Experiencing static or buzzing in your home music system?
Whether you're using the renowned Audioengine A2+ or another high-end audio setup, understanding the root causes of these noises is essential for a pristine listening experience. This guide delves into common sources of disturbances and offers effective strategies to eradicate them.
Why Are My Speakers Buzzing?
1. Static, Buzzing, and Ground Loops
Unwanted sounds in your audio setup, like static, buzzing, or humming, can stem from various sources. These include your computer's 3.5mm line out, RF interference, or the noise floor inherent in electronic devices. Ground loops are a frequent issue in systems where the audio source and speakers are on different power sources, such as separate power strips.
Solution:
To address ground loops, ensure all components of your audio system are connected to the same power strip or power source. This helps maintain a common ground and prevents ground loops. Using a ground loop isolator can also be effective in eliminating this issue.
2. Static from the 3.5mm Line Out
Static from the 3.5mm line out of a computer is a common issue. This often occurs due to electromagnetic interference (EMI) from other devices or poor quality cables.
Solution:
To reduce static, use high-quality shielded cables. Keeping cables away from power supplies and other electronic devices can also minimize interference. Alternatively, consider using an external digital-to-analog converter (DAC) to bypass the computer’s internal sound card, which is often a source of static.
3. RF Interference
Electronic devices in your home, such as routers, mobile phones, and even microwaves, can cause radio frequency interference (RFI), leading to that annoying buzz.
Solution:
To mitigate RF interference, position your audio setup away from other electronic devices. Using ferrite beads on cables can help suppress high-frequency noise. Additionally, ensuring your audio cables are of high quality and shielded can further reduce susceptibility to RF interference.
4. The Noise Floor
Every electronic device, including your home music system, has a baseline noise level known as the noise floor. When the system is amplified, this noise floor can become noticeable.
Solution:
To minimize the impact of the noise floor, keep your audio system’s volume at a reasonable level and adjust the gain settings appropriately. Ensuring your equipment is well-maintained and free from dust can also help, as dust can affect the performance of electronic components.
How Do I Fix My Speakers?
Eliminating buzzing noises and static involves a combination of savvy technical solutions and simple setup adjustments:
Invest in Quality Cables: High-quality, shielded cables, especially for your 3.5mm line out, can significantly reduce electromagnetic interference.
Strategic Placement of Equipment: Keep your speakers away from potential sources of RF interference, such as a cellphone.
Unified Power Sources: Connecting your audio source and system to the same power strip can help resolve ground loop issues.
Regular Maintenance: Dust and debris can affect connections, leading to static. Keep your connectors and ports clean to maintain a clear signal path.
External DAC for Enhanced Audio: Consider using an external Digital-to-Analog Converter (DAC). Digital to Analog converters work by converting digital audio files back into analog sound, to be heard the way the artist intended. DAC’s such as the Audioengine D1 feature 32-bit audio processing technology and are particularly effective in reducing the noise floor compared to devices with built-in sound cards.
Conclusion
Static, buzzing, and grounding issues can disrupt your music enjoyment, but they don't have to be a permanent feature of your audio experience. With the right understanding and some adjustments, your home music system will deliver the high-quality sound you expect. Embrace the journey with Audioengine – where we combine state-of-the-art technology with user-friendly solutions to elevate your audio experience.
Why We Choose Bluetooth over WiFi
It’s no secret that most players in the “smart” speaker market are primarily using wi-fi to wirelessly send audio around the house.
So if Sonos, Bose, and other big name brands are using wi-fi through an internet router, why would Audioengine use Bluetooth for wireless audio in their home speakers?
Easy Setup
Audioengine wireless home speakers are ready to use within minutes out of the box.
