Somehow Picking Up Radio On My Computer Speakers...

[BenEndeem]

...But only when they're switched on and turned right down.

There's no radio playing on my iMac, but somehow, on mute volume I'm picking up BBC Asian Network. There aren't any radios in the house either. I've heard myths about this sort of thing, but they were about old radio equipment. Has this happened to you? Any reasons why?

 

[remmy]

I have had it on my very old creative soundworks speakers. Not a clue on how and why though?

 

[motulist]

Any amplifier with any unshielded wires attached to it will pick up radio signals to varying degrees. Just move all the wires around and you might be able to find a layout that won't pick up the radio signals as much.

 

[Kitsune12]

I had that problem... cheap speakers, though.

 

[sonictruth]

Oh man, I tried to solve that problem for years in my former home. We lived near the foot of a mountain where many regional radio towers were located. I could hear a particularly painful pop radio station through my computer speakers and guitar amp for years.

It is a shielding problem, for sure, and I could never solve it despite tin foil attempts on the speaker wires (which act as antennae). Sound cards can also be affected, and I doubt there is a simple way to shield an internal component. The only solution that eventually worked was buying my PowerBook G4 in 2003, and getting rid of the desktop existence once and for all. The amp was affected until we moved.

Good luck on this one. I read many articles and reviews at the time where people tried to address their problem (high-end speakers and cards), and no single solution would work for everybody... Wish I could help.