Brand new HDDs with constant access noise when idle.
(The clicking sounds normal to my ear. It is the microphone that might makes it sound like the click of death ;-) )
6 HDDs in a straight line on a rubber surface with the microphone 15 cm above HDD #3. The noise remains the same when the SATA connectors are unplugged. The acoustic level is set to minimum performance and minimum acoustic output.
I have no idea if this is wear-levelling or BMS (Background Media Scan) or something completely else. All I know is that it drives me crazy. The noise is not unbearably loud, but extremely annoying and distracting.
