Support NeoGAF

[BigDaddyDavee]

Random musings.....apologies.

I really feel for those with noisy consoles. It is my one non-negotiable as I cannot stand a noisy environment. I must be a borderline misophonia sufferer and I suspect there are many more people like this.

Simple sounds that many people may not even notice can become painfully irritating for many others.

PS2 fat drove me nuts and it was bliss to get a PS2 slim. Xbox 360 was so bad when you had to run games from disk, I thought someone was using a lawnmower in November! When I realised it was the console I was making up plans to bury the console under my floorboards to remove the shitty noise.

There was no way I was getting the last generation Sony console for two reasons. Noise and no Socom. Looks like there is no chance of me getting a PS5 and this isn't a console bashing post. I would be twisting my tits royally if Series X had noise problems.

 

[and 3 others]

I grew up with 30 foot ground wire amp cables in my car audio setups that pumped out the loudest, window shattering alternator whine imaginable. I can't keep a PS5 in my checkout cart long enough to click review. I can handle a little whine that I won't here past my headphones.

 

[Hardensoul]

It’s annoying when it happens. It’s not “normal”.

Not my video but my original Xbox One sounded like this only much louder. It could be heard through headphones six feet away.

That is not normal, that sounded similar how my EVGA card was hitting the wire.

 

[Dr. Kitty Muffins]

If you get within 15cm of my PS5 it sounds like my subwoofer does when its wired in instead of wireless, which is like a low buzz so that makes sense if all of them have it. I thought it was called a coil whine because its high-pitched.

I have that.

 

[Hardensoul]

I associate coil whine to sound that changes the pitch depending on the load like here



Videos in this thread sound like loud fan or maybe it's in the power delivery. Unfortunate anyway.

If that's how actual coil wind sounds. Then how do we define the ones that sound like clicks similar to if something hitting the fan which is more problematic.

 

[Endless Fluff]

If that's how actual coil wind sounds. Then how do we define the ones that sound like clicks similar to if something hitting the fan which is more problematic.

The actual definition is electromagnetically induced acoustic noise and vibration, some also call it audible magnetic sound.

It doesn't matter if it's high pitched, or a humming sound. People who insist on this not being coil whine have no idea what they're talking about.

 

[Hardensoul]

The actual definition is electromagnetically induced acoustic noise and vibration, some also call it audible magnetic sound.

It doesn't matter if it's high pitched, or a humming sound. People who insist on this not being coil whine have no idea what they're talking about.

Thanks for the explanation.

 

[DESTROYA]

That doesn’t sound like coil whine but more like a fan hitting something.

 

[STARSBarry]

So I decided to record this because I couldent hear anything, and I generally can't, however unsurprisingly if you put the directional microphone right up next to a PS5 it makes a noise...

To explain why this is not an issue or some people are saying its silent is because unless you are turning your head sideways and putting your ear on top of the PS5 you can't hear shit, at least I can't, so since all these videos have about the same volume I'm calling bullshit on this, the "whine" is far less noticeable then the PS4 Pro in its "im almost overheating here" mode for example. The average background noise of a house unless your in some silent vault room should cover this up if your more than 1 foot away.

EDIT: I am adding this because off all the replies im getting. My intent of this post was to show that this is not a "every PS5 has this issue and is super loud" which up until this post was pretty much the entire thread, full of people saying shit like "well when I'm running demon souls the PS5 sounds like a lawnmower 6 feet away" and "everyone saying there console is quiet is just deaf" this has now shifted to "well my PS5 sounds like that" which was the entire point I was trying to make. If your PS5 sounds like a lawnmower, thats not normal, phone up Sony get the replacement process started, stastically 4 in ever 100 of an electronic product will be faulty, sadly that's life but as a rule the PS5 is not a loud console and this is why some people are saying its "near silent".

 

[Warnen]

Would drive me nuts. Had a psu for a laptop that would make a whining noise when used it. Ugh like an ice pic to the brain.

 

[McCheese]

My coil whine is minimal, but my fan sounds like a diesel engine

 

[DonJuanSchlong]

I grew up with 30 foot ground wire amp cables in my car audio setups that pumped out the loudest, window shattering alternator whine imaginable. I can't keep a PS5 in my checkout cart long enough to click review. I can handle a little whine that I won't here past my headphones.

Why 30 ft runs?! We're you driving a limo? If you separate the rca's and power wires, you'll lower alt noise. And grounding the back on the head unit (something besides stock ground), you'd be good to go with no noise. I'm pushing over 12,000 watts and it would kill me if it had any noise in my speakers.

 

[quest]

So I decided to record this because I couldent hear anything, and I generally can't, however unsurprisingly if you put the directional microphone right up next to a PS5 it makes a noise...

