Worst problem ever..(no joke)

Question

Hello, first off, I request that I recieve serious replies only. I am NOT computer-illiterate.
I have no warranty for these speakers, and since they are already non-operational, I guess I can try whatever to get them to work.
The problem:
I've had these speakers for about a year now. I bought them off eBay new. Box was NOT opened. They have worked perfectly up until now. Starting a few weeks ago, my sound would just randomly stop and not work. The control pod would show that they were on, but during the middle of a song or so, the speakers would just be "muted". All sound stopped working. Now, the problem is far worse. I'm afraid I'm screwed on this one. When I have the speakers on, whether playing music or sound of any kind or not, the sub will make a REALLY loud pounding sound, and the speakers will shut off. The control pod lights will ALL turn off (including the red standby light) and I will not be able to turn it back on. A minute or so after that, the speakers will turn back on again, as if they were reset. The control pod will start back up in standby mode. All the settings are reset. If I turn it back on right when that happens, it will shut off again; if I wait about an extra minute, it'll work again. When it starts working again, the process starts all over. It will just randomly shut off. The big bass boom and everything.
-I have the Creative Gigaworks s750 7.1 Surround Sound Speaker System.
-I have not changed any settings on my computer.
-I am running Windows XP Professional with Service Pack 2.
-I have a Creative Sound Blaster Audigy 2 Sound Card.
-I have a 550-Watt Power Supply.
-I have not changed any hardware or even opened the computer for that matter.
-I am NOT computer-illiterate, so please do not respond with any answers that would be normally directed to somebody new to computers. However, I am somewhat illiterate with any advanced problems that have to do with this speaker hardware.
-Any rational response will be GREATLY appreciated. If what you say works, heck, I may even send you some money via PayPal because right now, I feel these speakers are done for.
Thank you for your time to read this.
Message Edited by DeadPixel on 11-17-2005 01:50 AM

Answer 1

Hmm, this is weird. First things first, though, that loud pounding sound also occured with my old Altec Lansing speakers when I'd kill the power without turning them off. It seems to be a sound that happens when the power is instantly cut off to the speakers without them having a chance to properly shut down. I'm fairly sure this is the problem. What is causing it to instantly shut off without uninitializing first, I do not know, but here are my ideas.
You might try using one set of stereo speakers (even headphones would probably work) and moving it from each output jack to another (unless you are using digital?). This will be able to determine whether it could be a surge through the output of the sound card that is causing the sound system to automatically shut off to avoid damage. Using another 5. system works fine as well if you've got one and you're using digital.
It could also be a problem in the electrical system of your house. Is the speaker system on a different circuit than the computer? Also, if you have a UPS back up system then you might check to make sure it is not overloaded. If a UPS unit is overloaded, some will refuse to provide power to some connections at times, others will provide power at all times but any electrical power problem that occurs, it will not have enough battery power to power everything so some will be cut off. Another thing to try if you have a UPS is checking for a "Building Wiring Fault" light somewhere. I know most (if not all) of APC's UPSes have these lights, whether on the plug or on the back of the system itself.
In the event that it is the sound system itself, there are a couple things to try. First of all, when I got my Gigaworks G500 system, one of the pins for the control pod connector was bent. The volume would turn off and the pod controls did absolutely nothing. However, in this case plugging headphones into the headphone jack on the pod still worked. Once in a while the speakers would pop on and then back off. You should check each pin in the connector, and the other connectors for that matter, very carefully to make sure none are bent.
A good idea might be to unscrew the back panel of your subwoofer (or wherever your power supply is) and look around for, say, a blown fuse or some dark discoloration where a short may have occured. This will probably be on the micro-card inside the power supply, though you could also try looking at each speaker for a problem of this sort. A short in any speaker could cause a problem, though I am not sure how to open the individual speakers. On the subject of shorts, make sure none of the copper part of the wires are touching each other at the connections into the speakers.
It could also be a problem of overheating. This would explain why it has to wait a minute or so before coming back on, because if it was still overheated then it would instantly shut off. It would make since that it takes about a minute for it to cool. If your subwoofer (power supply) is in some sort of encasing, or up against a wall, this is quite likely. As a test, you should move the subwoofer (power supply) out into the open, and if you have a fan somewhere keep that attached. I would not recommend putting a bag of icecubes against the back because if it leaks or something it could electrocute you, but you might be okay if you make sure it won't electrocute you or drip into the system. See if this keeps it on longer.
If absolutely nothing works, you could try replacing all the wires: power cord, speaker wires, and PC-to-speaker system connection.
You should check the instruction manuals for the speaker system. At the very minimum, even after warranty expires I believe you can still submit a support request to the official Creative employees. This would probably be a good idea if you haven't tried it. The problem is obviously not software, though. It is somewhere in the hardware of something.
I hope this helps, though I am guessing you are correct in saying that you are screwed.