PLEASE Help - Sound Problems (Humming/Buzzing) - Sony KDF-50WE655

[sgupta]

I've got a minor (or major) issue driving me a bit nutty with my new TV, the Sony KDF-50WE655. Great TV and very pleased - just got HD and am most impressed.

Now onto my issue. I seem to get a slight, low humming/buzzing noise coming from the TV speakers...it seems to increase and decrease depending on volume, and it occurs the most when using HDMI I think, but I do believe it is occurring at least a little with other connection types (just at a lower volume).

Any idea to fix this? I'm at a loss.

I will say I have a Bose Wave Radio, and IF I run the sound through it instead (still going through the TV and being output to the Bose), the buzzing appears to disappear. However, I'm not yet sure whether this is a good solution - sound drastically changes when run through the Bose. It's clearer, but it's also not as surrounding. I don't think I want to go that route...I prefer the TV speakers surrounding nature.

Doesn't matter whether I'm using component, composite, or HDMI - the buzzing is still there. It *might* be slightly louder over HDMI, but not a lot louder if so. Different inputs do it too, even if they are "blank" (no channel selected, etc.). So do different components (VCR, DVD Player, HD Tivo).

The buzzing is proportional to the volume. The higher the volume, the louder the buzzing. So it's definitely coming from the speakers.

I tried a few things in case it was a grounding issue. First of all, I totally unplugged regular cable as I heard a lot of grounding issues come from there. No effect. I also unplugged the TV from the Monster Power I have just in case that was the issue (as I heard of at least one case of this), but that doesn't appear to be it either.

I called Sony, and they're apparently going to send someone out to address this.

Can anyone tell me for sure IF this is normal for these types of TV's? I'd feel really bad if someone from Sony came out and said everything was fine, BUT, this is fairly noticeable to me even if it is subtle. I might get used to it, but I just think I'd see more complaints if most people were experiencing a low hum/buzz at moderately high volume levels. (To put things in perspective, it's low enough that sound drowns it out pretty effectively, but during quiet scenes, etc., you can still definitely hear it.)

As an easy to do test, here's what I'm talking about... Turn to a blank channel on your cable box/satellite receiver. Then turn up the volume to the highest level. Now, I know it's normal for there to be a static/hiss, but in my case, I also get a very noticeable hum. And you can hear this hum over normal television broadcasts too. I've noticed some broadcasts are at a lower volume than others, and it seems to be most apparent on those and less apparent on the channels with the naturally higher volume.

Anyways, I'd *really* appreciate some feedback here as I'm being driven nuts. I might be able to get used to this, but I don't want to if it is a problem like I think it is.

BTW, I checked on a CRT I have access too to see if the inputs buzz like this at high volume. Nothing. So I really don't think this brand new TV should do it. Maybe it's something with LCD RP's, but that just doesn't sit right with me. Unless I hear otherwise, I guess I'll let Sony take a look at it.

Thanks for any and all assistance.

[fredinva]

No HUMMing on my Sony.
My audio output goes from my Dish 811 direct to my Pioneer A/V receiver.
One of the other 811 composite outputs goes to my sony, no problem.

fred

[sgupta]

I'm not using a separate receiver - just the internal speakers. If it's not too much trouble (and if it is, that's fine - I don't want to inconvenience you), could you test and see if your internal speakers do this when you switch to them?

Thanks much for the feedback!

[fredinva]

Well, still no sound problem.
If I mute my a/v receiver, my audio to the turned on Sony speakers sounds fine.

fred

[mjones73]

Sounds like interference of some kind, what happens when you disconnect all the inputs into the TV?

[sgupta]

I'll try that and see. My feeling is it'll still be there, but we'll see.

[sgupta]

Okay, now I'm just confused.

I disconnected all inputs. Contrary to what I thought would happen, it DID seem to disappear.

Hooked up the cable (for locals). Still gone.

Hooked up DVD player via HDMI. Bam. There again.

Hooked up HDTivo via component for the time being (til I get a HDMI switcher with audio or decide to keep it like this), and it doesn't appear to be as bad as it was. Now what's weird is...I *know* it was there over component before with nothing in the HDMI port worse than this. I tested that specifically...

I also noticed it seemed to be quieter at SOME points while watching a DVD, and at others it was quite noticeable.

I...am...confused...

Any other thoughts?

Guess I'm still gonna have someone take a look at it (albeit nervously...don't want it taken apart and messed up or anything). I hope I'm not completely losing my mind. lol.

[57U]

Sounds like one or some of your components are feeding some current that shouldn't be there to the TV.

This could be "induced" by power cables running too close to audio or video cables. Try separating power and "signal" cables from each other. Move them while the buzz is happening to see if there's a change.

Or it could be a signal coming "through" a bad component. Try plugging the "offending" component into a different circuit of the house - use an extension if necessary.

Are you using a cheap power bar?

Have you plugged any components into other component outlets - like DVD player into STB or AVR? If so, don't.

[sgupta]

>Sounds like one or some of your components are feeding some current that >shouldn't be there to the TV.

Well, the strange thing is that explanation doesn't make too much sense either. I actually wasn't happy with my first DVD player, so that's changed. Both did it via HDMI. There's nothing else going into the DVD player...just the TV and it. (I did have an HDMI switcher in between the two at one point - does it with or without it.) So it's not the component specifically.

VCR is connected, but it's new - problem was there previous to it.

Also did it before getting the HD Tivo, but it also does it, especially if hooked up via HDMI. (But I know it's done it via component too...it just didn't seem to much tonight).

I thought about the RF cables causing it, but I A) replaced all of them with higher quality cables and B) stopped running them through various devices. Now it's just cable to a splitter and a seperate cable to each component (TV, VCR, HD Tivo). Again, this problem manifested itself when it was just DVD and the TV before the rest of the stuff.

>This could be "induced" by power cables running too close to audio or video >cables. Or it could be a signal coming "through" a bad component. Try >plugging the "offending" component into a different circuit of the house - >use an extension if necessary.

I originally had all the cables going through the hole in the back of the stand. I also had heard about this problem, so this time I put all the power cables through the holes and kept all the "feed" cables separate. No difference.

I did try using a different plug for the TV than the rest of the components. No difference. (I didn't try each individual component on a different outlet, but I thought this was overkill given it seems like that's barking up the wrong tree).

>Are you using a cheap power bar?

Monster Power HT 800, so no. Tried taking this out of the equation too just in case. No luck.

>Have you plugged any components into other component outlets - like DVD >player into STB or AVR? If so, don't.

Nope.

Thanks for your help. This is drivin' me nuts. lol. I mean...I can learn to live with it I suppose, but I just...really don't think it should be there.

[57U]

One last suggestion. Make sure the connection(s) causing the problem are very secure and clean. HDMI can be "loose" sometimes....

[sgupta]

Done that too. Even tried different cables.

I'm beginning to wonder if it's something in the set...around the HDMI port or something with the speaker cabling...I dunno. =o/

I'd say this is normal, except I can't find anybody who knows what I'm talking about, and I'm thinking SOMEBODY would if it is normal...because I can't be the only one it'd be sometimes distracting to.