Connecting power and the speakers to one another is easy enough, but getting your music playing wirelessly is actually even more straight-forward. Unlike most of the big brand smart speakers, you don’t need to download and install apps for setup, you don’t need to connect the speakers to your router, and there aren’t any passwords or other overly-complicated hoops to jump through. Audioengine makes it simple by keeping the wireless connection exclusively between your phone, tablet, or computer and the speakers. Simply go to your device’s list of available Bluetooth connections, select Audioengine, and play music directly from your favorite app! Spotify, Pandora, Tidal, iTunes, YouTube; any apps that stream audio from your device can be played through your Audioengine home speakers. And remember, our speakers don’t depend on the speed of your internet connection or wireless router so when your internet slows down or doesn’t cover all of your house, you can still stream from your phone or connect another device via one of Audioengine’s many audio ports, which brings me to the next point…
Flexible and versatile
Even before the implementation of our long-range wireless Bluetooth audio, Audioengine home speakers have been some of the most versatile on the market.
A selection of inputs allow you to not only stream wirelessly but to easily and quickly connect your turntable, TV, AVR, or any other piece of gear with an audio output. The point being, is that you are not bound to a single input source. Not many auxiliary options are offered among the rest of the smart speaker community, leaving the user completely reliant upon the wi-fi connection and other compatible devices they may already own. And what about when you’re using Alexa to search for music, but a particular song can’t be played due to copyright issues? This can happen with voice-controlled systems, but we all know a quick visit to YouTube can typically get around this barrier and play the music you want to hear. Now you can actually listen to any Beatles tune you want, whenever you want, but at the same time you can also connect to an external Alexa device for superior sound with Audioengine.
Range and quality
Bluetooth transmission range was not so great in the past, as many of you have experienced. And products using wi-fi still tout the superiority of its range over that of Bluetooth, but the truth is, those days are over.
Audioengine home speakers utilize cutting-edge tech that allows a solid transmission of up to 100 feet (and sometimes more) with no drop-outs and no blips. Again, this range is not reliant upon the ebb and flow of your wi-fi strength at any given point. But what about sound quality; isn’t Bluetooth kind of crappy? No way! Bluetooth audio has come a long way in the past few years as well, and the implementation of the aptX HD codec allows for near lossless audio transmission that rivals the sound of many wired music systems.
Elegant aesthetic and sound
Audioengine home speakers have always held sleek looks that equals their sound quality, and with the shift to high-quality wireless, these standards have been upheld.
We didn’t want to sacrifice our warm, rich, analog power amps and hand-built wooden cabinets by trying to cram all that goodness into a generic-looking plastic speaker enclosure with average-quality wireless. We want our speakers to be an integral part of the look and feel of your home and we also want you to have TWO speakers so your listening experience can be what it’s meant to be. Other systems allow you to purchase “add-on” speakers, but that means in order to have two speakers you have to, well… spend more money for “add-on” speakers. Audioengine home speakers come standard as a stereo pair that are tuned to perfection. To put it simply, Audioengine home speakers are some of the best-sounding speakers on the market today. “Smart” speakers tend to put more focus on the “smart” portion than on the “speakers” portion, often leaving the sound reproduction underwhelming. Would you rather watch the next season of GOT on a single wi-fi speaker or on a matched pair of award-winning audiophile-grade speakers with true stereo sound?
So, it’s safe to say Bluetooth and wi-fi each have their own advantages, just as anything else. But in the end, Bluetooth was the choice we made to be as user-friendly, versatile, and as hi-fi-sounding as possible.
