 feet away or more, the TV is probably defective and needs to be replaced or repaired. There are seemingly hundreds of posts here in various threads from owners of various brands that report no buzz at all at more than a few feet so this is the norm.

If you hear it from your chair, have the TV replaced if you can, otherwise have it repaired under warranty.

There are already several threads about Plasma buzzing . . . . .

The bottom line is if you can hear a buzz at say 3 feet away or more, the TV is probably defective and needs to be replaced or repaired. There are seemingly hundreds of posts here in various threads from owners of various brands that report no buzz at all at more than a few feet so this is the norm.

If you hear it from your chair, have the TV replaced if you can, otherwise have it repaired under warranty.

If that's the case then there would be a significant number of plasmas being returned. I would be surprised if many retailers would accept a return for a plasma that buzzes from 3 feet away. If it is easy than I would consider returning mine. Of course, then I take a risk of something else being wrong - damage during shipping, dead pixels, etc. If it's just a minor annoyance that can be overcome with low volume levels and not a defective unit that will continue to show more problems over time, I think I can live with it. I will contact VA and Panasonic commercial division to hear what they have to say.

It would be interesting to see how many people with buzzing plasmas tried to return their TV, and if they were successful.

That is really too bad that many of you are having buzzing issues; I know that it is normal, especially on some makes and models. I very much expected to have buzzing (because I live at about 7000-7100ft.) but thankfully my TH-42PX6U is basically totally silent unless I am within 1ft. from the back and even then it is hard to hear.

There are already several threads about Plasma buzzing . . . . .

The bottom line is if you can hear a buzz at say 3 feet away or more, the TV is probably defective and needs to be replaced or repaired. There are seemingly hundreds of posts here in various threads from owners of various brands that report no buzz at all at more than a few feet so this is the norm.

If you hear it from your chair, have the TV replaced if you can, otherwise have it repaired under warranty.

This is bad information...it is not ALWAYS due to a defective set...I returned my 9UK twice and all three buzzed the same...I sure wouldn't think I would get 3 defective sets in a row...

My Panasonic 50px50 has a very faint buzz, but in order for me to hear it, I have to stick my head behind the set and then it's no louder than my Moto 6412's HDD. I do have some Sonex on the front wall, so that may help.

There are already several threads about Plasma buzzing . . . . .

The bottom line is if you can hear a buzz at say 3 feet away or more, the TV is probably defective and needs to be replaced or repaired. There are seemingly hundreds of posts here in various threads from owners of various brands that report no buzz at all at more than a few feet so this is the norm.

If you hear it from your chair, have the TV replaced if you can, otherwise have it repaired under warranty.

Thats wrong to say that. There are many models that have the buzzing sound. It was a known thing on the early Pio models, and in fact it means nothing. I have had the PSU replaced on mine at 1800 hours. It stilled buzzed after that and has ever since up to the 20000 or so hours I have on it now. If it is so loud you can hear it over the show you are watching I might worry, but a little buzzing, there isn't anything wrong with that....

My 509UK has no buzz at all. It's really quiet and I can notice the dvd player while playing makes more noise than the panel itself. Hail to the 9UK!!!!!

I find this interesting.

I myself had NO BUZZ when I had a Pioneer 43inch - then very very little with my Pioneer 50 inch -

and then when I got the Pio 6070 - The BUZZ is the loudest compared to the smaller sizes....



*I am wondering if there IS ANY correlation between plasma size and the BUZZ?

thanks, rp




That is really too bad that many of you are having buzzing issues; I know that it is normal, especially on some makes and models. I very much expected to have buzzing (because I live at about 7000-7100ft.) but thankfully my TH-42PX6U is basically totally silent unless I am within 1ft. from the back and even then it is hard to hear.

I find this interesting.

I myself had NO BUZZ when I had a Pioneer 43inch - then very very little with my Pioneer 50 inch -

and then when I got the Pio 6070 - The BUZZ is the loudest compared to the smaller sizes....



*I am wondering if there IS ANY correlation between plasma size and the BUZZ?

thanks, rp
I don't find that weird at all. It is very likely Pioneer uses the same PSU in all their panels. As screen size gets bigger it would take more power to run it, so a smaller screen wouldn't stress the same size PSU that is used in the 60.