To explain why this is not an issue or some people are saying its silent is because unless you are turning your head sideways and putting your ear on top of the PS5 you can't hear shit, at least I can't, so since all these videos have about the same volume I'm calling bullshit on this, the "whine" is far less noticeable then the PS4 Pro in its "im almost overheating here" mode for example. The average background noise of a house unless your in some silent vault room should cover this up if your more than 1 foot away.

Or maybe a small percentage whine loud. Or someone is sensitive to the noise. A very small percentage of people have an issue there is no reason to call them liars to defend Sony's honor. A console launch will have some bad units Sega, Nintendo, Microsoft or even Sony. The vast majority 97% are fine no reason to get upset.

 

[Antelope]

So I decided to record this because I couldent hear anything, and I generally can't, however unsurprisingly if you put the directional microphone right up next to a PS5 it makes a noise...

To explain why this is not an issue or some people are saying its silent is because unless you are turning your head sideways and putting your ear on top of the PS5 you can't hear shit, at least I can't, so since all these videos have about the same volume I'm calling bullshit on this, the "whine" is far less noticeable then the PS4 Pro in its "im almost overheating here" mode for example. The average background noise of a house unless your in some silent vault room should cover this up if your more than 1 foot away.

Call it what you like. I have it, I hear it. Not everyone is trying to cause a sensation here or claiming this is the end of the PS5. It’s an issue for some people and should be resolved.

 

[slade]

I wonder if you guys have your stand attached correctly? Does the noise change or go away if you try to tilt the console slightly?

I've been lucky to have a console that has not given me much if any trouble so far.

 

[Hostile_18]

So I decided to record this because I couldent hear anything, and I generally can't, however unsurprisingly if you put the directional microphone right up next to a PS5 it makes a noise...

To explain why this is not an issue or some people are saying its silent is because unless you are turning your head sideways and putting your ear on top of the PS5 you can't hear shit, at least I can't, so since all these videos have about the same volume I'm calling bullshit on this, the "whine" is far less noticeable then the PS4 Pro in its "im almost overheating here" mode for example. The average background noise of a house unless your in some silent vault room should cover this up if your more than 1 foot away.

So your calling everyone with the issue liars based on your one unit .

I can hear mine from 7feet away. Just browsing prime this evening selecting a movie was annoying.

Mines getting swapped.

 

[quest]

Call it what you like. I have it, I hear it. Not everyone is trying to cause a sensation here or claiming this is the end of the PS5. It’s an issue for some people and should be resolved.

Sorry you got a defective unit. Sucks been there done that not fun especially with shortages. I would not expect much support here people think everything is a evil plot against Sony. That Sony can do no wrong and every unit is perfect from the factory 0% defect rate.

 

[FALCON_KICK]

Call it what you like. I have it, I hear it. Not everyone is trying to cause a sensation here or claiming this is the end of the PS5. It’s an issue for some people and should be resolved.

Return through the online retailer you ordered from or open up a ticket with Sony customer service to get your PS5 console unit replaced.

 

[Shelookdlvl18]

The second most annoying thing next to coil whine is people who insinuate you're lying if you experience coil whine from their favorite piece of plastic.

Third place goes to the ones who insist that the device is working perfectly, and suggest that it must be something you're doing wrong.

 

[iHaunter]

Sounds defective or a loose sticker. I've had 6-8 hours of Demon's Souls sessions with the Disc in and can't hear the console at all.

 

[Slashinghook]

but didn’t all the influencers say that it’s quiet?

 

[ReBurn]

So I decided to record this because I couldent hear anything, and I generally can't, however unsurprisingly if you put the directional microphone right up next to a PS5 it makes a noise...

To explain why this is not an issue or some people are saying its silent is because unless you are turning your head sideways and putting your ear on top of the PS5 you can't hear shit, at least I can't, so since all these videos have about the same volume I'm calling bullshit on this, the "whine" is far less noticeable then the PS4 Pro in its "im almost overheating here" mode for example. The average background noise of a house unless your in some silent vault room should cover this up if your more than 1 foot away.

"Mine works fine so this isn't an issue" is not helpful to people who actually have the issue. It's great that you don't have a problem. Some people do.

 

[Dr. Kitty Muffins]

I'll bet some people are opening up their consoles and having a look.

 

[Blitzmangoman]

God damn some fans be crazy.
Some of us got unlucky, easy as that. We aren't spreading FUD or any other crazy conspiracy. I returned mine because PS5 goes brrrrrrr.
In the damn home menu I could hear my console, then it got louder and more annoying with games and doing more weird sounds, after it did high pitched eeeeeeeeeeh sounds I initialised the PS5 and packaged it immediately and sent it back. I was sitting 3m (that is meters) away.
I was unlucky and now I am sad that I don't have a PS5 but I really don't need any of those sounds in my life while playing and certainly not while watching Netflix/YouTube.

