2010 Samsung Plasma Buzz - Page 31

I noticed something the seems to support el_teduardo's explanation of the buzzing noise source (inductor coils resonating with the glass): if I gently press press on the glass in the upper left corner I can clearly hear the buzzing getting louder.

The "buzz" is very noticeable when on an unused input, such as turning off the PS3 and getting the black "check signal" screen. However it's not nearly as loud looking directly at the screen as it is with my head turned to the side or looking down towards the floor-two positions it's basically never in while watching it. Normal tv/receiver volume drowns it out and it's much less intrusive than my PS3 with its huffing and puffing so I can live with it. When I pull a chair up close for some late night gaming with the volume down low I can't really hear it anymore, and no one else that's seen the TV has mentioned hearing it at all.

Amazon is bringing me a replacement 58C6500 today and haven't yet scheduled the pickup of the original, so I will do a side-by-side to compare the buzz level.

Any bets?

My buzz is also much more pronounced when I turn an ear toward it. Actually, my right ear is much more sensitive to it. Listening head-on, it's slightly quieter, but I still can't drown it out completely at any comfortable volume. It's always audible below a "10" volume, and depending on the source material, it's often still noticeable at "15" -- for sure during quieter passages and pauses in the action.

I just tried mariusm's trick of pressing on the glass in the upper left corner, but that didn't seem to have any effect on mine. I also pushed closer to the top center, as this is where I saw the power supply board (and coils) when they replaced mine.

Someone out there must know exactly what is causing this buzz! Is there a Samsung defector in the house??? I would just like to know if there is ANYTHING that can be done to reduce its intensity, and why some folks are so much more sensitive to it.

Mine's mounted less than 24" off the floor and if I walk to the rear of the room and bend over to pick something up with my head perpendicular to the screen the buzz is impressively loud (not in a good way). While I won't be returning it I'll be reading with interest to see if they have it fixed for 2011 like they say they do...

I've had my 63C8000 running slides and a few shows since it was delivered 48 hours ago and so far, no noticeable buzz. I wish the same could be said for my Sunfire subwoofer with it's annoying ground loop hum issue...

Did you try a new LFE cable? My subwoofer had some ground loop, I bought a new LFE cable and the ground loop is barely there now.

So, im looking to buy a PN50C6400 within a month or so. Ive been reading about the buzzing and some where in the threads I came across someone who had a buzz problem with their plasma and discovered that by plug it into a wall outlet that was not shared with another item the buzzing went! Could the buzzing plasma problem be an issue of 'unclean' power??
If so would a Monster power system work some magic? Interested in hearing from anyone with a Monster power system who has noticed a decrease in the problem

From page 12...

There was one post that mentioned a move from an UNGROUNDED outlet to a properly GROUNDED outlet that fixed the buzz. I want that to be true (i know that my house has 3-prong UNGROUDED outlets (2 wires to my outlets instead of 3 as they should have w proper ground wire). I've been thinking about upgrading them all to spec...but doubt that will help my buzzzzz.

I can't imagine everyone w buzzing problems is dealing with old UNGROUNDED outlets??? I'd think that is only w older 40-50 year old houses and would imagine some buzzers are in newer houses and apartments w proper outlets.

I have 13 days to keep or exchange to Amazon. I flip back and forth everyday. Such good PQ. But awful buzzzzz!!!!

@RPAULS....curious if you got the new set now and better or worse buzz??? thanks.

I have an APC S15 battery backup / power conditioner which is supposed to be one of the best conditioners out there... It does not change the buzz... (I highly recommend it... As I was typing this post there was a small surge that caused it to kick onto battery...)

I have had power surges prior to getting the conditioner that caused buzzing to occur, but it was short lived and sounded very different than normal plasma buzz. (It was almost like it was coming over the speakers vs from the panel.)

Funny you should ask. My second replacement set arrived today. Cracked screen again. So at this point I have received two replacement sets both arriving with cracked screens. I am giving up on this TV.

