speakers argh

[supercheesegirl]

My computer speakers are picking up AM news radio. THIS IS INCREDIBLY ANNOYING. If I turn the volume all the way down, the radio volume also goes down, but then I can't hear my music, so I'm going with turning it up very loud to drown out the news radio. I have moved the speakers up and down and around, but it seems that if they are on this side of the room, they will pick up news radio, unless one of you has a solution for me. Please please please. And I can't move the computer, because this is the only spot in the apartment where it fits and also I just the got internet hooked up to this spot.

Comments

[honkie-mcgee.livejournal.com]

I had a set of cheap computer speakers at work that picked up a lot of interference whenever someone was using a cellphone near my desk. I solved that when I scavenged better speakers from a coworker's desk when she got a new job. So the only way to fix you problem is to get new speakers.

[honkie-mcgee.livejournal.com]

So the only way to fix you problem may be to get new speakers. (I meant to say.)

[supercheesegirl.livejournal.com]

Nah, I'm cashed out after the move, can't afford computer equipment right now, so I'll just have to wrap my room in tinfoil and wait for the aliens. Sigh. Oh wait, I don't have any tinfoil. Damn...

[tashari.livejournal.com]

I've got a cheap set of speakers that have a similar problem. Usually, simply rearanging the audio cable solves the problem, at least for a while. Someone recommended I buy a new cable, one that's shielded, and that it should stop the problem. I've not tried this yet.
In my case, turning the volume down doesn't effect the radio volume, though, and sometimes the radio cuts in to the point that the speakers entirely stop playing what the computer is outputting, so we may be having different problems.

[igorxa.livejournal.com]

depending on your speakers, changing the cables may not be an option, but replacing unshielded wire with shielded wire would probably do the trick.

[supercheesegirl.livejournal.com]

All the cables are attached to the speakers in a not-detachable way, so I don't think I can get a new cable. Hmm.

[igorxa.livejournal.com]

yeah, seems the main problem is that your speakers are not filtered or isolated well enough. are they new? if not, i'm going to assume you never had this problem before. like the above commenter suggested, new speakers may be your only way out, unless you have an electronics guru friend that can help you out. unfortunately i live many many miles away.

[supercheesegirl.livejournal.com]

Not new--had them since college, so they're about seven years old. (Wow, I've had these speakers longer than I had Jorn.) They've done this occasionally before, but not this loudly, nor was the station so annoying. Traffic and stock reports, over and over again!

[igorxa.livejournal.com]

also, do you need a wireless router? i have two, meaning i have an extra one, if you want it. let me know an address and i'll send it along.

[supercheesegirl.livejournal.com]

No laptops here, so I don't think so. But thank you for offering! I got a cable modem. So far it's very speedy.

[igorxa.livejournal.com]

well, if you had a wireless card for your desktop (they're pretty cheap these days) you could still move your desktop wherever you felt like it. just remember the offer is good for quite a while.

[igorxa.livejournal.com]

COMMENTS AWAY!

[supercheesegirl.livejournal.com]

KABLAM?

[mrpet.livejournal.com]

You have amplified speakers, correct? If so you can shield the cable yourself. Wrap the cable in aluminum foil. The most important step is that you need to connect the foil to the case of your PC with a small piece of bare wire. Wind the wire around any screw that you can back out a little and then tighten it down. The other end of the ground strap can wrap around your speaker cable for a foot or so. The foil will contact it when you wrap it over both wires so do the wrapping last.

Radio Shack may have metal foil tape which is used for just these things but baring that you can wrap the wire in tinfoil and tape it so it doesn't unravel.

Do not tie the ground to both the speaker and the PC or it will hum.

[supercheesegirl.livejournal.com]

I don't know what they are. I got them for Christmas in 1999. There are two little speakers that sit on my desk and a (subwoofer? it makes deep sounds) that sits on the floor under the desk. The power plugs into the big one on the floor. The little ones have two plugs that go to the big one and one plug that goes to the PC. All the wires coming out of the little speakers are not detachable. I am guessing you mean to wrap the wire that goes to the PC in foil? And would I wrap the wire up in the foil along with the cable? It's kind of hard to picture this.

[mrpet.livejournal.com]

You have amplified speakers, the amp is in the subwoofer. Take a bare wire and screw it to your PC case and wrap it up the cord that plugs in the PC (probably green) up at least a foot or so. Then wrap foil around the entire length of the cord that goes to the speakers making sure it's tight and in contact with that bare wire. Don't just glob on the foil cut a strip and wrap it around. Place some tape along it to keep the foil on.

You are making a shield for the cable. Since your volume control also controls the volume of the AM interference the noise has to be coming in via the wire b/w the speakers and the PC, not in the ones from the amp to the small speakers.

[sleepyworm.livejournal.com]

my speakers started doing that a while back too! in new york, they were picking up CB chatter from truckers! Very disconcerting!