Is it my imagination, or are miller signs kinda loud? Mine sounds like a kids toy organ while going through the light animation. I purchased a new one a few years ago, and it made noise out of the package. I just purchased a used one, and this one does the same thing... Crazy?
What is the expected life on one of these signs?
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I own 12 of these & there all quiet.
They do make some noise, I wouldn't say its loud. Mine makes a faint whine that can be heard if theres total silence in the train room and I focus on the sign with it close by.
It may depend on on ones individual hearing ability as to whether you hear it loud or at all.
The screen of Lionels legacy handheld makes a similar "whine" as well. Theres a name for this noise, can't remember the technical term.
In the end I believe this is normal "electronic noise", and I'll take it, given the fantastic animation that comes with Miller signs.
I would think the power supply would probably be the part that might make noise. Mine have a very faint whine from the P/S, I can barely here it, but my hearing is on it's way with my age. 
If you google "electronic whine noise", it occurs in alot of stuff.
I have many of the kits that I battery power. No noise.
However the blinking MTH / miller sign building combination makes a high pitch noise.
I believe it may be the power source that is the issue.
The noise in mine indeed comes from the power supply, it's pretty faint, at least to me.
I can hear the high pitch noise they make but my wife can't. I solve the problem by running 6 trains at once. Then I can't here the signs.
Miller signs are a great product with great customer service !
The Miller signs use about 100v at 10khz that is generated from the 4.5
VDC. When the signs are operating, the sound will change with the number
of segments that are lighted.
The peak whine in the RickO video above is about 6000 Hz. If the Miller power supply runs at 10kHz (10,000 Hz) as Pa suggests then presumably you are hearing a higher pitched whine. Apparently this is not a show-stopper but whoever makes their power supplies could bump up the frequency with negligible impact on component cost. Or you can roll your own so-called inverter to run above human hearing frequencies. Then your dog would perk up when you turn on the signs.
The peak whine in the RickO video above is about 6000 Hz. If the Miller power supply runs at 10kHz (10,000 Hz) as Pa suggests then presumably you are hearing a higher pitched whine. Apparently this is not a show-stopper but whoever makes their power supplies could bump up the frequency with negligible impact on component cost. Or you can roll your own so-called inverter to run above human hearing frequencies. Then your dog would perk up when you turn on the signs.
It's the display driver. Maybe the inverter too. It needs some material to modulate. Usually a transformer core, but maybe the long strip of connecting ribbon. We used to hear the 15KHz from the horizontal sweep on TVs. The flat panels all have some noise...different frequencies now.
It would be hard to change the frequency as it's the display muxing that is likely making the sounds. Since I'm getting old and deaf, I can't hear that unless I'm right on top of the power supply, so it's all good with me. 
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