# Random Sound Artifact with Custom ZSE50 Sounds **URL:** \ **Category:** Product Support\ **Tags:** zse50\ **Created:** [April 7, 2026, 4:00pm UTC](https://www.zoozcommunity.com/t/random-sound-artifact-with-custom-zse50-sounds/777 "2026-04-07T16:00:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Bella](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ce73a5/32.png) [@Bella](https://www.zoozcommunity.com/u/Bella)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2026, 4:00pm UTC](https://www.zoozcommunity.com/t/random-sound-artifact-with-custom-zse50-sounds/777/1 "2026-04-07T16:00:07Z")
I am having an issue after installing custom sound files on my ZSE50. When I play the custom files, I hear a random sound artifact immediately before the custom sound plays. The artifact only appears after the speaker has been idle for 5 seconds or more. The artifact plays for about 250 ms, then I hear my custom sound. Before installing my custom sound files, the factory-supplied sound files play without the artifact. After I install the custom files, I hear the artifacts on _ **both** _ the factory-supplied sound files and my custom files. I have tried both .mp3 and .wav custom files. No difference. I generate the sounds with the Mac ‘say’ command, e.g., `say -v Victoria "[[slnc 500]] Motion alert: Front Door" -o front_door.wav --data-format=LEI16@44100` After copying the files from my Mac to the ZSE50, I also execute: `dot_clean -m /Volumes/NO\ NAME` to clear up the Mac dot files. Any ideas on how to eliminate the initial artifact/buzz when my custom sounds play. They’re annoying! ---
**Author:** ![John](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a3d4f5/32.png) [@John](https://www.zoozcommunity.com/u/John)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2026, 2:44pm UTC](https://www.zoozcommunity.com/t/random-sound-artifact-with-custom-zse50-sounds/777/2 "2026-04-11T14:44:51Z")
I’ll +1 this – I’ve seen it a couple times now, but not consistent. I have not noticed it on multiple plays in a minute, and my use case is much less frequent than a door open/close. I’ll see if I can correlate it to a set idle time as well. That’s great additional data to try out over here. I have found better overall device behavior if I remove ALL files and reapply them sequentially if I’m making any changes or additions. I’m not using a mac, but perhaps the subsequent cleanup is playing into it… ---
**Author:** ![Bella](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ce73a5/32.png) [@Bella](https://www.zoozcommunity.com/u/Bella)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2026, 7:19pm UTC](https://www.zoozcommunity.com/t/random-sound-artifact-with-custom-zse50-sounds/777/3 "2026-04-11T19:19:58Z")
I have noticed that the artifacts seem to ‘disappear’ after a few hours – or maybe it’s after a few plays. It seems like things ‘settle down’ after a bit. This makes no sense to me, but I guess I could live with that. 😉 I haven’t tried deleting everything and reloading. I’ll try that soon. ---
**Author:** ![CuriousB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/22d042/32.png) [@CuriousB](https://www.zoozcommunity.com/u/CuriousB)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2026, 8:08pm UTC](https://www.zoozcommunity.com/t/random-sound-artifact-with-custom-zse50-sounds/777/4 "2026-04-11T20:08:11Z")
I’ve seen this too. Intermittent so hard to pin down but some sort of bug in the firmware. ---
**Author:** ![Barkis](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex003/user_avatar/www.zoozcommunity.com/barkis/32/50_2.png) [@Barkis](https://www.zoozcommunity.com/u/Barkis)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2026, 11:49pm UTC](https://www.zoozcommunity.com/t/random-sound-artifact-with-custom-zse50-sounds/777/5 "2026-04-11T23:49:15Z")
> [@Bella](#): > > The artifact only appears after the speaker has been idle for 5 seconds or more. > [@John](#): > > seen it a couple times now > [@Bella](#): > > It seems like things ‘settle down’ after a bit. > [@CuriousB](#): > > Intermittent so hard to pin down All useful anecdotal evidence–and indication we’re not crazy or hearing things! 😄 Considering at some level there’s a D to A converter (the audio is stored digitally, but the speaker is fed an analog signal), it _could be_ simply a timing issue resulting in a quick, significant ramp-up of the output vs. a gentle ramp up from a zero-crossing point of the audio waveform. Just speculating here… ---
**Author:** ![Sara](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex003/user_avatar/www.zoozcommunity.com/sara/32/26_2.png) [@Sara](https://www.zoozcommunity.com/u/Sara)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2026, 12:21am UTC](https://www.zoozcommunity.com/t/random-sound-artifact-with-custom-zse50-sounds/777/6 "2026-07-02T00:21:44Z")
Hi all! We appreciate all the valuable feedback and patience while our team looked into the issue. We were finally able to pinpoint the issue and found that after updating the audio files on the ZSE50 and once the file name scan is completed, the device will continue scanning the duration of all audio files in the background. The 1–2 seconds of random noise heard during playback is caused by this background duration‑scanning process. Once the duration scan is fully completed, these 1–2‑second random noise fragments will disappear. We have beta firmware available that should resolve the issue; please[reach out directly](https://www.support.getzooz.com/new?__cf_chl_f_tk=yctruizQAy66TPkBNF0CHuAx_xBeX8eNkadzsb6._iA-1782951674-1.0.1.1-tGDfxDwBMNM70u9YDxxPGLUyQYQ4IFYmQZ2f8K72DBw)and I’ll be happy to provide the beta file if you’d like to give it a test 🙂