Fan noise on the Sony 40XBR4: Do you consider this a significant flaw?
327631
I bought the 40" XBR4 based on my great experience with my 52" XBR4. The fan noise was really bad for me on the 40", but it may not bother others, especially if the tv in installed in an enclosure. Interestingly enough, the 52" uses no fans, but heat sinks, so it is dead quiet. In my case on the 40", I returned it and got another one, but still the same fan noise. I also had a Sony authorized tech come out and replace the fans, but still no improvement. So the 2nd tv is going back as well. I didn't want to fiddle with replacing the fans with quieter ones due to warranty issues. Plus, my wife thought I was nuts to pay that much for a 40" tv and then have to tinker with it to get it quiet. As usual, she's right. The fan noise is really unfortunate, because everything else about this tv is fantastic.
1399725
I'm not sure. Our tv was not making any noise. It simply would shut off. After looking online at different forums, I was able to determine I needed a fan replacement by the number of times the red light near power button would blink. The fan fixed our problem and tv does not shut off anymore. If your buzzing noise is coming from back of the set and not speakers, it most likely is the fan. There are forums that say u can use compressed air to try and clean out the debris...but we found it was only a temporary solution and buying the fan was worth it! I recommend you Google "sony buzzing noise" to see what others say. Hope this helps! I'm not sure. Our tv was not making any noise. It simply would shut off. After looking online at different forums, I was able to determine I needed a fan replacement by the number of times the red light near power button would blink. The fan fixed our problem and tv does not shut off anymore. If your buzzing noise is coming from back of the set and not speakers, it most likely is the fan. There are forums that say u can use compressed air to try and clean out the debris...but we found it was only a temporary solution and buying the fan was worth it! I recommend you Google "sony buzzing... » Read More I'm not sure. Our tv was not making any noise. It simply would shut off. After looking online at different forums, I was able to determine I needed a fan replacement by the number of times the red light near power button would blink. The fan fixed our problem and tv does not shut off anymore. If your buzzing noise is coming from back of the set and not speakers, it most likely is the fan. There are forums that say u can use compressed air to try and clean out the debris...but we found it was only a temporary solution and buying the fan was worth it! I recommend you Google "sony buzzing noise" to see what others say. Hope this helps! « Show Less
1677060
This fan noise complaint is absolute rubbish. Unless you watch TV at volumes lower than 5 on the TV with a sleeping baby in the room, you're unlikely to hear anything. I have had my TV for a month now and have not heard anything from the TV. Maybe it's because the fan on my PS3 or the fan on my HD-DVR are louder than the fan on the TV.
2109676
I have yet to experience any coil whine. The fan can be very loud when I'm pushing the CPU (I sometimes have After Effects, Premiere, Photoshop, and Illustrator all running at the same time) but it's fairly quite in normal use.
621424
I purchased both a 52 inch and 46 inch XBR4. The 52 inch was dead silent. The 46 inch made a noticable fan noise. The TV is not against the wall and is in a surge protector. I returned the 46 inch and got another one. Same problem with noticable fan noise. I may return or attempt to exchange for another 52 inch.Called sony and they refered me to an authorized repair shop. They stated they have replaced MANY fans. Normal viewing - you don't hear it. But if it's late at night and you're watching tv (trying not wake anyone up) with the volume at 15 or below, you CAN hear it. Once you know it's there, it's gonna bug you. I took 46 inch back and go the 52. I purchased both a 52 inch and 46 inch XBR4. The 52 inch was dead silent. The 46 inch made a noticable fan noise. The TV is not against the wall and is in a surge protector. I returned the 46 inch and got another one. Same problem with noticable fan noise. I may return or attempt to exchange for another 52 inch.Called sony and they refered me to an authorized repair shop. They stated they have replaced MANY fans. Normal viewing - you don't hear it. But if it's late at night and you're watching tv (trying not wake anyone up) with the volume at 15 or below, you CAN hear it. Once... » Read More I purchased both a 52 inch and 46 inch XBR4. The 52 inch was dead silent. The 46 inch made a noticable fan noise. The TV is not against the wall and is in a surge protector. I returned the 46 inch and got another one. Same problem with noticable fan noise. I may return or attempt to exchange for another 52 inch.Called sony and they refered me to an authorized repair shop. They stated they have replaced MANY fans. Normal viewing - you don't hear it. But if it's late at night and you're watching tv (trying not wake anyone up) with the volume at 15 or below, you CAN hear it. Once you know it's there, it's gonna bug you. I took 46 inch back and go the 52. « Show Less
903246
My inline Panasonic 30NLF1 exhaust fan is extremely low noise. I have to strain to hear it. I should have added a small light to show when it is on.Buy the highest CFM you can afford.
