The 3K does produce an audible sound. Depending on the acoustics of the surrounding environment and other noise contributors the pump can be noticeable at a distance especially with flow patterns like pulsing. With that being said the first 3 weeks the 3K can be abnormally loud. Most users have found that if you run the pump in alternating gyre for a few days the sound becomes remarkably quieter. If the sound continues to be obnoxiously loud I would suggest swapping out the bushings with the spares that were included with your pump. If all fails please submit a support ticket at coralvue.com/support so our support staff can provide you with more assistance.