Ahhhh!! Thanks for the reply. Was hoping you'd have good news -- looking for anybody that received a better replacement set regarding buzz!! But seems like everyone still gets a buzzer. So like some have said, maybe all buzz... just depends on user (ears and environment). Or just a crap shoot. Hard to tell.

I might just go back to my Mits RPTV (eeeeek!) and wait for end of year deals on 2011 Samsungs (assuming the buzz is corrected)

last choice is to keep it and mount a little higher which seems to minify the buzz when getting the tv above eye level a bit. But still it will haunt me I think. arghghgh!!!

Well my thinking is they will most likely all buzz about the same, but some people can't hear the buzz (like me) due to high frequency hearing loss.

I think the buzz is not a defect, but a characteristic of the Samsung design.

I'd suggest waiting for the 2011 models and hope they redesigned it.

Ok Ok....Here's my latest test tonight which is helping a lot with buzz. sitting off center helps a ton as others have said. and sitting on the floor (so eye is a little below the bezel) helps too. so mounting high would solve and just hear it when walking by. 2 options that could work long term

BUT tonight I have the TV on the stand and tilted left 10-15 degrees. So a little lame to have a tilted TV...but really the angle isn't so bad, while watching can't really tell it's tilted much and the buzz is almost gone (or at least diverted)

So I'm trying this tilt for a couple days. then I'll decide if I can live w it like this...or wait for 2011 model and stop posting about buzzing TVs for awhile!!!!

Yeah this is how I lived with it before mine got exchanged. But is it really too much to ask that a top-of-the-line $3,000 3D set be watchable from head-on? I'd love to see BMW design a car that can't handle driving straight forward but tell their clients it's in spec.

At first I was OK with viewing it from an angle but there are certain scenes where that optical distortion will become very obvious when one side of the screen is larger than the other from your viewing perspective.

I always noticed that the buzz is more prominent when you turn your ear towards it. This supports my theory that the noise is generated off the glass and has very little to do with your room acoustics. The sound waves are emanating perpendicular to the glass in a tunnel of sound rather than bouncing off walls and objects in the room.

I also think the noise generated by the coils gets louder at a distance due to a cumulative effect, like an audience clapping or a nest of hornets. These are all pretty large screens so it's impossible to hear all 3 until you back up several feet.

I had mine plugged into a monster clean power unit. But since I was able to hear the same buzz in different stores I believe that the problem cannot be fixed externally. That said, has anyone tried to plug this in to an actual power conditioner (not just a line noise filter, aka "Clean Power"), like a musician would use for a high-end amp?

I have my 50" plugged into a APC S15 Power Conditioner... I've ran it on and off battery... (On battery it is supposed to generate a pure sine wave output.)

Dunno if it is as good as a musician would use for a high-end amp though. MSRP isn't cheap and the sucker is built like a tank on the inside and out. More info HERE on what it does...



My 50" only buzzes slightly directionally at a distance, but it makes no difference in the buzzing sound on the conditioner vs directly plugged into the wall. Battery vs not on battery while plugged into the S15 don't seem to matter either. (I didn't have the power conditioner while I had the 58" which buzzed a lot louder... So if there is a difference it would be more apparent with a larger TV. But I bet others here have a S15's, they were selling pretty quickly on Vann's clearance earlier.)

Turning TVs sideways to cope with buzz is ridiculous. Why put up with this?

When will the 2011 models be available?

Agree 100% with both of these statements -- coming up w these bad solutions to be able to watch a pretty expensive TV is outrageous. Forever watching your TV at an angle to limit the buzz!!!! Part of me says...well, not too bad to just sit off center (always) or mount higher...but then the other part of me says we shouldn't have to do this!!! Just make a TV that works as it should.

I just wish Samsung was able to acknowledge and/or have a legit fix for this. Or figure out what causes it at least..

leaning towards returning and waiting for 2011 model... like we said... shouldn't have to deal w these hacks to watch TV!!!!

Why? May be you should "give up" on the merchant and the carrier.