When the console will be available again I am going to try to get another one and if that one also has the same problem then I will wait for a revision. I endured a loud Pro, no more shitty hardware please. Also the Pro was silent (yes, silent as in I couldn't hear it was turned on) when not playing.
I only play on Sony consoles since the beginning if someone wants to say I am spreading FUD or some other fanboy BS.

In the meantime I am glad I didn't sell the Pro and I will play on that one.

 

[Oddvintagechap]

My controller made a weird clicking noise and the controlller turned into a DUALSHOCK 4. The cool haptics turned into to normal rumble. Im guessing while it was charging, there was a energy surge of sorts and fucked up motors. Gonna have to buy a new one, and sent this one to sony.

 

[Gamezone]

Almost all GPU's I buy does this shit. It's a never ending problem they somehow can't get remove.

 

[intheinbetween]

Are you saying you can hear the PS5 over the videogame audio?

Yes, I do, especially when playing in quiet environmental conditions, as for playing at night/midnight.

As I stated before, let’s not pretend it’s dead silent, because it’s not

 

[BLAUcopter]

My One X had horrific coil whine. It was so loud. So far so good with my PS5 but I feel for the gamers out there suffering.

 

[ReBurn]

I'll bet some people are opening up their consoles and having a look.

It's probably in the power supply if it's anywhere and based on the teardowns I've seen they would have to take the console completely apart to get to the power supply to look at it. But once you see it it is easy to see where it could come from.

Those exposed coils on the power supply generate magnetic fields and that type of coil can be prone to vibration due to the magnetic field it generates. They all vibrate but they don't all make noise you can hear. One or more may vibrate in a way that causes a high pitched squeal or a buzz. It may be consistent or it may change with power draw. It's been an issue with this kind of coil for ages. It's the sound of electricity.

The capacitors could also vibrate but many modern caps are built to try account for this. For the most part they look to be far enough apart to not contact one another but if one isn't firmly seated it could buzz as it vibrates on the silicon.

Things like this are generally not considered defects because it's inherent to the makeup of these compobents and it does not impact the way they work. They can be annoying, though.

If it's the PSU and it's pervasive enough I imagine there will be a revision to try to correct it in future models. I'm actually surprised there isn't some RTV caulk or something at least between the coils. It's pretty common to use that nowadays. Maybe the manufacturer of the PSU cut some costs or maybe they didn't think they needed it.

 

[cormack12]

Yes, I do, especially when playing in quiet environmental conditions, as for playing at night/midnight.

As I stated before, let’s not pretend it’s dead silent, because it’s not

Damn that sucks. I know it's bad when you suffer from something that people call BS on as I had a jet engine as well on PS4. Mine is pretty much the same as STARSBarry I can place a small clock on top and I can hear the ticking more than the console. If you go right up close, I can hear what I assume to just be a fan spinning slowly.

 

[cMonry]

If it's the PSU and it's pervasive enough I imagine there will be a revision to try to correct it in future models. I'm actually surprised there isn't some RTV caulk or something at least between the coils. It's pretty common to use that nowadays. Maybe the manufacturer of the PSU cut some costs or maybe they didn't think they needed it.

Yeah, all ps4pros I've ever seen whined like crazy, yet with PS5 they bragged how they engineered it to be quiet and still left coils not silenced mechanically. I don't have my hopes too high for a revision. It's good to see that Series X have a lot of RTV caulk in power supply and there are no reports of coil whine at all. Too bad I really prefer playing in PS ecosystem. And yeah, I can hear the buzz while exploring Valhalla with sound on my home theater, sitting on the couch 2-3m from the console, so it's bad. It's also very dependent on the individual hearing, my friend thought that's it's just the fan and my wife hears "something", both not being bothered by this. I would much prefer to have a louder fan than to have to deal with this buzz again.

 

[THEAP99]

As long as I have headphones on and something is happening in the game, I will not hear the coil whine.

When I take my headphones off I guess it's noticable to me since I sit close to my ps5 and can easily hear this stuff. I do notice that the loudness of it I think depends on the day.

It's pretty annoying though because the reviewers and people saying the ps5 is totally silent is nonsense. It's not jet engine levels like ps4 but I'm slightly disappointed they couldn't deliver in a totally quiet console.

Good news is that nobody on my mic notices it and anyone who walks into my room doesn't notice it either. So long the room isn't completely dead silent, I won't notice it much.

 

[THEAP99]

I don't think this relates to the reports of coil whine. The sound that came out of his console was totally different

 

[THEAP99]

Does anyone elses ps5 sometimes sound like the ps5 plates are being touched? Maybe it's a ghost I don't know but at times it sounds like my ps5 plates are moving

 

[Danieljay1]

Tbh i think people notice it more as the ps5 fans are so quiet the ps4 probs done it but people was more focused on how loud the fans was

 

[Danieljay1]

Its so quiet compared to ps4 its like at times im trying to find a problem dont know why but i hear any little noise and i focus on that i need to stop i think because its brand new lol

no console is whisper quiet can only hear something when im right next to it and the tv is on mute

 

[Topher]

But someone said it was cheap capacitors. Strange.

