Why do Phones Make Your Speakers Buzz?
Chances are you have been annoyed by the static interference your speakers have (also known as “speaker buzz”) when a cell phone is nearby. I know that I get the speaker buzzing almost every morning from my baby monitors and it drives me nuts. So why do cell phones cause this to happen?
Really, it all comes down to what kind of phone and what kind of speakers you have. Essentially, the speakers that buzz the most have the least amount of shielding — that is, shielding from any type of radio frequencies. Many times manufacturers will bring down the cost of speakers by limiting the shielding they have. So unless you have rather expensive speakers, the ones you have are more susceptible to all sorts of interference.
It also depends on the kind of phone you have. In most cases the speaker buzz will be caused by a phone running on a GSM network, such as AT&T or T-Mobile in the US (and almost every carrier outside the US).
Whenever GSM phones are in use they will pulsate radio transmissions; ie. the radio turns on/off at a fast rate, causing them to pulse. This pulsing is what you are hearing when the speakers buzz. This typically happens when a call or text message is coming in, or in the car when your phone is transferring from one tower to another. But it can even happen when the phone is sitting still and not doing anything.
You’ll also notice that the volume of the speaker buzz changes, especially car speakers. This is because interference increases as your distance from the tower increases, causing the phone to transmit at a higher power just to be able to communicate with that tower. It can also be simply because your phone is so close to the speaker.
What can be done about the annoying buzzing? Unfortunately, not a whole lot. I’ve found a couple things that work — firstly, make sure your phone is not right next to the speaker. In my car, the interference dies as I move my phone farther away. If that doesn’t work, try pointing the phone away from the speaker. If the antenna is pointing a different direction that may help limit the amount of interference pointed in the direction of the speakers. Lastly, get a CDMA phone (one that works on Verizon or Sprint). While this is not the worldwide standard, they transmit in a completely different fashion that does not cause your speakers to buzz.
Visit this website to go even further in detail.
Check out this article about how using magnets will stop the buzz.
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It seems to me that my iPhone makes speakers buzz more than any of my previous phones. Probably because it’s sending out a signal more for email and such. (I really have no idea why.
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