0.7" (18 mm) thick MDF cabinets
0.75" (20 mm) silk dome tweeters with neodymium magnets
2.75" (70 mm) aramid fiber woofers with advanced voice coils
Dimensions (HWD)
Each speaker - 6" (15.2 cm) x 4" (10.2 cm) x 5.25" (13.3 cm)
Weight
Left (active) - 3.1 lb (1.4 kg)
Right (passive) - 2.4 lb (1.1 kg)
Total Shipping Weight
7.6 lb (3.5 kg)
Shipping Box Dimensions (LWH)
15" x (38.1 cm) 7.25" (18.4 cm) x 11" (27.9 cm)
Type
Powered Wi-Fi speaker system
Amplifier Type
Class D
Rated Power Output: 15W RMS per channel (measured in compliance with 16 C.F.R. § 432.3)
Peak Power Output: 30W per channel (AES)
Total Peak Power Output: 60W (AES)
Drivers
2.75” aramid fiber woofers
0.75“ Silk dome tweeters
Inputs
3.5 mm stereo mini-jack, Wi-Fi
Outputs
LFE Variable line-out for subwoofer
Input Voltages
100-240 V 50/60 Hz auto-switching
SNR
Greater than 95 dB (typical A-weighted)
THD+N
Less than 0.05% at all power settings
Crosstalk
Less than 50 dB
Frequency Response
65 Hz-22 kHz ±2.0 dB
Frequency Response w/ Bass Reduction Switch selected
N/A
Analog Input Impedance
N/A
Nominal Impedance
N/A
Input Impedance
10K ohms unbalanced
Crossover Frequency
N/A
Protection
Output current limiting, thermal over-temperature, power on/off transient protection
Power Consumption
Idle: 10W
Standby Consumption
N/A
Phase
N/A
Recommended Amplifier Power
N/A
Battery Life
N/A
Battery Charge Time
N/A
1. Turn Off and Unplug:
- Make sure your system is turned off and unplugged.
2. Dust the Surfaces:
- Use a soft, dry cloth to wipe away dust.
- For hard-to-reach places, use a soft brush or a can of compressed air.
3. Wipe Down the Exterior:
- We do not recommend using any solvents
- If cleaning off stains or build-up is necessary, we recommend doing so with a very small amount of mild cleaning solution applied only to the affected area, followed by quickly wiping the area dry completely.
- Any scoured pads or objects like a 'magic eraser' too easily run the risk of removing sealers and top coats of the painted finish that can leave a clearly visible change in the uniformity of the paint/finish
4. Clean the Speaker Grills:
- The speaker grills can be gently cleaned with a vacuum, preferably using a soft bush attachment.
- A lint roller can also be used.
5. Clean Buttons and Knobs:
- A dry cloth is recommend for cleaning any knobs, buttons or other surfaces
- Be careful not to let water get into any gaps.
6. Clean Ports and Connections:
- Use compressed air to blow out dust from ports and connections.
7. Let Everything Dry:
- Make sure everything is completely dry before plugging back in and turning on.
8. Regular Cleaning:
- Dust your system regularly to keep it in good shape.
By following these steps, you can keep your Audioengine system clean and working well.
Audioengine operates two websites, audioengine.com and audioengineeu.com. If you go to any other site but these, they are not an Audioengine site. For Canada, Mexico and most of Europe and the UK, we only sell through Amazon. There are also a host of authorized retailers and sites across the US, and they can be found here. For international sales, we have distributors that operate independently, and they can be found here.
What happens if I buy from an authorized site claiming to be Audioengine? Unfortunately, there is not much we can do. We are taking all the action we can to make sure those sites don't get indexed, but we recommend you work with the provider of the card you used to make payment to get your money back.
Step-by-Step Guide
- Open Terminal:
- You can find Terminal in your Applications folder under Utilities, or you can use Spotlight by pressing Cmd + Space and typing "Terminal".
- Execute the Command:
- In the Terminal window, type the following command and press Enter:
bash
Copy code
sudo pkill bluetoothd
- Enter Your Password:
- After pressing Enter, you will be prompted to enter your password. Type your Mac's administrator password and press Enter.
- Note that when you type your password, it won't be displayed on the screen (not even as asterisks). Just type it and press Enter.
By following these steps, you should be able to reset your Bluetooth service on your Mac, which can help resolve connectivity issues with your Audioengine devices or any other Bluetooth peripherals.
Each Speaker is 4"H x 6"W x 5.25"D
We take great pride in our products, and go through great lengths to ensure consistency and quality. For that reason, this item was randomly selected for an additional step of Quality Assurance.
No, the A1-MR speakers and the B-Fi Multiroom streamer are not compatible with Chromecast. Android users can still use the Audioengine Control App to access and control the audio streaming to either of these devices.
Absolutely! Our speakers are safe to place sideways and, from our experience, sound great. When doing so, we recommend that you position each so the tweeters are facing outward.