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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
rwwear
2,846 posts
 
Rotted surrounds probably. Remove the grill and look. How old are they?
jax2
3,031 posts
 
That's funny, I was playing a cut from Radiohead's OK Computer and it arc'd one of my KT88's in my amp. This was years ago, but I'll not forget the cut of music, though I don't remember the title. I'd been noticing how far the meters (Mesa Baron) were spiking with this particular cut. I'm going to have to look it up now! I think it might have been Paranoid Android.
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?
ghosthouse's avatar
ghosthouse
4,277 posts
 
Call or Email Totem...they'd be the best to tell you whether you should and can open things up.
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