If you use a Dyson cordless vacuum cleaner, you'll probably be familiar with a sort of "boing" sound whenever you stop cleaning as the motor winds down.

But did you know that the "boing" sound is intentional and designed to give the device a bit of character?

Don't worry, we didn't either.

Wanting to find out more, we asked Tom Richards, an engineering manager at Dyson about the "boing", why the company's latest vacuum cleaners make the noise in the first place, and could it be removed all together if the company wanted it to be.

"Acoustics and sound engineering are an important part of technology development at Dyson," said Richards. "Whilst some companies might set out to create a signature sound, the 'boing' noise you might notice when you turn off some of Dyson's newest machines, is actually a characteristic of our technology."

What's making the "boing" sound?

"In the latest Dyson V10 motor, for example, there are eight magnet poles on the shaft," explained Richards. "When the vacuum trigger is released, the motor brakes the rotor to a stop almost instantly and the magnet stops at one of the eight positions, but once stopped it 'bounces' between the neighbouring positions momentarily.

"Like a ping-pong ball bouncing on a table, they move a smaller distance each time, creating a sound which our engineers call the 'boing'."

Could the 'boing' noise be removed?

"Technically, there are things that we could do to significantly reduce the sound. That said, we're all quite fond of it!" added Richards, suggesting that while it wasn't the starting intention to create the noise that many Dyson customers will be familiar with, there are no plans to remove it in the future.

Never say never though. Richards doesn't rule out the possibility completely however, telling Pocket-lint that it is more about the technology than a desire to engineer its removal:

"As the sound is a characteristic of our engineering, it is likely that it will change as motors develop with newer technology. We will always continue to test the tonality of our machines and make improvements where we can, but I suspect the 'boing' is here for the foreseeable."