If you're like me, your iPhone is docked dangerously close to one (or both) of your speakers.

 

For as long as I’ve owned my iPhone, it’s held a permanent spot on my desk in its dock adjacent to one of my JBL Creature speakers. My cell phone is my primary form of communication in and outside my home, so it needs to be within reach at all times; and with so much e-mail checking and Internet browsing, it also usually needs to be charged.

 

Suffice to say, I’ve learned to deal with the annoying GSM buzz. You know what I mean: on some days, it’s barely audible, but more often, it “talks” to my speaker, which chirps back with a series of startling hums and purrs every few seconds. It’s a horrible noise when all is quiet at my desk and quite bothersome when listening to music.

 

Lately, however, it’s gotten increasingly worse, to the point where I’ve been woken in the middle of the night by my phone’s incessant buzzing. I’ve resorted to putting the thing in a drawer once it’s fully charged, which has led to missed calls and text messages. I’ve searched high and low for a solution, but short of buying new speakers or wrapping my phone in aluminum foil , I couldn’t find one.

 

Just the other day, however, after a particularly aggressive buzzing spell, I hit Google again, in pursuit of some relief. After reading about optical hook-ups and ground loops for the umpteenth time, I was ready to give up when I stumbled across a new term buried in the comments of one of less-than-helpful articles: ferrite beads.

 

Ferrite beads are passive electric components used to suppress high frequency noise in electronic circuits.

 

For those who don’t know, ferrite beads are housed inside the little nub found at the end of some USB cables. They can be cheaply purchased at most stores that sell computer parts (like Radio Shack), but if you happen to have an extra (and disposable) cable handy, this simple solution can be had for free.

 

If you've ever wondered what those little boxes at the end of USB cables are, crack open the case. Inside, you'll find a small ferrite.

 

It’s really quite simple. Take a pair of scissors and cut off the end of the USB cable. Pop open the ferrite case and slide the bead off. Then, all you need to do us attach the bead to the end of your speaker cable, where it meets the speaker. If you cannot fit the connector through the pre-drilled hole (I couldn’t), simply tape it to the wire with a measure of electrical tape.

 

Attach the bead to the wire with electrical tape, as close to the speaker as possible.

 

And viola! No more buzzing out of the right speaker (You’ll need a separate bead for each affected speaker). Now, my iPhone can charge all night long without waking me; even as I write this, my speaker hasn’t made a peep.

So, before you drop $150 on a new set of speakers, go grab your scissors and slice up a USB cable. Your ears (and checking account) will thank you.