5 ms·

Also known as the "I'm certain there's a TV that was left on somewhere in this house" phenomenon. I agree, annoying as hell.

vanderZwan 10y ago
Where "left on" means "merely plugged in, because they used a shitty noisy capacitor that whines even when on standby" OTOH, unplugging those devices saves you energy.
- ghurtado 10y ago
  Exactly, it doesn't even need to have a picture on the screen.
- spydum 10y ago
  i've noticed more and more cheap USB wall-wart chargers. I can hear them pulsing, it's sort of interesting, but super frustrating when trying to go to sleep (I end up just unplugging.. for which you can hear it scream as it drains)
  - mjrpes 10y ago
    I used to love the idea of a device without fans or spinning hard drive. But the last two "silent" tablets I've had randomly made very faint, but annoying, high pitch squeaking. Vibrating capacitors, I think. So ironically, I was better off with at least a low speed fan to provide white noise to cover up this faint electronic noise.
- omilu 10y ago
  I feel sorry for house dogs and cats, they must be going crazy listening to all the irritating electronic noises that most people don't notice.
  - vanderZwan 10y ago
    Similarly: birds and old CRTs and fluorescent lights (they are much more sensitive to the flickering than we are)
NovaS1X 10y ago
I so happy to know there are other people that experience this. When I try to explain to people that I can hear a CRT TV with with no sound/muted just because it's on they think I'm crazy.
- manyxcxi 10y ago
  I was 26 before I realized the whole world couldn't hear CRT screens.
  - ghshephard 10y ago
    I find that hard to believe (that the whole world can't hear CRT screens) as the capacitor or whatever it was, winds up/down - it's pretty loud. I think it's the case that there are a lot of older people that can't hear that high pitched scream, and its only younger people who can hear in that high frequency.
- stephengillie 10y ago
  With an app like Spectral Audio, you can actually prove this to them. Though informing them of their inferior hearing may not be beneficial to a friendship. Ymmv.
- StavrosK 10y ago
  I'm 33, I got a powerline plug that emits a high-pitched whine that drives me crazy. When I was in Tokyo, my friends and I would pass outside a shop at night that would have a supremely annoying whine that made me quickly walk away from it, but none of my friends could hear it. I also frequently have to ask people to repeat themselves and can't hear what they're saying well in noisy environments. I think I have superhuman hearing loss.
  - kalleboo 10y ago
    There are shops in Tokyo (and other countries) that emit a high pitched noise to keep teenagers from loitering

vanderZwan 10y ago

Where "left on" means "merely plugged in, because they used a shitty noisy capacitor that whines even when on standby" OTOH, unplugging those devices saves you energy.

ghurtado 10y ago
Exactly, it doesn't even need to have a picture on the screen.
spydum 10y ago
i've noticed more and more cheap USB wall-wart chargers. I can hear them pulsing, it's sort of interesting, but super frustrating when trying to go to sleep (I end up just unplugging.. for which you can hear it scream as it drains)
- mjrpes 10y ago
  I used to love the idea of a device without fans or spinning hard drive. But the last two "silent" tablets I've had randomly made very faint, but annoying, high pitch squeaking. Vibrating capacitors, I think. So ironically, I was better off with at least a low speed fan to provide white noise to cover up this faint electronic noise.
omilu 10y ago
I feel sorry for house dogs and cats, they must be going crazy listening to all the irritating electronic noises that most people don't notice.
- vanderZwan 10y ago
  Similarly: birds and old CRTs and fluorescent lights (they are much more sensitive to the flickering than we are)

NovaS1X 10y ago

I so happy to know there are other people that experience this. When I try to explain to people that I can hear a CRT TV with with no sound/muted just because it's on they think I'm crazy.

manyxcxi 10y ago
I was 26 before I realized the whole world couldn't hear CRT screens.
- ghshephard 10y ago
  I find that hard to believe (that the whole world can't hear CRT screens) as the capacitor or whatever it was, winds up/down - it's pretty loud. I think it's the case that there are a lot of older people that can't hear that high pitched scream, and its only younger people who can hear in that high frequency.
stephengillie 10y ago
With an app like Spectral Audio, you can actually prove this to them. Though informing them of their inferior hearing may not be beneficial to a friendship. Ymmv.
StavrosK 10y ago
I'm 33, I got a powerline plug that emits a high-pitched whine that drives me crazy. When I was in Tokyo, my friends and I would pass outside a shop at night that would have a supremely annoying whine that made me quickly walk away from it, but none of my friends could hear it. I also frequently have to ask people to repeat themselves and can't hear what they're saying well in noisy environments. I think I have superhuman hearing loss.
- kalleboo 10y ago
  There are shops in Tokyo (and other countries) that emit a high pitched noise to keep teenagers from loitering