Magnetically Shielded Speakers

The place for all discussion on gaming hardware
Post Reply
User avatar
bobrocks95
Posts: 3460
Joined: Mon Apr 30, 2012 2:27 am
Location: Kentucky

Magnetically Shielded Speakers

Post by bobrocks95 »

I need a small pair of stereo bookshelf speakers for my little PC CRT setup and I'm out of working old sets. Are there any still being made today that are magnetically shielded?

I wouldn't be surprised if the solution is going to Goodwill but our local ones have very little computer stuff these days. They've even gotten rid of the tubs full of keyboards you used to always see.

If anyone is curious about home theater speakers most of those don't seem to be shielded anymore either.
PS1 Disc-Based Game ID BIOS patch for MemCard Pro and SD2PSX automatic VMC switching.
Dochartaigh
Posts: 1519
Joined: Thu Mar 02, 2017 6:53 pm

Re: Magnetically Shielded Speakers

Post by Dochartaigh »

Here's what I found searching for higher quality powered speakers (i.e. if you actually care about the sound quality). Lots of captions throughout the album:

https://imgur.com/gallery/UHnU4j0

Image
User avatar
bobrocks95
Posts: 3460
Joined: Mon Apr 30, 2012 2:27 am
Location: Kentucky

Re: Magnetically Shielded Speakers

Post by bobrocks95 »

Thanks for the reply, I welcome anything that has actual CRT usage shown. Surprising that supposedly shielded options still caused problems, though I guess if you want to be sure you really have to open them up. These are fairly large speakers though and the all-metal enclosure of a PVM/BVM probably isn't helping with magnetic interference.

A good looking number of options for a larger/more permanent setup, I like that they're self-powered and don't require an amp as well, that's all most will need with a retro setup (though surround is very nice once you get to PS2/Gamecube-era).

For me though I'm super limited on space and have to look more towards the PC speaker market. These are literally being crammed in a corner next to a PC CRT so they need to be small enough to fit and not cause interference jammed right up next to the monitor. I'll have to reorganize my MSX games as it is since they're in the way lol.

What I'm planning to get as of right now is a pair of Creative GigaWorks T20 Series II speakers. Lots of good coverage on them as far as ultra-slim speakers go, and they have actual tweeters and crossover circuitry. Video teardowns and product pages confirm they're shielded, and they're also relatively modern and still available for now.
PS1 Disc-Based Game ID BIOS patch for MemCard Pro and SD2PSX automatic VMC switching.
User avatar
kitty666cats
Posts: 1270
Joined: Tue Nov 05, 2019 2:03 am
Location: Massachusetts, USA

Re: Magnetically Shielded Speakers

Post by kitty666cats »

I feel like your intuition about older '90s computer speakers is spot-on, I had some old Altec Lansing speakers + subwoofer that I donated to a local thrift store last year & am now largely regretting it (they had some slightly messed-up connectors, but all speakers I have tried using in my recent compact little setup w/ retro consoles on a Apple IIgs monitor have been kinda finicky and prone to noise. It's not too awful, but still annoying!
Dochartaigh
Posts: 1519
Joined: Thu Mar 02, 2017 6:53 pm

Re: Magnetically Shielded Speakers

Post by Dochartaigh »

bobrocks95 wrote:These are fairly large speakers though and the all-metal enclosure of a PVM/BVM probably isn't helping with magnetic interference.
If you open up your plastic-cased PC monitor I nearly guarantee you'll find a HUGE metal enclosure all around – kinda similar to what PVM/BVM's have, just externally - so that shouldn't factor much into this.

Also wanted to note that the speakers I tested are actually like one-rung up from the absolute smallest speakers you can buy (like the Kanto YU2's or Audio Engine A2's would be the smallest self-powered not-junk speakers in common use). The Vanatoo's I picked out are 4.75" wide - the Gigaworks T40's are 3.46" so pretty darn close...

Also, and I couldn't find this info on Creative's product page, OR their Amazon listing description either... but Creative Labs themselves DID answer questions about shielding on Amazon Q&A, twice, and said: "No, these speakers are not magnetically shielded" and "The Gigaworks T20 Series II speakers are not magnetically shielded. However, Creative speaker products have passed the RF EMI & EMC mandatory tests"... So I know others have recommended them with CRT use... but maybe it's worth a call to them to confirm.

...also since you might /probably have to put some space between them and your CRT's, you kinda then have the option to get something a just a tad bigger and better sounding (hint, hint, Vanatoo... lol).



kitty666cats wrote:I feel like your intuition about older '90s computer speakers is spot-on, I had some old Altec Lansing speakers + subwoofer that I donated to a local thrift store last year & am now largely regretting it (they had some slightly messed-up connectors, but all speakers I have tried using in my recent compact little setup w/ retro consoles on a Apple IIgs monitor have been kinda finicky and prone to noise. It's not too awful, but still annoying!
I've gone through a retro computer phase recently and been through a TON of old beige computer speakers... to pair with my DOS and Win98 gaming PC's and Roland MT-32 and SC-55MKII MIDI stuff... Altec Lansings, Boston Acoustics, Cambridge Audio, the coveted Roland MA-8 and MA-12C models, Sony APM's series (both the square and circular style) -- lots of duds on those latter two as well, even those newer Bose Companion II's? people like, etc. etc. etc.

