Speaker transformer hum?

adarryl

I have a set of Swans M-200 PC speakers (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16836136102) that have developed a buzz/hum maybe in the transformer? The hum is continuous and decreases when the speaker volume is turned higher and increases when the speaker volume is turned lower. That's right. The higher the speaker volume, the lower the hum; the lower the speaker volume, the louder the hum. Any ideas on what is going on here and what the fix might be? THX!

MAGIC

What is the source volume set at?

adarryl

Thanks for the reply. Source volume is set low.............always is. FWIW, I just swapped out the Swans with a set of Edifiers I had laying around, made no other changes and the buzz is gone. Something is amiss with the Swans.

j

I'd say bad speakers. Noise from a bad power supply and or filters can ride on the signal, so when your volume is low the noise is dominate, but as you amplify the signal the signal to noise ratio decreases and you don't hear it so much. Not surprising since you bought them from newegg...worst store ever.

shwaip

try turning up the source volume, and down the volume on the speakers.

Tushon

j wrote:

Not surprising since you bought them from newegg...worst store ever.

lolwut


I don't know if you are trolling or just ... ignorant?

ardichoke

Probably a bit of unintentional column A reinforced by a lot of column B

MAGIC

shwaip wrote:

try turning up the source volume, and down the volume on the speakers.

adarryl

Thanks for the replies. I did as Shwaip and Magic suggested..............buzz is still present. I connected the speakers to one of my other PC's........................still get buzz. I tried what Shwaip and Magic suggested on the 2nd PC...............still get buzz. I then turned off the PC and left the speakers powered on and still got buzzing. Funny thing: with the PC off and the speakers on, the buzzing was pronounced at high volume and at volume off but slight at half volume. I'd say the speakers' internal power source is the issue.

And to J, go away; your ignorance is showing.

shwaip

The only other thing I'd test is to see if plugging the speakers into an ipod or portable device still gives you the buzz. If not, it might mean there is a grounding issue somewhere.

Sonorous

Sounds like a ground fault issue. I would isolate the set of speakers from any other appliance on a circuit and try it with an iPod or some other portable media player. You can try to find an RCA isolation transformer, but it might easier/cheaper just to get a new set of speakers.

adarryl

Update: I opened the internally powered speaker of the pair and found leaking capacitors. I replaced them with a set I ordered from Fry's Electronics and the speakers are as good as new. For those of you who don't know what bad caps look like, I enclosed a photo of the speaker circuit board. The caps are the larger black cylinders with the silver centers. You can see that one was leaking out the top and, though you can't see it in the photo, the other was bulging upward in the center.