4 Ways to Stop Speakers from Buzzing

M Audio - speaker tweeter - buzzing speaker - Beginner Audiophile Setup

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Imagine coming home from a long day and looking forward to unwinding by watching a movie on Netflix or listening to some music! Then suddenly you hear a buzzing sound from your speakers.

This can be frustrating. And since you don’t want this to ruin your evening, you try to move some cables and tighten the connections to see if that would work.

While moving around the cables can stop speakers from buzzing, this only works if it’s caused by a loose connection.

In this article, I’ll discuss the different causes of the buzzing noise in speakers and how to fix it.

Why Do Speakers Start Buzzing?

There are several reasons for the buzzing noise that you hear in speakers. 

One of them was mentioned earlier which is a loose connection. It can also be caused by a simple hardware issue.

This noise can also be caused by the formation of an electrical ground loop. This results in static speaker noise which can be heard as a buzzing sound. This high-pitched sound can break through the speakers even at low volumes. 

Another common cause for this sound is when another device interferes with the sound frequency waves. This happens when you have several devices in the same room or in close proximity to your speaker.

Lastly, an outdated audio driver can also cause the buzzing sound coming from your speakers. 

Buzzing speaker
Sonos Move Smart Speaker | Make Life Click

How to Stop Speakers From Buzzing

While some people call it a “buzzing noise”, and others refer to it as “audio humming”, everyone can agree that it’s annoying to hear because it ruins your listening experience. 

In most cases, the buzzing sound in speakers is a minor problem that doesn’t require the help of an expert. 

Before you run to a technician, you may be able to fix the issue yourself. So here are 4 ways that you can stop speakers from buzzing.

1. Check for a hardware issue.

In most cases where people experience a buzzing sound from their speakers, the root cause of the issue was in the hardware. 

This is why the first thing you need to do is check for a hardware issue when trying to fix your speakers.

Check the ports and cables.

A loose connection is one of the most common causes of buzzing sound in speakers, so check the ports and see if there are any loose cables. 

This is a simple fix that doesn’t require a lot of tech knowledge so anyone can do this, and it’s proven to be effective.

You can take things further and disconnect the signal cable from the ground. If the sound appears at that moment and is louder than before, you should refocus your attention on the signal input line. 

A broken cable can also cause the issue. In this case, switching your existing audio cable with a brand new one can eliminate the buzzing sound.

Play around with the volume control.

While the speakers are connected to your device, turn the volume knob up and down to see where the buzzing sound is louder. 

If the sound disappears at a certain volume, it means that there’s an issue with the signal input line. 

Troubleshoot the transformer.

The problem can also be in the transformer so you need to check it. If there’s an issue with the transformer resulting in the buzzing sound, then you need to get a new one. 

Remember that the new transformer should have the same output voltage. 

2. Check the electrical ground loop. 

The second most common cause of the buzzing sound in speakers is the electrical ground loop. 

To fix this issue, you need to break the loop. Another thing you can do is to power the speakers and the device through a single AC socket. 

3. Check for frequency interference.

If you have multiple devices in your room, one of them could interfere with the speaker’s audio. Cellphones, microwaves, and speakers can intervene with each other’s frequencies, which causes the buzzing sound.

So if you have too many devices in the same room as your speaker, try turning them off one at a time to find out which device is the culprit. 

Make sure to also unplug them from the power source.

Once you’ve figured out which device is interfering with your speakers, remove it from the room. If you really must have it in the same room, then move it as far away from your speaker as possible.

M Audio 2-way speakers
M Audio 2-way speakers | Make Life Click

4. Update the audio driver.

If there’s no issue with the hardware and there are no devices interfering with your speaker, then the buzzing sound can be caused by an outdated audio driver.

In this case, all you have to do is update the driver. Just go to Control Panel on Windows or System Preferences on Mac. Then find the audio driver and you can update it from there to the latest version. 

By making sure that the audio drivers are up-to-date, you can stop speakers from buzzing. 

Conclusion 

I hope you find this article helpful especially if this is an issue that you’re encountering with your speakers. 

While it can be an annoying problem to have, the fix is usually simple and doesn’t require much technical know-how.

If you have any questions, feel free to comment below and I’ll be more than happy to answer them.

A passion for writing and ongoing research projects gives Catherine an incredibly broad knowledge of all things. She has authored an incredible number of articles and can be found in the wilderness when not attached to technology or listening to podcasts.


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