But they all draw different amount of wattages from what I can tell... with the 42/43 drwing the least.

thanks, rp



I don't find that weird at all. It is very likely Pioneer uses the same PSU in all their panels. As screen size gets bigger it would take more power to run it, so a smaller screen wouldn't stress the same size PSU that is used in the 60.

I don't find that weird at all. It is very likely Pioneer uses the same PSU in all their panels. As screen size gets bigger it would take more power to run it, so a smaller screen wouldn't stress the same size PSU that is used in the 60.


The 42 and 50 use the same power supply(part #axy1135).The 60 uses a different one(part #axy1139).

This is bad information...it is not ALWAYS due to a defective set...I returned my 9UK twice and all three buzzed the same...I sure wouldn't think I would get 3 defective sets in a row...I've been following the buzzing issues on this forum and others for over 3 years now and i still maintain that if you can hear it from your chair then the TV is defective. There are a number of guys here who have had their new TV replaced 2 or 3 times until they got one that didn't buzz like the previous ones did. Yeah Pioneer had a big buzzing problem as did Panasonic but this is not to say it's normal for all plasmas to buzz, it just means there was a high number of defective sets being shipped.

All TVs buzz a little if you get close enough, but it is NOT NORMAL or acceptable for any TV to buzz loud enough to be bothersome at more than a few feet away, much less from any sort of normal viewing distance. If i received such a set i would keep exchanging it till i got a good one just as others have done.

Well said.

Just because someone is willing to accept a given situation, it doesn't mean the situation is acceptable. ;)

I have a Panasonic ED 42" screen which has always buzzed, more so on bright output.
I'm a bit of a hi-fi nut so while it's only faintly audible (even at 10 feet during quiet times) it's still annoying and something I've tried hard to stop or at least suppress.
I called Panasonic service who sent out a tech. He said the faint buzzing was normal and pretty much all plasmas do it. He did not consider it defective.
Being technically qualified (DONT try this unless you are), I decided to take a look for myself. I removed the back panel and found what I believe is the cause of the buzz - about 6 x small 1/2" diameter inductors scatered across the backplane. The usual remedy for this is to coat them with a thin epoxy which is what I did, but alas it made some improvement but not completely enough enough to my ears. At this stage I've learned to live with it and I only notice it during the quietest times.

I have a pio 5070. Only buzz I have is if I put my head behind the right back panel. Then I hear a low level buzz. A couple feet away and you can't hear it. Definitely not at watching distance (~8' for me).

Does your plasma buzz?
What kind of buzz? Does it BUZZ louder on bright scenes? and how loud is it? And can you hear it during quiet scenes?

I have a Panasonic TH-42PX600U and have never heard mine make a single noise. And I have it in my bedroom. So far, so good.

Pictures of the offending defective component that causes the Panasonic's buzzing:

http://archive2.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=615023

You have brought up a very good point.... and I agree - a TV set should be 100% silent at all times. but that is not always the case....(at least in my situation) I can make out the buzz from my Pio 6070 from 12ft with complete silence in the room. COMPLETE SILENCE. Also I would not call my set defective since "I" can hear a faint buzz on bright scenes from my sitting position...

this buzz is very faint and high pitched.... but to me i notice it....

I can hear my computers fans from my sitting position and I would not call my computer defective.

also another factor here is that some people hear better at certain frequencies and therefore hear "the buzz". Or they are more sensitive to certain sounds....

I might hear it on my TV and you might not or vice versa.....

My wife cannot really hear "the buzz" - which I find strange.....

rp




I've been following the buzzing issues on this forum and others for over 3 years now and i still maintain that if you can hear it from your chair then the TV is defective. There are a number of guys here who have had their new TV replaced 2 or 3 times until they got one that didn't buzz like the previous ones did. Yeah Pioneer had a big buzzing problem as did Panasonic but this is not to say it's normal for all plasmas to buzz, it just means there was a high number of defective sets being shipped.

All TVs buzz a little if you get close enough, but it is NOT NORMAL or acceptable for any TV to buzz loud enough to be bothersome at more than a few feet away, much less from any sort of normal viewing distance. If i received such a set i would keep exchanging it till i got a good one just as others have done.

Pictures of the offending defective component that causes the Panasonic's buzzing:

http://archive2.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=615023

Ah...my Euro version in the flesh.
Interesting and glad mine did not have it as I would not have accepted any buzz.

