Home Cinema HT-J5500XU intrusive cooling fan noise?

[CliveB]

I have recently been aware that a noise coming from the Blu-Ray unit which is only just audible even at close range becomes louder and intrusive when the volume to speakers is increased from 14 to 15.  It's sudden and doesn't get any louder when the volume is increased above 15.  I think this is the noise coming from internal cooling fan(s) which go into "turbo" mode at the higher volumes. Is this a "characteristic" which I have to put up with with the quieter sequences from TV and Blu-Ray, or do I have a fault with the unit?  Anyone else notice this with this and other home cinema systems?

[ChrisM]

Hi @CliveB.

Sorry for the late reply. Just to clarify, is the noise coming from the Blu-Ray unit itself, or from the speaker/speakers?

[CliveB]

Hi ChrisM
Thanks for the interest.  The noise comes from the BluRay box itself and sounds like a cooling fan.  There is no unwanted sound from the speakers even at full volume.
The fan can be heard close to the unit but is not intrusive at volumes 1-14. At 15 and later at 25 the noise becomes louder as the step changes in volume level betwen 14-15 and 24-25 appear to trigger increases in the fan speeds and a noticeable background noise which is intrusive at my favoured volume level of 16.  I am having to listen at level 14 which means that dialogue is difficult to hear during quieter points on TV shows and movies.
Unfortunately Samsung support seem to be following some script and ask about speaker noise from my soundbar or TV, swapping speaker leads .... and aren't equipped to dealing with other issues.  I have requested to talk with someone familiar with the home cinema systems but so far no response.

Hope you can help..?

[CliveB]

Just an update.  Samsung arranged for collection yesterday of the base unit and shipment to one of their authorised repair centres for investigation.  Hopefully the problem will be identified (fan noise?) and rectified.  Will keep you posted.

[ChrisM]

Many thanks for the update @CliveB. Do let us know the outcome.

[CliveB]

Returned by courier today.

No note or explanation on the box or inside.

Configuration returned to defaults os setup required. 

But still have exactly the same issue with background noise.

Perhaps this is the way it is intended to operate and others are putting up with the interference?

Difficult to contact others with the same system to compare notes.

Awaiting contact from Samsung with a report.

[CliveB · Accepted solution]

The Home Cinema unit was collected again about a week ago but this time I enclosed a note giving telephone contact details.  Technician called to say once again that no fault had been found in the sound system.  Once again explained that the intrusive background noise was probably a noisy cooling fan.
Success (I hope)!  Unit returned today (no note concerning the repair enclosed - very unprofessional) and the fan noise has virtually gone (well within acceptable limits) so I am assuming the fan was replaced.

It has taken a month and my confidence in Samsung has diminished.

More help received through Facebook Messaging of Samsung than from their telephone support centre.

My advice to anyone else with similar problems is to keep up the pressure until the issue is resolved.