Anyone else got Microlab SOLO 15 speakers?

ShiWarrior

ShiWarrior

ShiWarrior

Don
Joined
20 Oct 2002
Posts
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Location
Oxfordshire / Bucks
I got these for xmas

and they sound incredible for how small they are, volume really low and the sound comes through clearly, sound also comes through clear at the higher volumes too

But, 1 slight problem, my left speaker has crackling noise coming though, even if I have media source wires disconnected and even if the volume control is on the lowest level

anyone else had this problem ?

I am hoping I have a faulty speaker, but the sound seems fine coming through it
 
Is the speaker wires going to the left speaker connected properly, not make contact with each or anything? Try a different speaker wire maybe?

I have the Microlab 6C speakers and have not experienced anything like that.
 
I now re done the speaker cable

a little better, but now a faint "hum" noise out of the right speaker

disconnecting the other speaker makes no difference and the speaker still "hums"
 
I've unplugged everything, and plugged it back on mains only and im getting quite buzzing noise, tried different sockets and away from electrical outlets, no difference, do you think its faulty ?
 
Thanks APM

it is very quite, but noticeable (i.e. when volume is on lowest setting) but I've also noticed that if I connect the other speaker to it, if I increase volume very slightly I hear the music on the left speaker first, not the one that's plugged into the wall, and then as I increase volume a little bit more it levels out (it's just on very very low volumes ???)
 
ShiWarrior said:
Thanks APM

it is very quite, but noticeable (i.e. when volume is on lowest setting) but I've also noticed that if I connect the other speaker to it, if I increase volume very slightly I hear the music on the left speaker first, not the one that's plugged into the wall, and then as I increase volume a little bit more it levels out (it's just on very very low volumes ???)
Click to expand...

anyone ?

is this a fault ?
 
It can be fairly common to get an imbalance between the channels at low volumes, which evens out when the volume is increased.

The hum could be the amplifier inside the powered speaker. Is the sound coming directly through the driver/woofer as sound, or can be it be heard coming through the sides of the cabinet?

Crackling would be more a sign of a fault than the other two, but then that could be a dodgy connection as already described, causing it.
 
I think the hum is coming out of the main driver (the large one not the tweeter) and not hearing it at the sides (at least I don't think so)

cracking has gone completely now, so might have been signs of dust?
 
Dust; that could be possible if there was dirt in the volume potentiometer. That's unlikely though with new speakers; certainly more common with much older well used speakers. Poor connection somewhere is more likely with new speakers, I would say.

It is possible to hear a hum when no sound is playing as the amplifier has no audio to amplify. You shouldn't really be able to hear it above any audio that is playing though.

Can you hear the hum above any audio that is being played at low volume?

If you have no audio playing, does the hum increase as you turn the volume up?
 
Marsman said:
Can you hear the hum above any audio that is being played at low volume?


If you have no audio playing, does the hum increase as you turn the volume up?
Click to expand...

A) Only if the music coming through is almost zero, but soon as I increase volume a little, then hum disappears or it gets drowned out by the music
(this is still at extremely low volume)

B) The hum noise disappears and does not increase in volume
 
Could be just the hum that amplifiers can emit, so will only be heard through the powered speaker. To me that sounds fairly normal, if it can't be heard once the music is turned up a bit. If it was clearly audible once music is at a reasonably decent volume and were to get louder as the volume increases, then that would be more indicative of a problem.

With nothing playing, my previous stereo amplifier would produce a slight hum or hiss through the speakers when listening up close.

It is also possible that it could be a ground loop that's causing it. If you connect the speakers to a mobile device, do you hear the same kind of hum as you do when they are connected to the computer?
 
it happens if I connect a computer up, ipod or disconnect the media wires completely and it still does it

even tried moving them away from the computer/tv etc
 
So, you only hear the hum through the powered speaker?

If it were a ground loop issue, I'd expect that to be heard through both and should only be present anyway when connected to other mains connected equipment. If you do only hear the hum only through the mains powered speaker, then I'd say it's the amplifier you are hearing. Like I say, that's nothing to worry about really, if it's only at low volume.
 
Yeah, I only hear the "hum" from the powered speaker, nothing from the other speaker


Thanks for your help

sounds a little strange I must admit, I don't remember anything like this when I had a grands worth of separates system!!
 
Well, I'd expect any such noise to be more common with cheap amplifiers than a well made stereo amplifier costing maybe a few hundred, when you have cheap components compared to more expensive quality ones. I would say any such noise is permissible with cheap speakers as long as it's not audible above any sound playing. There has to be some kind of compromise somewhere if the speakers are really quite cheap and possibly produce sound quality normally found with speakers that cost that bit more. Ideally, one doesn't want compromises; but then, that's where considerably more expensive speakers come in.

If you're used to a higher quality set up, then you are likely to be more discerning than someone who has only ever used cheap speakers. That's an not a bad thing at all, but it does mean you're likely to pick up on things that some others may not even notice or pay much attention to.

Just found a comment from who posted a user review, and he/she mentioned a buzz sound from all the range of Solo speakers. Maybe this is common to amplifiers used in Microlab speakers, although titaniumx3 indicated he hasn't heard that with his Solo 6C; but then that was in reply about a crackling sound. Quite different to a hum at low volumes.

Friend of mine has Solo 9C; I'll ask him tonight if he can hear any hum sound from the powered speaker at low volume.
 
i got the solo 8c yesterday... amazing sound quality coming from my old edifiers which blew on me :(

i have no buzzing sound from mine! i ive tried all ranges of volume base treble etc!


running it thru a SB zxr
 
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