2. speakers
  3. 1196478733

What's that buzz, tell me what's a happening...

Playing Radio Head's "Pyramid Song" (a little loud but not even 10 watts) where Thom Yorke's eerie hum begins and one of my speakers starts to make a vibrating sound like a cheap old phonograph! I figure its inside the box, maybe behind the woofer. Almost sounds like a screw is loose and matching frequencies are causing it to vibrate and sing. This has never happened before!

"S**t" says I, and I start putting pressure on every screw head, binding post, sides of the cabinet etc to no avail. "S**t" says I again. I want to rip apart the woofer, get in there and hot glue everything. Probably not a good idea.

Ya think I can take the screws off the woofer or the binding post plastic housing thingee (or both) to take a peek? Is this a typical DIY thing to do? We're talking Totem Sttafs. What do you think could be loose in there? Or is it something more ominous...:-(
djh

Showing 2 responses by djh

djh OP
10 posts
 
The speakers are supposedly 3 years old. I've only had them for a month. There is no noticable flaw from the outside, and the buzzing seems to come from the inside. Very resounding in there I might add.

So far it has only buzzed twice (both times on this Radio Head CD) and only when the music plays at a lowly frequency for a period of time and at a loudish volume. Jeez Louis, it didn't do this for Leonard Cohen or Stan Getz! I just don't feel like hauling these down to a repair shop (first I'd have to find one). I could possibly ignore the buzz or just never play Radio Head (NOT!). I'm getting brave. Could it hurt to go in and take a lookee?
djh OP
10 posts
 
Well, did all that was recommended except one. Changed the L/R wires. Same speaker, same problem. Gave each screw a little tightening. Same problem. Decided to go in.

Went in from the back. Could see both drivers through the post hole. You know what? There really isn't a lot to these things is there? I think anybody with a little wood and tools could put something like this together. Pick up a couple of drivers, bolt them in... I digress.

The buzzing stopped when I grabbed the woofer magnet and gave it a bit of a torque grip. "Ha" says I. I'll tighten down the woofer some more and bob's yer uncle. The one piece of information I didn't heed was not to tighten too much. Now the darn T-10 torc bolt heads are all stripped (do they make a T-12 or T-13?). Bad to worse is the buzz is still there (starting to sound like a bad bugs bunny episode). Now when I walk by and I got Norah Jones or someone playing I think I can hear some buzzing. Turns out there isn't any (Norah is far enough removed from Radio Head I guess) but I go through the same thing some time later.

At this point I'm not sure what I'll do. I'd like to take that woofer right out of there and see if it isn't the whole problem. I'll have to come up with some finess way to get those very tight bolts out. The problem is, I'm not feeling very finess right now. Time for a Scotch.
More to discover