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Speaker Question!

Anyone know why I can hear someone's phone conversation through my speakers? It's happening all the time, and it's getting really annoying. I have Logitech Z-5500s and an x-fi Fatal1ty sound card.

Thanks
 
Make sure the power cable is not coiled up.

Seems like there is something acting like an antennae somewhere.. Try repositioning the wires also.
 
And, move cable around. Couild be someone's cell phone on a frequency that is stepping on your sound system. This is RFI - usually easy to correct. I have also used grounded aluminum foil successfully to create an RF barrier. Usually simple relo does the job.
 
Could be a nearby cordless phone or a CBer running an illegal linear amp... You could try running the cable going from the sound card to your speakers thru a ferrite. It also may be coming in via a modem. Does your modem have the Voice feature (for answering machine or speaker phone)? Do you use dial-up for internet access or have it waiting for incoming faxes or use the answering machine features? Could be bleeding in that way too. I can sometimes hear other coversations way in the background when I'm on the regular, hard-wired phone. Finding out which is the source (say, by unplugging the modem's phone cord, etc. goes a long way to solving the problem. Running the phone cord thru a ferrite or RF filter could help if that's the problem (cordless phone coming in over the phone line by RF coupling).

. Cleaning up all your connections can reduce rectification problems (RF bleeding in from cordless phones, radio stations, etc.). Caig Labs (www.caig.com) products work great for that.

At one time I had a nearby radio station bleeding in on my sound card - couldn't really do anything about that so I lived with it.

.bh.
 
Originally posted by: keeleysam
Time to put the tin foil hat on!


....or put it on your speakers.

Seriously, though, wrapping tinfoil around speaker cables and, if necessary, your soundcard, is a cheap way to shield them from rF.
 
Thanks for the info guys.

I'm connected to a router and am using a cable modem. I do have a telephone connected close by.

Usually I can only hear the conversation through one speaker, so is it best to just tin foil that connection? I'll probably just try doing one speaker and see if it works.

Thanks again!
 
Originally posted by: Quail X10A
Thanks for the info guys.

I'm connected to a router and am using a cable modem. I do have a telephone connected close by.

Usually I can only hear the conversation through one speaker, so is it best to just tin foil that connection? I'll probably just try doing one speaker and see if it works.

Thanks again!


Try your speakers on a different PC, and try different speakers with your PC.

Sometimes, soundcards can pick up frequencies from other components mounted nearby. This is more likely RF than anything else, but it would certianly explain it.

If you have your computer plugged into the wall via phone line, then that might be a cause, though.
 
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