DAMN BLOODY ALTEC SPEAKERS FROM HELL!!!

[ElDonAntonio]

I'm getting REALLY PISSED OFF!!!! Is there no way on this earth I can get acceptable speakers???

1) I buy Altec Lansing 2100 speakers. I notice that there's some heavy static coming from the satellites even when unplugged from the computer. Upon advice of a tech supp rep, I go and exchange them for the same model.

2) Exact same behavior. Tried them at a friend's place, same thing, so it can't be power frequency or radio interference problems.

3) I decide to spend a little more and I get Altec Lansing 621 speakers. They're supposed to be the top of the line for "Music lovers" (whatever). Well there is still some pretty heavy noise coming out of the satellites EVEN when the damn system is not connected to the computer!!!! To top things off, when I increase or decrease the volume from the remote, there's kind of a weird sound coming from the satellites. It's like some extra static that pops at each increment of volume.

Am I just unlucky with 3 defective Altec Lansing sets of speakers, am I too sensitive to sound, or are Altec Lansing speakers CRAP!?!?!

Getting some speakers shouldn't be so bloody annoying!

 

[spanky]

my altec lansing speakers have been pretty good so far. i have a set of ACS48s & 2 ATP3s.

 

[Aquaman]

No problems with my AVS500's

Good luck.

Cheers,
Aquaman

 

[ElDonAntonio]

spanky and aquaman, if you unplug your speakers from your computer and stick your ear to the satellites, can you hear anything at all? it may just be me that's too sensitive, but I often work in absolute silence, so the static is getting on my nerves big time. I'd understand if there was static at high volume levels, but I find it weird to have static when nothing's plugged!

Thanks guys.

 

[Aquaman]

No static at all dude......... don't know what to say

Cheers,
Aquaman

 

[Holmecollie]

I guess your a mutant with super hearing like in X-men...

You should be thinking about a nickname!

Seriously do you and your freind live under a powerline or something, sounds really weird...

 

[paralazarguer]

I have a set of Altec Lansing something or others...whatever. Heh heh they were $69.99. Noiseless and they sound great.

 

[GEC]

 

[GEC]

I goofed on the first reply

If your speakers have NO wires coming or going to the computer, then the loose wires are picking up the interference. I know this sounds a bit odd but a computers power supply is a small broadcast station of RFI. I am a HAM radio operator and have seen computers put nothing but noise into a HAM radio that had no connections to the computer. A new power supply in the computer corrected the problem. I spoke to other HAMS about this and found it is a common problem. One solution was to in stall a RADIO SHACK snap on CHOKE on each speaker as close to the speaker as possible with as many wire turns as possible. Because of cost factors, power supply manufactures are not installing the proper filters in the power supplies. I have taken a few of the power supplies apart and could see that the filters were not installed and only jumpers in their place. So if what you say is true, the unplugged wires are picking up RFI/EMI from the computer.
GEC

 

[Electric Amish]

My 4100's have been pretty sweet.

amish

 

[Mavrick007]

If all the speakers do this when you try them out, then chances are that it's an outside factor that is making them give off static, like some sort of interference. I also think it has to be a power source, although it might not be your psu in your computer. I would try this in another room or at your friend's house to see if it's doing the same there with the speakers. Even cheap speakers shouldn't be giving you that much static that it's disturbing to listen to. Good luck.

 

[Justorq]

My 2100 are doing the same exact problem, though I didn't unplug them from the computer... and it is driving me nuts!

 

[WhoDeeny]

I have the 4100's and couldn't be more happy! No problems whatsoever and they sound great!

 

[Workin']

I have the Altec 641's (essentially a 4.1 version of the 621's) and I don't have any static problems or strange sounds. My other Altec ACS295's and ACS345's don't make any noises, either. Must be something you are overlooking...

 

[thorin]

You probably live under some high tension power lines or some other EM field source, and nothing you buy will be without static.

Thorin

 

[QwErTyBk]

When listening to speakers in Best Buy a week ago, I noticed a good amount static coming out of the Altec 641's with the volume off.

 

[MasterHoss]

Hmm, when you have your speakers powered and disconnect the miniplugs from the sound card, you're bound to get noice from your speaker system. Think of it like connecting a pair of jumper cables to a car battery while swinging the other end of the jumper cables wildly.

What speakers were you using before the Altec Lansing speakers? Did you get weird noise when adjusting the volume then?

 

[ElDonAntonio]

My computer is a dell laptop, so I guess it kind of rules out the PSU theory.

The speakers emit this static whether they're plugged into the computer OR NOT!! even with the volume turned all the way down. So no one here except justorq observed this behavior? even if you stick your ear to the speaker? AM I INSANE?!?!

 

[Workin']

Originally posted by: QwErTyBk
When listening to speakers in Best Buy a week ago, I noticed a good amount static coming out of the Altec 641's with the volume off.

Have you ever seen how they hook them up there? No wonder there was static. It's amazing that they even work at all. With mine at home, if I put my ears up to the satellites (connected to the computer or not) they are perfectly silent unless the volume of the soundcard (TB Santa Cruz) and the speakers is jacked WAY high, then there is a barely audible hiss that I can only hear when my ear is within a foot of one of the satellites. The bass unit makes a very faint hum you can hear if you put your ear right against it. That doesn't change regardless of the volume settings, and obviously if there are any other sounds being made you can't hear it at all. And in any case it is never audible above even the fan in my PSU, so no one would be bothered by it. The volume control NEVER makes ANY noise at all, under any conditions. I think ElDonAntonio has some bad luck, or else bionic hearing.

Wish I could help, it's a strange problem. I'm thinking that if the volume control makes weird noises the 621 set is probably defective. Don't know about the 2100's, they seemed kinda cheap to me, maybe they normally make a lot of static...

 

[ElDonAntonio]

Originally posted by: Workin'

I think ElDonAntonio has some bad luck, or else bionic hearing.

It must be those damn experiments the army made on me

I'm really confused and I don't know what to do...3 sets of defective speakers? Should I try another brand? Monsoon?

 

[Justorq]

You don't have any problem withyour speakers ... I heard the same ones (2100) at Future Shop here i Montreal and at another store and they both had really bad static... Like us... I just think it might be a bad sound card

 

[ElDonAntonio]

Justorq, it doesn't have anything to do with the sound card because they emit the static even without being plugged to the sound card. Nice coincidence, I live in MTL too
Maybe the canadians are getting all the defective sets!??!?! :|

 

[salz]

I have Altec Lansing 641's and I think I have the same sound that you do, but it doesn't get any louder if I turn the volume up. I have two computers set up next to each other, so I'm guessing it's interference (when I put my ears to the speakers I hear a static sound). Something must be causing interference for you too. If I can stop the static sound I'll be happy to tell you how I did it, but I can't say it bothers me that much, so I think I'm just going to leave it alone.

 

[Markfw]

Would everyone please read GEC's reply about the power supply, and the chokes, etc !!! I have been in the electonics industry for 30 years, and I agree with him, yet no mention of his "fix" or discussion.

Please read that reply.

 

[ElDonAntonio]

markfw900, do you it would apply even for a laptop computer? I'll try and plug the 621's in another room without any comps nearby and listen.

EDIT: well in fact I just turned off my computer and the static is still here. Any other ideas?