HU-803 Speaker Buzz

[barrysharp]

My '03 XC70 has some 18,500 miles on it and is equipped with an HU-803. Of late I've noticed the speakers (in right rear passenger door and possibly the right rear one as well) have started making annoying buzzing sounds. It occurs with both the radio and CD modes. The CD mode seems to draw out the buzzing sound more so than the radio.

The buzzing can be intermittent and then at times it becomes a continuous buzz.

I strongly believe it's coming from right rear passenger door speaker -- but it could also be the right rear speaker as well. The surround sound kinda makes it difficult to say if it's one or both speakers -- but definitely is one or both.

The buzzing has just become apparent and seems to be getting worse over past two months. Prior to this the sound always sounded prestine.

I've mentioned this buzzing to my Service Dept during last visit but of course no buzzing could be heard by the technician. I therefore had to be content with them just logging the fact I had mentioned it.

I do believe I can reproduce this buzz with a specific CD and hopefully this will be my friend during my next Service visit. ;)

Anyone else have a similar buzz. :)

[ChicagoXC]

I had the same problem in my 2001XC.

I think I have the HU613 system which includes the low-end normal speakers. The buzz, I think, is just a blown speaker. Mine were blown.. so I replaced them with some Infinity 2-way (Midrange with mounted Tweeter) and they sound fantastic. Unfortunately, they are now drowning out the front door speakers (which I shall also replace).

Make note: the door panels came off quite easily.. but the speakers do NOT. The speakers come molded in a plastic housing which is riveted into the door. I had to grind off the rivets and basically destroy the old speaker plastic.

The new ones went right in. :o
Whole job took about 2 hours, cost was about $80 for the speakers.

[John@CdnRockies]

Barry, we also have an intermittent buzzing sound in our unit. In our case, it is heard at low volumes. Happens in all modes (AM, FM and CD) - but more pronounced in CD.

I have added it as a work item for our first service scheduled this Friday. Will post back here if Volvo comes up with a solution.

Incidentally, this sound is identical to that from an original equipment BOSE system in our 99 Maxima. I never did bother to get it fixed and it certainly has not disappeared in the intervening eyars.

[XCscott]

I recently posted a message about HU803 noise which has become un-bearable in my Volvo. It has been tracked to my GSM phone. Volvo currently has no solution for this. Pure sillyness to me. This same phone does not create the same illustrious buzzing in any of my North American vehicles. The LTZ is equipped with a Bose system with very similar setup/configuration as the 803 (multiple speakers, digital ready, seperate amp, Dolby etc), but it is also magnetically sheilded and grounded differently than the Volvo stuff. I thought grounding was common and you could only do it one way. I guess not.
Anyway, long and short, if you have a GSM cell phone, like Rogers or Fido in Canada, you better prepare for this type of noise. Personally if I had known this issue, I would have saved the upgrade money to buy the 803 and gone with an aftermarket solution for audio instead.
Scott

[barrysharp]

Went out for two 30 min drives to try and obtain a consistent means for making the radio system buzz in the speakers. Not one buzz was heard. :( I even had my GSM cell phone with me for the first 30 min drive about.

Without a consistent means for creating the speaker buzz I'm not going to have any luck with the Volvo Service Dept's advisor.

I guess I keep trying. :rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes: :mad: :mad: :mad:

[John@CdnRockies]

Mine is intermittent as well. The only solution would be to take along a personal recorder and record it when it happens. I never found a way to consistently reproduce it on the Maxima (tried for many months) so just gave up.

Unfortunately, in this case, we paid for the upgraded stereo so it rankles to have a recurrence.:rolleyes:

[barrysharp]

Mine is intermittent as well. The only solution would be to take along a personal recorder and record it when it happens.

This is a good suggestion - thanks. :)

[XCscott]

Barry,
I have isolated my interference to be 90% higher when I am actually using my phone on a call. It basically becomes un-bearable so I turn the radio off. I use a hands-free kit for the most part so my phone is holstered in a charger on my dash. The further I get away from the radio on a call, the lower the noise level, but I require the hands-free kit as the laws are changing.
Scott

[John@CdnRockies]

As expected, Volvo tech's could not reproduce the intermittent buzz on our 803 unit. The work order remarks are: "No fault found. Could not duplicate noise from the radio. Customer could be hearing the small fan in the CCM, which is the passenger temp sensor".

I'm quite sure it is not the temp sensor fan, so we will have to accept that it is only logged for now. Btw, the service advisor did say that no other cars had logged this issue.

[ocean 506]

I also have the same issue, while sitting in the back try lightly pulling out on the door panel. I was able to eliminate the sound that way. I still had the same problem with the dealership not being able to replicate the sound. The dealership applied accoustical backing in an attempt to fix the rattle. Needless to say, after awhile you kind of get used to it.

When it was apart, it appeared to be a structural flaw with the door panel itself, not the speaker. Maybe next time the panel comes off I will install thicker/denser foam to see if that has any longer lasting effect.

Good Luck
Jon

[akimm]

Please, please!! what Infinity 2-way you use? I just bougth Alpine speakers and in installation shop they said that for this car need only very thin (less than 2" speakers) I also was looking Infinity speakers, but not sure which one (what model) will fit? Do you have any pictures?
Please advise.



I had the same problem in my 2001XC.

I think I have the HU613 system which includes the low-end normal speakers. The buzz, I think, is just a blown speaker. Mine were blown.. so I replaced them with some Infinity 2-way (Midrange with mounted Tweeter) and they sound fantastic. Unfortunately, they are now drowning out the front door speakers (which I shall also replace).

Make note: the door panels came off quite easily.. but the speakers do NOT. The speakers come molded in a plastic housing which is riveted into the door. I had to grind off the rivets and basically destroy the old speaker plastic.

The new ones went right in. :o
Whole job took about 2 hours, cost was about $80 for the speakers.

[John@CdnRockies]

I am posting an update on this problem in case someone searches the thread in the future. The culprit in my case was a Blackberry GSM cell phone placed close to the HU-803 receiver. After moving it to the center cubby-hole, we have never had a recurrence in the intervening year.

John

[al_roethlisberger]

Yep, that is a common problem with GSM phones....

Whenever the poll the network, and are receiving/sending a call... if close to other electronics with speakers, one will often get a unique "eh eh, eh eh.." sounding buzz through the speaker for just a second or two.

I've found this to be true at work and my desk phone, car stereo(Honda), etc.

For some reason the frequency is just right to cause this odd interference.

And in the case of Honda's, the community has found that if one is unlucky enough to have your phone really close to the key/ignition when about to start the car, the phone may interfere with the security chip transmission, and the car won't start or may actually alarm. It's very infrequent, and you have to be unlucky enough to be on the phone(or have it poll the network) right at the perfect time, but it has happened. It's not big deal, as you just disarm the car, and try again... viola! But :rolleyes:


al

[barrysharp]

I am posting an update on this problem in case someone searches the thread in the future. The culprit in my case was a Blackberry GSM cell phone placed close to the HU-803 receiver. After moving it to the center cubby-hole, we have never had a recurrence in the intervening year.

John

Yes - I tracked the "buzz" down to my GSM operated Treo 650. The same buzz occurs with my computer speakers aswell. My computer is also set to wake on Bluetooth activity and when my Trea 650 is around in discoverable mode it will sometime wake my computer from sleep. This Bluetooth stuff is very useful but can be quite annoying at times.