60 Hz tone
Low hum territory — compare your system against the sound of the power grid.
60 Hz
Stopped
Nearest note: B1 · 49 cents flat (61.74 Hz)
The hum you already know
Almost everyone in North America has heard 60 Hz without knowing it: alternating current from wall outlets oscillates at exactly this rate, and transformers, dimmers, and aging fluorescent ballasts sing along. Played deliberately, the tone is a round, featureless drone sitting 49 cents flat of B1 (61.74 Hz) — nearly a quarter-tone low — deep enough to feel in the floor through a subwoofer.
Because the pitch matches the grid, it makes a perfect suspect lineup for buzz diagnosis. If your speakers buzz even with nothing playing, compare that buzz against this player: a match points at mains interference or a ground loop, while a mismatch suggests a fan, a hard drive, or a switching supply running at its own unrelated frequency altogether.
A practical hum-hunting routine
Start with everything connected and listen carefully to the stray buzz, then unplug inputs one at a time until it stops — the last cable removed carried the loop. Cable-TV grounds and separate outlet circuits are the classic offenders, and routing everything through a single shared power strip often silences them for good. Keep this 60 Hz page open in a tab during the hunt so the reference is one click away.
Beyond troubleshooting, the tone doubles as a gentle bass-extension probe a notch above the 40 Hz depths, and as a reference for judging how much low end a new pair of headphones really delivers. Step between this page and the 40 Hz tone to feel how quickly low end gains audibility across just twenty hertz.
More frequencies
Frequently asked questions
Why do my speakers hum at 60 Hz?
In North America wall power alternates at 60 Hz, and that signal leaks into audio through ground loops, unshielded cables, or nearby transformers. Compare the buzz to this tone: if the pitches match, chase grounding and cable routing; if not, suspect fans or switching power supplies instead.
Is 60 Hz the hum frequency everywhere?
No. Regions with 50 Hz mains power — most of Europe, Asia, Africa, and Australia — hum at 50 Hz instead, with harmonics at 100 and 150 Hz. This 60 Hz tone matches grids in North America and parts of South America, Japan, and elsewhere using 60 Hz systems.
What musical note is 60 Hz near?
The closest standard pitch is B1 at 61.74 Hz, and 60 Hz sits 49 cents flat of it — nearly a quarter tone low. It falls between A#1 and B1, landing closer to B1, in the lowest octave of bass guitars and five-string instruments.