Altec Lansing Troubleshooting Guide for Speaker Issues

SYMPTOM	POSSIBLE PROBLEM	SOLUTION
No sound	Power isn’t turned on.	Verify the AC power cord is plugged into the wall outlet.
from one or
		Turn on the speaker system by pushing the On/Off button located on the
more speakers.
		control pod. An LED will light on the control pod when the power is ON.
	Volume is set too low.	Turn the VOLUME knob clockwise to raise the volume.
		Check volume level on the computer sound card or alternate audio source
		device, and set at mid-level.
	Speaker system isn’t connected to audio source.	Check plug connections on the audio source. Make sure the signal cable(s)
		is/are inserted firmly into the correct jacks.
	Speaker system is connected to wrong output on	Make sure the lime green 3.5mm stereo cable is connected and fully inserted
	audio source.	into the “line-out,” “audio-out,” or the headphone jack of the audio source.
	Problem with audio source device.	Test the speakers on another audio device. Remove the lime green 3.5mm
		stereo cable from the audio source device and connect it to the “line-out,”
		“audio-out,” or the headphone jack of another audio source.
No sound	Switch on the rear of the control pod is not in the	Change the position of the switch.
from center or	proper position.
rear satellites.
	Rear or center level is set too low.	Increase the rear or center speaker volume level.
Crackling sound	Bad connection.	Check all cables. Make sure they are connected to the “line-out” or “audio-out”
from speakers.		jack on your sound card or other audio source — NOT “speaker-out.”
	Volume level in computer operating system is set	Check the computer operating system volume level and decrease it if necessary.
	too high.
	A problem with your audio source device.	Unplug the stereo cable from the audio source. Then plug it into the
		headphone jack of an alternate audio source (e.g., Walkman, Discman or
		FM radio).
Sound is	Volume level set too high.	Turn the VOLUME knob counterclockwise to lower the volume.
distorted.
	Computer operating system volume level is set	Adjust the computer operating system volume and balance levels to the
	too high.	center as a starting point, then adjust the level on the speaker using the
		volume control.
	Sound source is distorted.	WAV files are often of poor quality. So distortion and noise are easily noticed
		with high-powered speakers. Try a different sound source such as a music CD.
Radio	Too close to a radio tower.	Move your speakers until the interference goes away.
interference.
No sound	Subwoofer volume is too low.	Increase the subwoofer volume on the control pod.
from subwoofer.
	Bad connection.	Check to make sure that all cables are connected properly and are making
		a clear connection.
Low hum	The AC in your house is at 60 cycles per second, which	Some low hum may be detected when your speaker system is powered on
from subwoofer.	is within the audio frequency of the subwoofer.	without an audio source playing, or when the volume is set at an extremely
		low level.
Loud hum	Bad connection.	Unplug the AC power cord from the surge protector (if used), and plug directly
from subwoofer.		into an AC wall outlet.
		Move your cables. Check to ensure they are making a clear connection.
	Volume on your audio source device is set too high.	Disconnect your 3.5mm stereo cable from the audio source. If the loud hum
		goes away, lower the volume on the audio source.
		Lower the master volume or subwoofer volume on your computer, portable
		device, etc.
Too much bass	Subwoofer volume is too high.	Decrease the subwoofer volume on the control pod.
from subwoofer.
Distorted monitor.	Subwoofer too close to monitor.	Because the subwoofer is not magnetically shielded, it can cause distortion if
		it’s too close to your monitor. Move the subwoofer so it’s at least 2 feet from
		your monitor.

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