You know what all had in common? Sounding like absolute garbage. I mean, you remember that high pitched tinny sound from back in the day? Yeah, that wasn't the 15khz wine from your CRT monitor... that was the speakers sounding like crap lol (compared to way more modern designs). The least offensive are the quasi-newer ones with the satellites + woofer - had those myself back in the day (boston acoustics I believe) but that was nearing 2000 or a little after for those. I will say that ALL this type are perfectly fine touching my CRT's though, so there's at least that.

Honestly though, if you just want to hear the normal beep and bops from older games, get whatever old or for cheap. But I'm also figuring that this meant enough to you to create this topic at least, so you might want to get something that actually sounds good too... so just food for thought (and I'm quasi-joking about the Vanatoo's, I know they're expensive... but also have fallen in love with them after trying SO many others with lackluster sound so they're what I suggest to everybody now - here's how close they are in my current setup - 4.5" away).
User avatar
bobrocks95
Posts: 3460
Joined: Mon Apr 30, 2012 2:27 am
Location: Kentucky

Re: Magnetically Shielded Speakers

Post by bobrocks95 »

The problem with the Amazon Q&A section is that they have 5 different pairs of speakers listed on the same page. The newer ones are unlikely to be shielded, but unless there are multiple answers to a question you can't see which product in particular, though of course that one specifically mentioning the T20 is a red flag. However, looking at a teardown video on youtube they look shielded to me, unless that cylindrical can over the driver isn't actually shielding like I thought it was- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6cF6Qyc ... =Techscrew (sorry for loud typical youtube music).

Regardless, I actually got a pair of T20's in today and got to try them and there's interference. I don't know if it's bad enough to say they're unshielded, but I can't imagine anyone would declare them safe for CRT usage so I have no clue what the person in that old shmups thread was thinking. Maybe they started removing the shielding to cut costs, who knows. Weirdly, and I didn't know this, they seem to cause interference even when off and held near a CRT, I don't know if they hold a magnetic field for a bit after being turned off or if speakers are inherently magnetized.

Unfortunate since I think they sounded quite good to me, and they're 3.25" wide and I really can't go too much wider unless the speaker can be shoved right up against the monitor. Again, this is a very makeshift setup right now and I don't really have anywhere else to shove a PC CRT. They were also $40 shipped which is a lot closer to what I was hoping to spend versus buying nicer actual monitors.

EDIT: I popped my left speaker open for science (which really sucks to do unless you have a very soft prying tool or don't care about tearing the hell out of the speaker's plastic) and it looks QUITE different from that teardown video. I think this thing is completely unshielded.
https://imgur.com/0Ttn2ig
https://imgur.com/vv2Cs1d

Guess at some point they stopped bothering with the shielding and I got unlucky. That really sucks, wonder if I can add the shielding myself or anything. Doesn't look like anyone sells proper bucking magnets anymore though.
PS1 Disc-Based Game ID BIOS patch for MemCard Pro and SD2PSX automatic VMC switching.
User avatar
matt
Posts: 567
Joined: Mon May 09, 2005 5:46 am
Location: Honolulu, Hawaii

Re: Magnetically Shielded Speakers

Post by matt »

bobrocks95 wrote: Weirdly, and I didn't know this, they seem to cause interference even when off and held near a CRT, I don't know if they hold a magnetic field for a bit after being turned off or if speakers are inherently magnetized.
All speakers have a fixed magnet that will cause interference whether or not it's in use. That's what the shielding is designed to block.
RGB0b
Posts: 543
Joined: Wed Dec 05, 2012 1:52 pm

Re: Magnetically Shielded Speakers

Post by RGB0b »

Finding shielded speakers has been a challenge. I just ordered these, but they have not arrived yet: http://www.ascendacoustics.com/pages/pr ... bm170.html

If they're any good, expect some kind of review (probably written).
User avatar
bobrocks95
Posts: 3460
Joined: Mon Apr 30, 2012 2:27 am
Location: Kentucky

Re: Magnetically Shielded Speakers

Post by bobrocks95 »

retrorgb wrote:Finding shielded speakers has been a challenge. I just ordered these, but they have not arrived yet: http://www.ascendacoustics.com/pages/pr ... bm170.html

If they're any good, expect some kind of review (probably written).
Hopefully they didn't decide to drop the shielding after 20 years!

I'm also curious how people feel about using monitors for games. They're designed to give a very "flat", neutral output that you may or may not be used to. I could see some people being dissatisfied for sure.
PS1 Disc-Based Game ID BIOS patch for MemCard Pro and SD2PSX automatic VMC switching.
Post Reply