Speaker feedback noise

I have a monster cable running from the headphone port on a macbook to the L and R ports on the back of a stereo. The speakers are wired up correctly to the stereo but I can hear quite a loud feedback noise even before I play any music.

Anyone know what it could be? The monster cable is quite old and the wires are showing at the end because they are so damn hard to get out once plugged in. Are there any good alternatives to the monster cable? Perhaps I should just use Airport express or something, then I wouldnt need the cable, but its quite expensive?

Thanks in advance.

buy a new cable, monster cables are a rip off.

sounds like an impedance issue. you'll probably have to break up the current somewhere in the chain with a mixer or something. the airport express would probably work as well, but you'd still be using the same y-cable RCA connection.

  On 2/11/2010 at 5:05 PM, 123 said:

I have a monster cable running from the headphone port on a macbook to the L and R ports on the back of a stereo. The speakers are wired up correctly to the stereo but I can hear quite a loud feedback noise even before I play any music.

 

Anyone know what it could be? The monster cable is quite old and the wires are showing at the end because they are so damn hard to get out once plugged in. Are there any good alternatives to the monster cable? Perhaps I should just use Airport express or something, then I wouldnt need the cable, but its quite expensive?

 

Thanks in advance.

Is the Macbook powered by the same outlet/branch as the receiver? You could be getting a ground-loop. This happens when I plug my laptop into the wall in my room and then connect it to the line-in on my desktop.

are you sure you have the original apple macbook, maybe you have one of those chinese knockoffs.

all you need:

3 to 2 prong changer

takes away the ground prong and the sound.

costs 45 cents at a hware store

that sounds far too easy and inexpensive. i think he should buy loads of equipment instead

  On 2/11/2010 at 8:24 PM, uptowndevil said:

that sounds far too easy and inexpensive. i think he should buy loads of equipment instead

actually yeah get a tube amp instead

and a ferrari

If you're getting feedback, it's probably from the macbook's built in microphone. Go into "system preferences > audio > input" and turn the microphone down to zero.

  On 2/11/2010 at 8:13 PM, kokoon said:

are you sure you have the original apple macbook, maybe you have one of those chinese knockoffs.

lol

Thanks very much people, thanks for the education. I will try some of these things out and keep you posted.

Aren't the Chinese knockoffs the same anyway, I mean they all come from the same factory right?

i have had buzzy noises from draping cables over extension sockets by accident.

just a thought... you should prolly use the 'line out' rather than the headphones.

describe feedback noise.

also, what tf are left and right ports on an amp?

... are they line level, or pre-staged.?

also, see chaos's post about internal mics... feedback is caused by a mic feeding the speakers and picking up the speakers' output and feeding the speakers and picking up the speakers' output and feeding the speakers and picking up the speakers' output and feeding the speakers and picking up the speakers' output and feeding the speakers and picking up the speakers' output and feeding the speakers and picking up the speakers' output and feeding the speakers and picking up the speakers' output and feeding the speakers and picking up the speakers' output and feeding the speakers and picking up the speakers' output and feeding the speakers and picking up the speakers' output and feeding the speakers and picking up the speakers' output and feeding the speakers and picking up the speakers' output and feeding the speakers and picking up the speakers' output and feeding the speakers and picking up the speakers' output and feeding the speakers and picking up the speakers' output and feeding the 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My terminology seems to be confusing. The L and R on the stereo are aux input jacks or whatever you call them, the monster goes from these two to the one headphone port on the macbook, i think this is the only port that it will fit in on the macbook.

i have noticed there is also a single jack port, like the aux ones, on the back of the stereo which says 'ground' on it. whats that for?

and its probably not best described as feedback, sorry, realised this when i turned the mic off and nothing happened, its more like a constant noise, its not very loud but its definately noticable.

thanks again!

what kind of amp/stereo is it? could you get a diagram of the back?

do you get the hum with the lappy on battery power rather than mains? (while connetcted to the stereo)

Its a Hitachi mini seperates: http://www.reviewcentre.com/review320814.html

Hum is there even when not plugged into mains.

ssounds like your cable is shorting.

you can get a cheap stereo mini jack> stereo 1/4" jacks form like maplin or something. it'd suit you fine.

  On 2/12/2010 at 4:29 PM, Space Coyote said:

Theres so many things to say about that, I wouldn't know where to begin. Thanks for the help!

Lift the ground... In my studio everything is grounded, but the mixer is plugged in, lifted, on another circuit. No buzz, no humm, no noise.

  On 2/11/2010 at 8:54 PM, chaosmachine said:

If you're getting feedback, it's probably from the macbook's built in microphone. Go into "system preferences > audio > input" and turn the microphone down to zero.

Was gonna suggest exactly the same thing ....