Back in 2014 I started using a pair of Creative T30 wireless speakers. Considering how small they are, and lack a subwoofer, the sound was always pleasingly good. For the last 2.5 years, they’ve been paired to my work MacBook to great effect.

But that’s now come to an end.

In recent months I’ve struggled to get the speakers, via Bluetooth, to connect to my MacBook. Why don’t I use the physical connector? Well, for some reason there’s some odd noise during playback, which I think is the fault of the MacBook. This doesn’t happen when I connect other devices up and doesn’t occur, either, when using Bluetooth to the Mac.

In addition, using Bluetooth is one of the reasons for using these speakers – disconnecting and reconnecting the MacBook is just a case of a single USB-C connector.

So, what’s happening? Well, the MacBook simply doesn’t find the speakers. I can reboot the laptop, restart the speakers, reset the Bluetooth adapter, all sorts, and it won’t connect. Then, after much tinkering, it eventually will. More recently, I noticed that when I pull the speaker forward it connected.

And this is relevant. You see, the speaker that does the Bluetooth connection is the opposite side of my desk to my laptop – and inbetween is an LG 5K monitor. The early versions of this monitor were recalled due to bad shielding – I have an unrecalled, unshielded version. So, it’s just the monitor blocking it, right?

Which is why, on Monday, I moved my desk around – my MacBook is now next to the speaker with nothing inbetween. They connected first time. Amazing. And the same yesterday. And today…. nothing.

Arse.

I tried the usual workaround and nothing worked. Eventually, after much trying they just suddenly connected.

Now, if I try other Bluetooth devices, even across the desk, they work absolutely fine – it’s definitely an issue with these speakers. Maybe the Bluetooth driver is failing or maybe it’s just a mis-match between a much older version of Bluetooth in the speakers and my back – I just don’t know. But it feels as if, after 5 years, the Creative speakers are due a replacement.

So, tomorrow, a 2.1 Logitech system turns up (so, with a sub-woofer), which has got good reviews and packs Bluetooth too. It will be thoroughly tested in the coming week too, so expect a review at some point too.