259904
Mine is not noisy nor does it run hot, but I always turn mine off when I'm not using it. I really like my picture quality and don't mind recommending it to anyone. I have a smart tv but I prefer using the 7500 for streaming video. To me, its a much better picture
1905040
I purchase the Sony XBR4 40" on Jan 7, 2008 from CC in New Hampshire. It was on sale at $1999 - the lowest price I've seen after the holiday. I was concerned about the "fan noise" prior to purchase based on threads I had read. And . . this TV definitely does make a low level fan noise/hum that is only noticeable when the volume is low or during prolonged quiet in a broadcast. Also, relative to the previous post, the unit is not enclosed and has excellent ventillation all around. The noise is not related to heat, it is there when the TV is on. However -is it enough to make me return it? Not yet. I have 30 days to decide if it is a real issue. The picture on this TV is nothing short of stunning. We watched the Patriots beat Jacksonville on Sat. night and then watched football again on Sunday and other programs and the "fan noise" issue was a non-issue. If I really want to hear it, I can turn down the volume and - yup - there it is. But it falls into the category of refridgerator noise, computer fan noise, new car noise, etc. (noises I don't think about anymore.) I think there is no definitive answer because some will be driven to distraction by the noise - others will forget about it quicklly and enjoy the experience.
249443
No fan noise at all. Old JVC... New Marantz... Totally different worlds. The 1504 is a nice peice.
330706
The fan has three speed settings, which have considerably different noise levels. One of them might be "just right."
1677055
I finally got my 40XBR4 on Friday (1/26/08). I was worried about the "fan noise" issues I'd seen online, but I can't hear fan noise from my TV at all... I'm not using the onboard speakers at all, so I'm not sure if this has anything to do with it (I doubt it), but from my couch I can't even hear a whisper. The 40XBR4 was everything I could have hoped for... Pretty much the perfect TV for what I want to do with it. I'm really, really glad I waited for the price to come down instead of buying a lesser product 6 months ago...
1677058
Let me add my vote to buyers disenchanted with the fan noise on these TVs. I bought one, returned it for another and returned that one. The noise on both TVs was just too clear and annoying. It was ever-present, not an occasional distraction. There is just no excuse for it. But kudos to Amazon for taking them back.
1399726
I'm not sure. Our tv was not making any noise. It simply would shut off. After looking online at different forums, I was able to determine I needed a fan replacement by the number of times the red light near power button would blink. The fan fixed our problem and tv does not shut off anymore. If your buzzing noise is coming from back of the set and not speakers, it most likely is the fan. There are forums that say u can use compressed air to try and clean out the debris...but we found it was only a temporary solution and buying the fan was worth it! I recommend you Google "sony buzzing noise" to see what others say. Hope this helps!
621423
Mark, thanks for taking the time for response. Your comments put the issue of the fan noise into perspective, and ultimately put the decision to purchase, or keep, up to the consumer. Enjoy your football! Bob
1197453
I've used it for meetings and movie watching without noticing the fan noise. I would say it is not bothersome.
1695924
Hi, Michael. I can't tell, because my other 5 case fans hide it. I can tell you this: the overall noise of the whole system is pretty low. To illustrate this, I had to turn off the air conditioner to notice it. So, the card's fan contribution to noise must be next to nothing. I hope it's useful.
62069
I've never noticed mine to make any noise at all. When I checked again just now, I put my ear right up to the camera and could barely hear a little hum.