John Sayers' Recording Studio Design Forum Archive

I've got a pair of M-Audio BX5s that I purchased before considering the problem of shielding -

I've learned a good lesson, but I'm in a position of making them work somehow.

In reading the Killatone thread Barefoot mentions taking steel flashing and wrapping it around the magnet of the speaker - Can I do something similar with these BX5's? I'm imagining wrapping them with the flashing around the sides and top, leaving the back and front untouched - the back because that's where the connections and the controls are, the front because that's where the sound comes out!

Any thoughts/suggestions?

Thanks!

(as placed, they're in line with my LCD, spaced about 4 inches away on either side and angled in to my chair - if that makes a difference)

Shirke, why do you need to shied these? They already come magnetically shielded. ?

:: checks online specs ::

Why, so they are! For some reason, when I last poked around on this issue, I came under the impression that the BX8's were shielded, but the BX5's are not. Apparently I'm wrong.

Be that as it may, I have this really wicked hum coming off those speakers, a hum that changes volume based on what's on the monitor (more white, the louder it is).

So at the risk of sounding like a total idiot - would balanced cables help? The cabling I'm currently using is a stop-gap stereo 3.5mm -> 2 x TS Y-splitter; I already have plans to actually use the XLRs or TRS inputs, though.

Maybe call M-Audio Tech support... I have had real good luck talking with them on a few issues.

Normally you shield speakers because the monitor
is acting wierd.

You got it the other way round. Sounds like the amp
in the speakers are picking up some disturbance from
your monitor.

Balanced might do the trick, but else

1 - Your speaker amps got an error
2 - Your speakers amps are porly constructed
3 - Your monitor is putting out a lot of signal - porly constructed

As it turns out, running balanced cables did do the trick;

Lesson learned, and thanks for the input from everyone. . .