Question: I enjoy listening to my music relatively loudly while driving, but I’ve recently noticed buzzing sounds coming from my speakers. Do the speakers in my car need to be replaced? How could I fix the buzzing?
Answer: If you like listening to music loudly, unfortunately, the buzzing noises will also be louder. Fixing the source of the buzz requires a bit of work to find the cause of your problem.
Here are some possible causes of speaker buzzing:
- Damaged speakers
- Cables with damage or loose connections
- Radiated noise from other equipment, such as the antenna, alternator or cellphones
- Ground loops that emit electromagnetic noise
How to eliminate buzzing from car speakers
Some fixes are difficult because they require you to install components to reduce or eliminate the buzzing. However, there are many things you can do in your garage. Here are some.
Is it the speakers?
Your speakers might be “blown.” Most factory speaker setups are well-matched, and playing music at loud volumes is unlikely to cause any damage. However, if you have modified your audio setup, poorly matched equipment can damage the speakers and create buzzing. Therefore, if you have blown speakers, you can choose to repair or replace your speakers.
Is it the cables?
Check all connections between the speakers and the stereo or audio source. Loose, damaged or corroded audio cables can cause buzzing noises. If the problem lies in faulty cables, replacing them should make the buzz go away.
Is it the antenna?
Do you get buzzing only when listening to the radio? Change to other audio modes such as USB, aux or CD. If the noise disappears, your antenna could be the problem. Try removing your antenna. For most exposed antennas, all you have to do is to unscrew it, and if the noise goes away, you’ve found the source of your problem. The fix is a bit more challenging as you’ll have to install an antenna noise filter between your antenna and receiver.
Is it radiated noise?
Some components in your car will create radiated noise that your receiver will pick up. Your car stereo might make a buzzing sound when you accelerate or turn on the wipers or the fan in your car.
If you notice the noise going away once you turn off a component, then that component is likely the cause. For components with motors, you can install a noise filter on its power lead to minimize radiated noise.
If that doesn’t help, you can go further by moving the receiver away from its mounted position in the dashboard to test distance between the interference and the receiver. If that helps, try to move around the wires connected to your receiver. Creating distance between the source of radiated noise and the wires will help reduce buzzing.
Finally, if you notice a correlation between the noise and engine speed, you could have a case of “alternator whine.” The noise varies with engine speed, and you can test this by revving your engine and listening for sound changes. The fix for this is to install a noise filter on your alternator or your receiver’s power lead, and ensure your alternator is grounded properly.
Is it a ground loop?
One example of a ground loop involves playing music via the aux cord while charging the device using a USB cable. The easiest fix for this is to avoid charging when playing music, but if you have to do both at once, consider buying a ground loop isolator, which plugs in-line between the aux cable and your device.
Xuyun Zeng is a content strategist with a wide-ranging content background including tech, journalism, cars and health care. After graduating with highest honors in journalism, Xuyun led a newspaper to win eight awards, helped start an award-winning film industry podcast and has written over a hundred articles about cars repair, state laws and insurance. Prior to joining Jerry, Xuyun worked as a freelance SEO consultant with a mission to create the best content that will help readers and grow organic traffic.
Phil Metzger is a personal finance editor and writer with more than 30 years of experience editing and writing content across a variety of industries. In writing and editing for Jerry, Phil’s mission is to help car owners better understand their vehicles and the costs associated with car ownership. Before joining Jerry, Phil worked as a writer and editor for newspapers, magazines, television radio and online news. His work has appeared in many major publications and websites over the years, including a series he edited that was a finalist for a Pulitzer Prize.