The buzz on my Panasonic 42PX600U is minor and only really noticeable if you stick your head around the back. However, it goes hand in hand with the buzz I get through my rear surround channels. If the screen gets brighter, the buzz gets louder, on the set and on the speakers. Anyone else have this problem?

i just picked up a panny 50'' 60u... and i hear the buzzz from my seating about 14ft away.. it goes away when i turn the volume down to '0', as the volume increases, so does the buzz.. it is coming from the speakers/audio. i hooked it up via componet and hdmi/dvi to the cable box... no difference..


i picked it up on tues.. bad unit??

further... i just disconnected the cable box, and connected the coxial cable directly to the tv... no buzz... so its either the cable box, or the tv .. or a combo of both??

any more info on this?

I have a new TH-50PX60U and I cannot deal with the buzzing it puts out. I don't think I'm being unreasonable, I don't expect it to be completely silent as the $150 crt I replaced had a FAINT hum and I had no complaints, but I can hear the buzz/hum from the plasma at 20 ft away. This is with the sound turned all the way down. There's no way I can deal with it as-is.

I do not use the audio on the plasma, only thru my receiver/spkrs, so I'm disappointed the audio seems to be the source. Wish I could've bought the commercial model at a local retailer. :(

I guess I should call panasonic warranty phone number listed in the manual?

No buzz on my HP.

I would call panny and see what they say.... I really think it is normal on some sets.

r

any more info on this?

I have a new TH-50PX60U and I cannot deal with the buzzing it puts out. I don't think I'm being unreasonable, I don't expect it to be completely silent as the $150 crt I replaced had a FAINT hum and I had no complaints, but I can hear the buzz/hum from the plasma at 20 ft away. This is with the sound turned all the way down. There's no way I can deal with it as-is.

I do not use the audio on the plasma, only thru my receiver/spkrs, so I'm disappointed the audio seems to be the source. Wish I could've bought the commercial model at a local retailer. :(

I guess I should call panasonic warranty phone number listed in the manual?

Hi all. I have been fairly active on the forum complaining about the buzz on my pioneer elite 1540 60 inch plasma. I can hear the panel buzz at my 13 feet listening distance with the sound off. The buzz is most definitely louder than the average panel buzz from what I can tell from going to various best buys and listening for panel buzz on various plasma panels. Most seem to buzz and the amount seems to vary from set to set even on identical models!! Why this is I don't know. I suspect that it is due to one of two issues. The first would be electronic parts variences. When pioneer or any plasma manufacturer buys the power supplies, resistors, capacitors, etc., they are supposed to be within a certain tolerance. To narrow the range of acceptable tolerances could be very expensive( the less varience allowed, the more costly the part). So when you add up all the variences of all those parts that go into making the electronics in a plasma, the result can be inconsistant electronic values but still within the bands of acceptability. You could be unlucky enough to have all those values align in the wrong direction to cause severe buzz to the point where the set should be replaced. That, I would imagine, should not happen very often. The other possibility is that they don't use big enough power supplies. I don't think that the buzz eminating from my panel is causing any picture quality issues. And with the volume at normal levels, I don't notice the buzz. So although I'm not thrilled that I have a panel at the upper end of buzz, I am content to live with it. And this is from someone who paid up to buy a pioneer elite!! So in general, don't fret about the buzz. Thanks. Ned.

I would not doubt dirty power plays a part in this.
Use a nice UPS to clean it up.

I would not doubt dirty power plays a part in this.
Use a nice UPS to clean it up.

How is dirty power defined anyway? What does that really mean?

How is dirty power defined anyway? What does that really mean?

Noisy...fluctuating...grounding issues..etc..etc.

Toshiba 50HP66: Very loud buzzing sound audible from over 10 feet away. Varied with picture brightness. :eek:

Panny 50" 9uK: Totally silent! :D

If there were meaningful grounding issues, I would think that you would hear the noise through the plasma speakers or home theatre speakers. We are talking about panel buzz. I use a Richard Grey Power Plant line conditioner/electronic flywheel and it has no effect on my panel buzz. As I said before, panel buzz is a fact of life with almost all plasma sets to one degree or another. It just depends on how loud and I think it is the luck of the draw. Thanks. Ned.

