I just moved and the new house is right by a cell tower, it's causing interference with my monitors (Yamaha HS7) so I'm looking for advice on monitors with magnetic shielding. I've plugged the HS7s into different outlets in different rooms and all with no input cable, everywhere sounds like this with varying degrees of loudness. (Studio room is naturally the worst one...) Don't really feel like opening them up and adding copper shielding or whatever other answers I've read about online. We won't be in this house forever, maybe 3-5 years. I have tried my hand at mixing and it hasn't clicked for me so future music I will end up hiring someone to mix/master anyway. So they don't have to be perfect, just sound pretty nice, not cost a fortune (likely to grab used on reverb or ebay), etc. Anyone have recommendations?

With that said I do have an old pair of Behringer MS16s which are supposed to be magnetically shielded and I plugged them in and they still have some of that noise as well so maybe it's hopeless. Or maybe those are just garbage.

 

Yamaha MSP series have magnetic shielding, they are very reasonably priced second hand and there's chance you end up keeping them instead of HS series on the long run.

https://gearspace.com/board/so-much-gear-so-little-time/1096164-yamaha-msp7-vs-hs7-brief-review.html

https://gearspace.com/board/so-much...2517-yamaha-msp-series-still-competitive.html

 

Last edited: Aug 10, 2025 at 9:13 AM

Why is standard magnetic shielding often insufficient?

Shielding usually only protects against stray speaker fields (important for old CRT monitors). External interference such as cell phone towers usually causes high-frequency interference, including in the electronics and the speaker's casing; the only solution here is a sealed, metal casing with good grounding and, if possible, special RF shielding (practical, but only available in medical and industrial monitors).

A pragmatic approach for your situation: Look for affordable models with explicitly mentioned shielding (e.g., JBL 305P MkII). Place the monitors as far away as possible from power outlets, the mast, and along the interior walls of the house, "away from the source of interference." If necessary, isolate the power supply with a shielded line filter (this can reduce beneficial interference, but not mobile phone interference).

JBL 305P MKII - 2x139 EUR - Magnetic shielding --> www.thomann.de/de/jbl_lsr_305p_mkii.htm

 

Maybe you could look for another place to live further from that probable 5G antenna. If it's proximity is strong enough to modulate noise through your speakers then it's doing the same to all the cells of your body whenever you are home and especially in your studio room which you have mentioned. Of course we are all now exposed to modulating microwave radiation, though living close enough that it is messing with your audio is possibly a call to action for the health of you and your loved ones to perhaps do something about it.

Money, LOTS and LOTS of money is tied to the microwave transmission industry and information concerning the negative impacts is is not favored by the industry and global interests and so is of course suppressed, though doing a modicum of research will show that there is a relationship of chromosomal damage and proximity to towers. Here's just one...https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0147651324005621

Sorry for the news.

 

Last edited: Aug 10, 2025 at 11:26 AM

There are also measuring devices or organizations that can measure EMF. However, it costs money. With these measurements, you can precisely determine what exposure is occurring in your home and whether it's actually coming from the cell phone tower or whether there's other interference. So, measure first, then act. As my previous speaker, Lois Lane, already said, it can cause serious health damage.

ERICKHILL EMF Meter ER-02, EF/MF/RF Test, Rechargeable Magnetic Field Meter, Digital/Graphics Dual Interface Radiation Detector, Digital LCD Screen, for Home, Office, Outdoor
https://www.amazon.de/ERICKHILL-RF-...l&sr=1-6&ts_id=6589090031&th=1&language=en_GB

 

Last edited: Aug 10, 2025 at 10:41 AM

The interference may not be coming from that phone mast and may be coming through the power cables rather than through the air. Temporarily turn off your fridge and freezer and anything else electrically noisy (air con?), route the cables differently. Try a different plug socket. If you have a UPS or inverter or even a genny try powering the speakers from those to see if it makes a difference. If you get on with your neighbours try the same at their house.

And, magnetically-shielded speakers will have very little effect on RF frequencies. They were mostly to stop the speakers interfering with the CRT monitors of the day - a completely different form of radiation.