Ghost in the machine

PurSpyk!! · Jan 6, 2024

Was bored today, so been tinkering with my old pc to try and figure out what went wrong with it. I also plugged in some old speakers I had lying around. Speakers I must have purchased over 20 years ago.

Then the odd things started happening, with the speaker pugged in I started to hear music, I then unplugged the speakers and the music continued. If I hold the speaker connector, or attach any metal object to it, the sound is louder. I cannot increase the volume on the speaker. Wit the computer off the music still plays.

This is a generic speaker set where the one speaker has an on button, and plugs into the mains.

This speaker has no wireless or Bluetooth capability, how is it able to play music, which seems to be from Spotify.

Ghot · Jan 6, 2024

PurSpyk!! said:
how is it able to play music

Improperly shielded speakers can pick up things from nearby.
An AM radio station, maybe.
Some other unshielded source nearby.

glasskuter · Jan 6, 2024

As long as it's not making howling noises, not saying "BOO", and not playing rap or heavy metal, it's friendly. Grab your favorite beverage, sit back, relax, and enjoy the music.....If it's rap or heavy metal, that ghost ain't friendly so take a sledge hammer to that speaker.

PurSpyk!! · Jan 7, 2024

glasskuter said:
As long as it's not making howling noises, not saying "BOO", and not playing rap or heavy metal, it's friendly. Grab your favorite beverage, sit back, relax, and enjoy the music.....If it's rap or heavy metal, that ghost ain't friendly so take a sledge hammer to that speaker.

Well I like my heavy metal, but rap is a problem.

It must be poorly shielded speakers, still a bit of fun this Sunday afternoon

Ghot · Jan 7, 2024

PurSpyk!! said:
Well I like my heavy metal, but rap is a problem.

It must be poorly shielded speakers, still a bit of fun this Sunday afternoon

It might just be poorly shielded speaker wires.
It could be the kid next door, sitting in his car with the radio going.

The US has pretty vicious laws about transmitters.
Wattage limits, where you can locate them, permits, licenses, etc.
Like I couldn't... just decide to build a radio station in my basement.

I dunno what kind of laws NZ has, with regard to transmitters.

You could always just build a Faraday Cage around your computer.

PurSpyk!! · Jan 7, 2024

Ghot said:
It might just be poorly shielded speaker wires.
It could be the kid next door, sitting in his car with the radio going.

The US has pretty vicious laws about transmitters.
Wattage limits, where you can locate them, permits, licenses, etc.
Like I couldn't... just decide to build a radio station in my basement.
I dunno what kind of laws NZ has, with regard to transmitters.

You could always just build a Faraday Cage around your computer.

View attachment 83382

No idea about the laws, only moved to NZ recently. Just never expected my speakers to act like a receiver. Odd thing is we are relatively far from any neighbours, so not too sure where the signal is coming from

Ghot · Jan 7, 2024

RF travels a good distance. Especially AM radio.

PurSpyk!! · Jan 7, 2024

Ghot said:
RF travels a good distance. Especially AM radio.

I checked the local stations, it seems to be FM

Kees · Jan 7, 2024

As FM needs a special circuit to be converted to audio, I can hardly imagine that the staions you are receiving are FM. But that does not really matter because this:

PurSpyk!! said:
If I hold the speaker connector, or attach any metal object to it, the sound is louder.

is already a sign that it is radiofrequency (probably AM) from a nearby transmitter, possible an (illegal) amateur station.

You could try to solder 2 small keramic capacitors parallel to the input of the speakers, value like 1000pF. Often that helps enough to stop the RF signal, while it does not disturb the audio. But it all depends on the input impedance of the amplifier in the speakerbox, which usually is 50 kOhm - 500 kOhm. So some experiments on the value of the capacitor would be worthwhile, if they are available at your place. You can find such components as well on old printed circuit boards (of old radios, computers etc.)...

If it is from Spotify, it would have to do something with Wifi or Bluetooth signals, but as they are coded completely different from AM (or any signal that can be transformed to audio easily), I can hardly imagine that's the case.

TechnoMage2021 · Jan 7, 2024

Something, somewhere is putting out EMR (electromagnetic radiation) and your speakers are picking that up and turning it back to audio sound. It's what speakers do!

I once got a phone call from a neighbor, a half block away, and he asked me if I were using my CB radio. He said he was picking me up on his TV, which was UN-Plugged! Gee, I was only putting out about 500 watts, with 100% modulation! The output audio circuit in his TV was picking up the free modulation from my radio and converting that to audio.

Also when I'd key my radio, at full power, the florescent lights in my neighbor's kitchen would flash. Fortunately, they thought it was funny.

Unfortunately, we live in a world full of stray Radiation, audio, RF, Microwave, Cell Phone, etc. It's just something we have to live with, even if it's really not Healthy.

Happy 2024!
TM

Winuser · Jan 7, 2024

TechnoMage2021 said:
I was only putting out about 500 watts, with 100% modulation

Trying to communicate with people on Mars?

TechnoMage2021 · Jan 8, 2024

Actually, I think it was South America. Columbia, to be more exact.

But, I was just an average CB user, circa 1970. I had friends cranking out way over 1000 watts. I know that, because I tuned up their rigs.
I forgot to mention, I was in the CB radio business. Ah, the good ol' days!

TM

MustaBear · Jan 16, 2024

PurSpyk!! said:
Was bored today, so been tinkering with my old pc to try and figure out what went wrong with it. I also plugged in some old speakers I had lying around. Speakers I must have purchased over 20 years ago.

Then the odd things started happening, with the speaker pugged in I started to hear music, I then unplugged the speakers and the music continued. If I hold the speaker connector, or attach any metal object to it, the sound is louder. I cannot increase the volume on the speaker. Wit the computer off the music still plays.

This is a generic speaker set where the one speaker has an on button, and plugs into the mains.

This speaker has no wireless or Bluetooth capability, how is it able to play music, which seems to be from Spotify.

Sounds like one of my nightmares xD