Regardless of the cause, I would never accept buzzing at 13'...geez. :eek:

As I said, the bottom line is that I don't believe that the buzz is in any way affecting the performance of my elite1540. And it doesn't bother me at my listening position with the volume at normal or even below normal levels. Do I think there should be higher quality control so I wouldn't even be wondering about this issue. Yes. How much more money might all plasmas cost if none of them buzzed? I don't know. So I know that I can live with and enjoy the pioneer despite the buzz. Some people in my exact position might never be able to accept a buzzing panel and feel the need to get it reduced through repair or replaced. I can understand that. With each week that passes(I bought it in late December) it bothers me less and less. As us "buzzerds" have probably observed, the buzzing issue affects every brand, from pioneer elites to panasonics to samsungs. It seems to be a minority of people that have no buzz what so ever. So my take is unless the buzz is loud to the point where you can hear it at your listening position with the volume at normal levels, don't worry about it and enjoy. Thanks. Ned.

I went out and bought a panamaz line condition/surge protector.

NO diff in panel buzz. Still the same.

r


I would not doubt dirty power plays a part in this.
Use a nice UPS to clean it up.

I have called Pioneer about my 6070 buzzing issue and they say it is "normal"
but my 5070 did not but and neither did my Pio 43". I think you are right about the buzz issue being louder or softer on the same models.... but I will say that it seems that plasmas just buzz, some more than others....

I can even hear the buzz @ at 15 -20ft in my completly silent room.

It makes me feel that something will break soon because of this buzz??

rp



Hi all. I have been fairly active on the forum complaining about the buzz on my pioneer elite 1540 60 inch plasma. I can hear the panel buzz at my 13 feet listening distance with the sound off. The buzz is most definitely louder than the average panel buzz from what I can tell from going to various best buys and listening for panel buzz on various plasma panels. Most seem to buzz and the amount seems to vary from set to set even on identical models!! Why this is I don't know. I suspect that it is due to one of two issues. The first would be electronic parts variences. When pioneer or any plasma manufacturer buys the power supplies, resistors, capacitors, etc., they are supposed to be within a certain tolerance. To narrow the range of acceptable tolerances could be very expensive( the less varience allowed, the more costly the part). So when you add up all the variences of all those parts that go into making the electronics in a plasma, the result can be inconsistant electronic values but still within the bands of acceptability. You could be unlucky enough to have all those values align in the wrong direction to cause severe buzz to the point where the set should be replaced. That, I would imagine, should not happen very often. The other possibility is that they don't use big enough power supplies. I don't think that the buzz eminating from my panel is causing any picture quality issues. And with the volume at normal levels, I don't notice the buzz. So although I'm not thrilled that I have a panel at the upper end of buzz, I am content to live with it. And this is from someone who paid up to buy a pioneer elite!! So in general, don't fret about the buzz. Thanks. Ned.

I have called Pioneer about my 6070 buzzing issue and they say it is "normal"
but my 5070 did not but and neither did my Pio 43". I think you are right about the buzz issue being louder or softer on the same models.... but I will say that it seems that plasmas just buzz, some more than others....

I can even hear the buzz @ at 15 -20ft in my completly silent room.

It makes me feel that something will break soon because of this buzz??

rp
I know what you mean. There is another member posting on the D-Nice settings thread who had complained about the buzz. He says a tech came over and agreed that his buzz was above normal and ordered some manner of new board for him. It will be interesting to see if the new board makes the buzz go away. We should stay in touch with him. Thanks. Ned.

I went out and bought a panamaz line condition/surge protector.

NO diff in panel buzz. Still the same.

r

Which model Panamaz?
Still, the buzz is not normal and should be addressed.
Remember some Panasonics had this and needed a small board replacement.

There are already several threads about Plasma buzzing . . . . .

The bottom line is if you can hear a buzz at say 3 feet away or more, the TV is probably defective and needs to be replaced or repaired. There are seemingly hundreds of posts here in various threads from owners of various brands that report no buzz at all at more than a few feet so this is the norm.

If you hear it from your chair, have the TV replaced if you can, otherwise have it repaired under warranty.


If you call a fan a defect, then yeah it's defective.

I got a Pioneer 5070.

I hear a buzz easily with no sound on from 15 feet or more. The brighter and whiter the picture the louder it gets. It comes from the back of the panel.

There have been times, with the volume low and the screen bright, that it is annoying.

If you call a fan a defect, then yeah it's defective.

