Beezer wrote:The pitch and perceived loudness of my Vario changed noticeably when I switched to steel burrs.

I had the same experience with a Vario and a Vario-W.

A previous video showed the portafilter handle jiggle momentarily on a Sette when the motor started. This latest video corroborates (for me) that there are vibration issues with this grinder. I don't see how you can get noise like that without something being out of balance.

Not2Bitter wrote:That's very loud for an empty grinder, my e37s and most grinders I've heard are very quiet while empty and sound similar to the vario(tho mostly metal commercial grinders seem even quieter)

I wonder if that noise is coming from the mechanism the say actively clears the grounds from above and below the burrs(at least that's the description I read)

Your E37 is direct drive. The Sette uses a gear reduction that is responsible for the noise you hear. In Dan's video it does not appear to be any louder than the Vario when actually grinding. A dB reading would further clarify any real difference.

Yep. Similarly, my K10PB is much, much quieter than my Vario. When running both of them empty, the K10PB just hums. Whereas the Vario sounds like a wood chipper.

P.s. I don't actually know what a wood chipper sounds like. But I picked that description for dramatic effect.

Edit: I just listened to a wood chipper on YouTube. It does sound like the Vario.

Not trying to be a devil's advocate or anything, but out of curiosity: why does noise matter to you all? For example, Ryan, you say your K10PB is much quieter than your Vario. However, if you used the former early in the a.m., wouldn't it still wake someone up sleeping a room or two away? I know even my hand grinders are loud enough [when the house is quiet] to disturb a baby, so if I needed to truly fly under the radar I'd either not grind at all or use other noise (from the dishwasher or AC) for cover. Do people carry on conversations while grinding? What's the big deal? Please ignore if this is too off-topic, of course.

About Sette, in the context of a busy show floor at SCAA on Sat., I found the grinder's noise factor to be unremarkable.

Hi Joshua, I was just making a straight observation about the Vario vs. my Titan. In light of the discussion over noise. I wasn't saying it mattered or was cause for any concern. Just making a factual statement that an empty Vario spinning is much louder than many commercial grinders operating empty. Once you add beans, then you also hear the grinding of those beans in addition to the underlying noise made by the grinder's mechanics.

Also, I always single dose. So I'm often running my grinders nearly empty to purge out the last stray grinds.

Not trying to be offensive, but do your really care? If you want a quiet grinder then get an HG-1. All motorized grinders are going to be noisy. An empty grinder is a mute point (no pun intended). A light roast is going to be louder and a dark roast is going to be more quiet. The deciding factor on purchase for me would be taste in the cup followed by work flow/ergonomics. If it were more quiet then that would be a bonus, but a slightly higher pitch is no deal breaker for me. Just hand anyone you wake up a fresh espresso and they'll quickly forgive you

Shife wrote:In Dan's video it does not appear to be any louder than the Vario when actually grinding.

The Sette is noticeably louder and higher pitched than other grinders I've used. The audio difference was easy to see in the movie editor too; here's the thumbnail:

jbviau wrote:Not trying to be a devil's advocate or anything, but out of curiosity: why does noise matter to you all?

The Sette is a very fast grinder, so honestly, louder or not, I'm pretty indifferent. If it was running for 30 seconds, its higher noise level and pitch might start grating on my nerves. Sensitivity to sound, like taste, varies from person to person. I think we'll have to wait until the Sette is in the hands of more buyers until there's a general consensus about whether it matters in the grand scheme of things. After a day's use, I'm in the "no" camp.

I find loud, high pitched noises very unpleasant, but I could probably stand it if the grinder was good enough in overall performance.

I have a Vario and if I leave the bin installed instead of the portafilter holder it is noticeably quieter. It is not a tremendous difference but it is there. The Sette grinds so much faster then the vario that I think I could deal with it. Maybe open up the insides and slap in some dynamat sound deadening