Well I've been hesitant to try a replacement anyway. I guess it's because I figure they probably all buzz because it's a design issue, and maybe the fact that I got two broken replacements in a row is a sign to move on.

I am hoping one of the features on the 2011 model will be lack of buzz.

Maybe you just have bad luck with plasmas or maybe I just had good luck and got one that doesn't buzz. Try an LCD I hear they don't buzz.

I bought my PS50B550 - 'PS' european version - last year december. She no buzzes at all.

I could buy the latest C version much cheaper.

In my opinion its slim design - like canned sardines - foster disturbing noises risk.

Just had it delivered this morning. Set it up and am running break-in slides right now. Did have to put a picture on it to set up my Direct Tv HD/ DVR receiver. NO buzz what so ever !! Guess i'm one of the lucky ones. This is my first HDTV and so far i am more than excited about this set. Blows the old tv out of the water. Don't know why i waited so long. Got a great deal from Electronics Expo, 859.00 to my door. Can't wait to watch some HD. One last note. I'm only aroung 1050 feet above sea level, so maybe that elevations has something to do about the no buzz.

Followed this forum religiously for a month and finally gave in and took the plunge to purchase a Samsung plasma. Ordered a PN58C550 from Amazon and it arrived on schedule, damage free. Set it up with complete anticipation and even installed two ferrite cores on the power cable from the tv. Plugged the tv in and instantly heard the BUZZ. Tv is approximately 9' away and resting on a tv stand. When I am sitting on the couch my head is dead center with the tv screen. Buzz is very noticeable when volume is muted and it is noticed sporadically while watching with the volume on 'normal' listening volume. The buzz is most noticeable when my head is positioned halfway between the center of the screen and the edge of the tv (both sides). Sometimes I do not notice the buzz but as soon as I move to a new position the buzz is back. I would not say the buzz completely ruins the experience but it definitely is frustrating since you expect an almost defect free product after dropping $1200+. Manufacturing date on set says December 2010. I am located approximately 200' above sea level. Thinking about returning the tv and waiting for the 2011's hoping they are 'buzz' free. Anyone have any verification of this?

It seems that everybody over here is buying their sets online. If it buzzes you send them back for a replacement. So what are the odds that the replacement is actually a tv that was sent back for the very same reason?

I know that buying online is cheaper, but would it not be better to pay a little extra and buy the tv in a store where you can test it for buzzing before you buy it?

Greetings. My second PN63C7000 does not buzz as loudly as my first.

With both sets I used an iPhone decibel meter app to measure sound levels in the 'cone of buzz' from the exact same location and with ambient sound levels being the same (though it was days apart). Both sets were tested with the 'check signal cable' screen after being run for 10 minutes with HD antenna content. The first set had about 40 hours on it, the second, about 24.

The first set, when powered on, resulted in a consistent jump of 9dB from 39dB to 48dB. The second set saw a 5dB jump from 39dB to 44dB.

Not exactly scientific, but the numbers do corroborate my impression that the new TV has a less noticeable, and therefore less annoying, buzz.

Now, if only my new panel didn't have an abnormally bright 1" horizontal band running across the top of it... sigh

Peter

I just read a Dutch forum where someone states that using a Belkin PureAV™ Home Theater Power Console PF30 stopped his 50C7700 (this is your C8000) from buzzing.

He installed the Power Console on a friends plasma and it stopped buzzing too.

Has anyone heard/tried this before?

From a review on Amazon: "Reduction in the dancing green pixels that inhabit Panasonic and Samsung plasma screens. VERY noticeable difference. "

GREAT INFO in these 2 posts!! -- although I know YMMV with these Samsungs...diveloop's info on replacement TV w less buzz is encouraging. Might have to try my luck at an exchange at least to see -- before giving up on the 2010 model.

and while others have stated no benefit with powerstrips/conditioners. The claim about the Belkin sounds like it has some truth.

thanks!!!

My PN50C7000 is buzzing like a banshee! We sit 14ft away and is clearly audible at normal volume levels. Nice plasma but too much buzz to handle. Have a Panny VT20 on the way!