If your panel is making loud buzzing noises it might not be normal. We had a loud buzz coming from the bottom of our 50px6u, by where the speakers are, and it could be heard over normal viewing volume. I turned the speakers off and it still had the buzz. Panosonic sent someone out and the tech said the panel does make some noise, but our buzz seemed a little loud. He said it was probaly and sound board issue and he replaced it and magically, no more annoying buzz. You can still hear the panel buzz if you get within 4-5 ft. and listen closey, but I cannot hear any buzz when the TV has volume. Much more pleasurable to watch now.

If your panel is making loud buzzing noises it might not be normal. We had a loud buzz coming from the bottom of our 50px6u, by where the speakers are, and it could be heard over normal viewing volume. I turned the speakers off and it still had the buzz. Panosonic sent someone out and the tech said the panel does make some noise, but our buzz seemed a little loud. He said it was probaly and sound board issue and he replaced it and magically, no more annoying buzz. You can still hear the panel buzz if you get within 4-5 ft. and listen closey, but I cannot hear any buzz when the TV has volume. Much more pleasurable to watch now.

Agreed, if it is just the fan, you shouldn't hear it when the TV is at a reasonable volume.

I have been having major buzzing issues since November, when I began to hear a loud intermittent buzzing from the back of my Hitachi HDS52. This was about 14 months after I purchased the set. The buzzing would come and go for no discernible reason. It was louder during brighter scenes, and noticeable at 15' at normal listening levels. Though 2 months out of warranty, Hitachi agreed to cover the cost to repair.

A technician came to my house, heard the buzz, and immediately diagnosed it as a bad power supply. Service center took my set for 3 weeks and replaced the power supply. The night they returned it to me, the buzzing re-appeared. Same buzz, same symptoms. Service center picked up the set again. They kept it for another 2 weeks, only to return it earlier this week after finding no problems (they heard nothing). Naturally, the night they returned it, the buzz re-appeared.

I'm not sure where to go at this point. I was thinking a power conditioner may help...but that may just be wishful thinking. Hitachi referred me to another service center, which most likely means 3 more weeks without my set. This is very frustrating!

I wanted to post an update on this. I called Panasonic and explained the problem to them. I am not an expert, so excuse me if I'm off here, but there is supposedly a panel buzz or hum, which is somewhat normal, and "other" buzz issues. Obviously there is fan noise also. A tech came to my house and within 2 seconds said it was the P.A. board. I assume this is pre amp. The buzzing was from the speakers- still buzzed with speakers turned off and no lines connected to the panel- just plugged into the wall. The board was replaced a few days later- it took longer to remove the 50 screws holding the rear cover panel on than to replace the board.

So, it's much better now and it is silent from >2' away. If I put my ear <1' from the speakers I can still hear a faint hum or buzz from them, but it is not audible otherwise. Hopefully it will last.

edit: also, fwiw, the board replaced on mine was not what has the arrow to it in the pic that's linked to earlier in the thread. The one replaced on mine was one over and up from this- the one under the fan.

The 42" Vizio I just got buzzes, and it is real loud when the screen is all white. It's also hot as hell. The room has got to be 10 degrees higher. I'm roasting in my bedroom, take a step into the living room and its cool and comfortable. Might be annoying enough to go back to lcd.

My LG is a 50" PDP 1080i, and it buzzes something fierce. It was really bad the first time they came out... so loud I had to turn the volume up half-way to even come close to drowning it out. I can hear it easily in excess of 10 feet away.

Typical of LG service, the guy pronounced "no problems -- this is normal", and I had to become angry with him (the LG service guys come here with no toolbox and don't open anything up... their job appears to be to say that there are no problems, so the service center can argue with you and say, "our tech guys said there are no problems with your TV).

The guy did have 1 screwdriver (on his keychain), and he tightened a few screws, which seemed to help, but the buzz is back.

The bad thing was that I bought this TV directly from LG (not a store/reseller) and I can't get my money back. They flat refuse. I am on my 3rd LG set, actually. The other two were LCDs that had panel clouding issues. This is my 5th visit from LG service in the past 2 weeks. They ALWAYS say "no problems" despite glaring issues such as obvious clouds (first two LCDs) and loud buzzing (plasma)... they always say, "this is all in spec."

If I had known LG specs were so liberal that they allowed for this stuff, I never would have purchased an LG TV.

I can't express how disastisfied I am. This experience is just horrible. I am now stuck with a buzzing TV that I paid nearly $2,700 for, and am so disatisfied with, I hate to even watch it.