Sky Q Noise

[Sally09]

I have recently received a new Sky Q box (model 32B206) and I have been trying to work out if there is a fault with the box and would appreciate other users opinion.
My issue is the noise box makes, when the box is on and I am watching TV there is a noise coming from the box, I realise that this could be coming from the fan or hard drive inside this unit and has to be on when it’s working, however, the noise is excessive and is clearly audible over the TV sound. The other issue I have is when the TV is off and the box is in standby mode, there is are still an audible sound coming from the unit, this noise is at a lower level than when the unit is on but there is still a constant noise (I am aware that it could be updating the software but these updates should finish after a certain amount of time and that the box should remain silent when in standby). I have tried changing the settings to the different standby modes but still the issue remains, the only way of silencing the unit when it is not in use is by long pressing the standby button on the front of the box until it turns red or by turning the power off at the plug. The Sky Q box has been placed on an open wooden shelf so it is well ventilated and there should be no issue of overheating. I have had Sky boxes before but none of them produced this level of noise.

[TimmyBGood]

@Sally09 

Almost certainly hard drive noise.  You can log the issue with Sky and get the box swapped: they are well aware that some are noisier than others.

[Sally09]

Just an update on my last post about a noisy Sky Q box.

The sky engineer came out this morning to check my box for a technical fault he said there was no fault - all the boxes make a sound even when they are in standby - there is active components inside the box which are running all the time and therefore there is a fan running all the time to cool the components.

Do other users experienced this issue?

[Diddly+DooDa]

Yes the humming whirring buzzing whatever we call it it driving me mad it's 24/7 never had any noise from HD box when in standby mode but Sky Q is like a giant bug needing to be swat ! 

[Chodley]

I can't hear my box above the TV. It makes a very quiet noise. I can measure it in dB  if you like? There's a phone app.

[Chodley]

Ok I used Sonic Tools on iOS, with the mic gain set to 0 and got just under 40dB with a peak at about 33Hz, with the phone sat 1 inch in front of the box. This was roughly the same whether the box was off, on or playing a recording. In fact, it was so quiet that the ticking of a clock on the wall 6 feet away kept producing slightly louder spikes at 2500Hz just as I was taking this screenshot 😆

 

[Diddly+DooDa]

Called Sky this morning for the second time, now an Engineer is being sent this week to check although last week they said would swop box out if noise hadn't settled 

[ie]

Just had latest skyq box and it's an upgrade on previous qbox. Same noise issue as you explain here since installation 2 weeks ago. Previous box was perfect. Phoned sky and promised a call back which never arrived! Just onto them again now. Paid £99 for this upgrade and not happy at all with the box or the service. 

[Diddly+DooDa]

Wow £99 to upgrade seems steep is it your first Sky Q Box

I didn't get charged anything being registered as vip customer for 9 years had old HD Box and went to Sky Q

They came and swopped the Sky Q box engineer suspected faulty hardrive 

[CT78]

I am having the exact same issues, box is on an open shelf too. Noise above volume of tv, drives us mad! Been changed once but this one is worse than the last and seems to be getting worse. 

[Jimflynn39]

Old box was giving  connectivity issues so engineer installed new box on sky bracket behind tv . Updated software also . The noise is excessive 24/7. Surely something wrong 🤷‍♂️ Can this be silenced ? 

[Diddly+DooDa]

Annoyingly no the noise never stops and some boxes seem louder than other mine was swapped yet the one I have now is fractionally less it still hums all the time, it seems it's a poor design as so many of us are saying how noisy they yet Sky are doing nothing to resolve 

My son has put his in a closed door cupboard and still hears it, the constant humming is triggering my Migraine since this Q box arrived hopefully Sky will eventually develop a different model or a lot of will be reverting back to old HD Boxes 

sound

[Chodley]

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@Diddly+DooDa wrote:

Annoyingly no the noise never stops and some boxes seem louder than other mine was swapped yet the one I have now is fractionally less it still hums all the time, it seems it's a poor design as so many of us are saying how noisy they yet Sky are doing nothing to resolve 

My son has put his in a closed door cupboard and still hears it, the constant humming is triggering my Migraine since this Q box arrived hopefully Sky will eventually develop a different model or a lot of will be reverting back to old HD Boxes 

sound

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I wouldn't stand for that. Mine is near silent.

[Daniel0210]

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@Diddly+DooDa wrote:

My son has put his in a closed door cupboard and still hears it,

That box may require more ventilation which is why the fan maybe having to work extra hard. 

hopefully Sky will eventually develop a different model or a lot of will be reverting back to old HD Boxes 

Sky won't be developing new Sky Q boxes. They see Glass/Stream as the way forward. No one can revert back to Sky+HD boxes. Sky no longer provide Sky+ subscriptions or produce/maintain the equipment. 

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[UnrealityTV]

Just to add my experience of this... I've been a Sky customer for 18 years, had Sky+, Sky+ HD, Sky Q and Sky Stream. Sky Q was easily the noisiest of the hard drive based recorders. 
Both Sky+ & +HD were silent in standby, the hard drive would spin down completely. Sky Q on the other hand would have a quiet whirr constantly, even in standby, as the fan would remain on for no logical reason whatsoever. This was the case on all three Q boxes I owned, all on an open shelf, fully ventilated and not even warm to the touch. 
TBH I did grow used to the whirring. You learn to tune it out but I agree, it's very irritating when you first hear it, particularly if you've been used to a silent +HD box. I've since had a couple of different Freeview HD hard drive PVRs and both of those were silent - no fan noise at all, just the odd faint hard drive click. Sky Stream is totally silent (having no hard drive) but has a host of other issues. 
I think because Sky Q is so mass produced, there must be variances in build quality, hence the differing experiences of those on this thread.