Forums > Help! > Argh! - feedback on laptop speakers

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pricklyleafSILVER Member
with added berries
1,365 posts
Location: Manchester, England (UK)


Posted:
I don't know if anyone will be able to help, but its always worth a try.

My 5 month old acer laptop broke about a month ago, and they refused to replace it, instead they just gave me a new motherboard and harddrive - which probably cost more in labour and parts etc than just replaceing it anyway.

I got it back, and it worked fine apart from the fact the speakers were making white noise, that gets louder and quieter randomly.

I called them up and complained, went through changing all the volumes (which I had already tried anyway), and did a system restore to reset it to factory settings, but nothing made any difference. Even with the speakers on mute it still does it.

Sent it back, they basically said that it wasn't making this noise, which shows they obviously didn't look at it properly. I rang them up to complain and say it was definately making noise, they said they'd have another look, but a day or two later, my laptop turns up on my doorstep, still making the noise.

So does anyone have any suggestions either on fixing it, or kicking acer's arses?

I rang them again, they said they'll take it in again, but it's going to have to wait as I'm a final year students with only 2 months left, and I really need my laptop at the moment.

But the noise is irritating. Do you know the army uses white noise as a method of torture! Sorry this is a bit of a rant.

Live like there is no tomorrow,
dance like nobody is watching
and hula hoop like wiggling will save the world.

“What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.”

Ralph Waldo Emerson


onewheeldaveGOLD Member
Carpal \'Tunnel
3,252 posts
Location: sheffield, United Kingdom


Posted:
In your volume controls (usually in START>programs>accessories>entertainment) have you tried putting a check in the the 'mic volume balance' mute box?

If the mikes not muted it can definitly cause feedback.

If that doesn't work, try checking all the mute boxes and see if the feedback goes.

Have you tried a different pair of speakers? (I guess on a laptop they're probably built in?)

Lastly, does the noise happen when the laptop is out of your house? (maybe there's an electrical source causing it, which would explain why the repairers are denying the existence of the noise).

"You can't outrun Death forever.
But you can make the Bastard work for it."

--MAJOR KORGO KORGAR,
"Last of The Lancers"
AFC 32


Educate your self in the Hazards of Fire Breathing STAY SAFE!


marcoenthusiast
328 posts
Location: uk


Posted:

Assuming it's not a settings /software problem I have seen this kind of fault more than a few times, particularly with faster spec machines, especially laptops, not only white noise but interference if multiple tones, usually it has been related to poor screening and or motherboard faults,

mark

UCOFSILVER Member
15,417 posts
Location: South Wales


Posted:
Does the problem still happen when you plug external speakers/ headphones into the laptop?
umm

pricklyleafSILVER Member
with added berries
1,365 posts
Location: Manchester, England (UK)


Posted:
OWD - yep, tried muting the mic and everything, doesn't make any difference, even when the speakers are muted. And yes it's the built in speakers.



I tried it away from my flat the first time I got it back and it was doing it then. The problem is most of the time it's pretty quiet and I only notice it because I'm in a quiet room, but when it gets louder, its really quite loud, especially when I'm trying to watch a DVD.



I asked on the phone and they said the factory they test it in is a loud enviroment, so I guess they probably wouldn't hear it much if it was going through a quiet stage. I don't think its anything in my flat as it never did it before they fixed it.



UCOF - If I plug speakers in then I can hear it through the external ones then, which means I can shut it up by plugging them in and turning them off, but this isn't any use if I want to watch a DVD. I don't have a TV so I rely on my laptop to watch things on.



Marco - do you know if there is anything I can do about it, or anything I can tell them if I ever manage to send it back again? If this is the case it definately sounds like its a hardware problem then.



Thanks so much for the help so far guys.



Live like there is no tomorrow,
dance like nobody is watching
and hula hoop like wiggling will save the world.

“What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.”

Ralph Waldo Emerson


marcoenthusiast
328 posts
Location: uk


Posted:

Well other than sending the machine back, since it will probably entail a mother board replacement, you can try and make it clear to the reseller that the problem is related to radio frequency interference from within the unit itself. Just a thought, if you have built in wireless connectivity eg Intel Centrino and your not using it try shutting it down.

If you have 'poor' quality cables usb and or otherwise, and some peripherals external mice etc, these can sometimes provide a route back into the machine.

mark

pricklyleafSILVER Member
with added berries
1,365 posts
Location: Manchester, England (UK)


Posted:
It's pretty crap, seen as they replaced my motherboard for what was supossed to be a new one. Although I hear they salvage parts from other machines etc. Its very fustrating, although its been quite quiet today. Thanks for the help and info though, nice to know at least what they should be doing.

Live like there is no tomorrow,
dance like nobody is watching
and hula hoop like wiggling will save the world.

“What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.”

Ralph Waldo Emerson



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