 

[Shane89]

i noticed the same thing yesterday. it's so soft that i have to put my head near the console to hear it..... but after few hours of gaming it disappeared by itself.

 

[Monkeygourmet]

Mine is completely silent apart from a bit of read noise when you play off a disc

 

[Dr. Kitty Muffins]

Fixing Coil Whine: A Clear Explanation & 15 Effective Solutions | Clever Creations

Do you have a high pitched sound coming from your computer or laptop? This can be coil whine. This article has everything you need to fix it. Read more!

clevercreations.eu

 

[PaintTinJr]

I've seen people talking about this on other threads, and I have experience it myself on my PS5.

I made this thread to share my experience on this problem, and I hope you can tell yours to the rest of us.

I didn't know coil whine existed until I booted up Astro's Playroom for the first time. I didn't know what that irritating noise was, I thought it was the fan at first, but then I realised that the noise was changing depending on what was showing on screen, and stopped inmediately when I returned to the home screen.

Searching on the internet, lots of people say that this is totally normal. PS4 Pros and high end graphics cards can have it too, but I have never experience it in all my years of gaming, and I think that if something is preventing you to properly enjoy your game time, it's in fact, a real problem. I can hear it even with headphones on.

Here are some examples I found on YouTube:

Given how serious Sony take designing circuits to avoid this type of thing, I would eliminate a whole load of other things first - just to be sure it isn't partly environmental.

I personally don't have and haven't experienced this problem with my PS5, but when installing it, I was a little OCD about things and didn't even reuse the PS4's flex lead, even though it was a hassle to re-route the new power cable through my unit.

My PS5 is powered through a UPS - with a guaranteed clean mains supply of power - so if you are using old extension cables or anything like that, I would try different newer ones - maybe someone else's house if an option - and try another power lead, or the one supplied if not doing so already - as a lead with any type of damage could cause the lead impendence to fluctuate.

But as a basic sanity test, my first suggestion would be to switch off everything at the wall and hold down the power button on each item(especially the PS5) to draw any residual PCB charge/static from them, I would then unplug everything except for the TV and PS5, which I would turn on - and disable wireless networking in the TV - and try again - and if that doesn't work disable the PS5 wifi too - along with any other bluetooth or radio devices in that room whether it be an Amazon echo, smart watch, smartphone or just old school wireless landline phones, and would definitely do a proper power cycle of the house router.

Because despite you hearing coil whine, the cause might not originate from the device that is whining and it may just be the receiver of EMFs/interference that cause it to whine. If none of those suggestions help, then I would assume it is you have been unlucky and got a unit with a faulty PSU, as the whine is likely coming from it when the power use changes from ~70watts PS5 UI to 200watts PS5 gaming (IIRC from the DF testing), and that is annoying, especially with no stock available to return it and get it replaced with a unit without discernible whine.

 

[Hendrick's]

A console being a set hardware spec should never have coil whine. You get that with PC because you are mixing and matching various pieces of hardware running at varying frequencies. A console should be a known entity. My guess is that the variable clocks have made this a possibility where consoles have never had this issue.

 

[Rbk_3]

That isn't nearly as bad as my 3080

 

[saintjules]

That’s horrible

Xsx is dead silent

I just went over to mine today while playing something and indeed dead silent.

 

[Omnipunctual Godot]

I have my fan kick on pretty loud every now and then on the disc version. Don't even have to be playing a game.

 

[Roxkis_ii]

What the average dB level of coil whine? What I heard in these videos is so minut, they had to turn up the volume for it to be heard.

 

[Danieljay1]

I have my fan kick on pretty loud every now and then on the disc version. Don't even have to be playing a game.

I get this when im playing a digital game when a disk is in the drive

 

[Boneless]

It's only "totally normal" because of fanboys.

My one friends PS5 has audible and loud coil whine from 10+ feet away... Sucks Sony cheaped out on things like this.

"cheaped out"? Give me a break, graphics cards 3 times the cost of PS5 can also have coil whine.

 

[quest]

What the average dB level of coil whine? What I heard in these videos is so minut, they had to turn up the volume for it to be heard.

It is hard to record and it is a sensitivity thing. Like smell something's at work some can pick up just a little and it makes others almost sick. People are getting way to crazy over a small percentage of units with an issue. We should be supporting them for their shitty luck not calling them out. People are not fighting off bots on this place to trash Sony. This is no RROD or dre issue just part of a normal launch rma and wait which sucks with overloaded support.

 

[kingwingin]

Feels like mine has gotten worse. Tossed the system in the laundry room and ran an hdmi cord through the wall and problem somewhat solved.