Horrendously loud and random popping noise from LG SL8YG soundbar paired with LG C9 OLED after lastest 04.71.05 software update.

[CypherMax]

So, after the last software update on my LG C9 last week an extremely loud random popping sound comes from the sound bar when streaming from any service, Disney+, Netflix,Amazon etc.

First my setup. 2015 NVIDIA shield HMDI to the LG SL8YG soundbar, then HDMI back to C9 over the ARC channel. This set up has been absolutely flawless since September when I bought both units new, until this update.

Nature of issue and diagnosis so far. So at first I thought it was just Disney+ glitching out because that's all we were watching the past few weeks. Noise does not occur when using plex or DVR, only from streaming apps. Doesn't matter if your watching them from the Shield or the built in apps on the LG. After starting a movie or show a few minutes later an excruciatingly loud cracking/popping noise comes from the sound bar for a couple seconds then stops. Then it comes back every couple minutes.

So, I narrowed it down to the soundbar being set to movie mode on its audio preset. When I change it to standard mode noise is gone. I can't figure out why this is happening and its extremely frustrating because the standard mode sounds so flat and has to be turned up so much, movie mode was perfect for anything we were watching. Any ideas or suggestions are greatly appreciated, thanks in advance!

 

[lovinthehd]

Might try soft reset to start (unplug the gear for a while). Maybe a hard reset if available if the soft reset doesn't do anything. Modern electronics can be glitchy....

 

[CypherMax]

Did a full factory reset updated all streaming apps. Started streaming on Amazon Prime and noise came back after about 15 minutes. This is so annoying any other ideas?

Might try soft reset to start (unplug the gear for a while). Maybe a hard reset if available if the soft reset doesn't do anything. Modern electronics can be glitchy....

 

[lovinthehd]

Did a full factory reset updated all streaming apps. Started streaming on Amazon Prime and noise came back after about 15 minutes. This is so annoying any other ideas?

Connections/cables would be next. I wouldn't go full Office Space on it.....yet

 

[CypherMax]

Lol, but if it was a HMDI cable I would have video issues too.

 

[lovinthehd]

Lol, but if it was a HMDI cable I would have video issues too.

Saw someone recently suggest that a poor connection with hdmi may cause feedback problems....so dunno. Just reseating each cable maybe swap a few around....not much else to do on your own I'd think. Have you been in contact with LG for a solution? You're sure that's the dividing line, that update (i.e. no other system changes)?

 

[CypherMax]

Ok, I'll try securing the connections, and yes I've submitted a case with LG but no response yet. And yes, nothing changed beside the software on the TV. Only thing I can think of is that the TV is enducing an audio artifact when streaming a multichannel movie or show that for some reason only gets picked up by sound bar when in movie mode. Its very weird. And remember I am utilizing the ARC so the software for that maybe have been glitched after update.

 

[lovinthehd]

Ok, I'll try securing the connections, and yes I've submitted a case with LG but no response yet. And yes, nothing changed beside the software on the TV. Only thing I can think of is that the TV is enducing an audio artifact when streaming a multichannel movie or show that for some reason only gets picked up by sound bar when in movie mode. Its very weird. And remember I am utilizing the ARC so the software for that maybe have been glitched after update.

Could be a variety of things. Hard to analyze well without proper testing with gear you don't have....

 

[everettT]

Lol, but if it was a HMDI cable I would have video issues too.

Not if a pin is damaged.

 

[CypherMax]

Ok got an update. Resecured all HDMI connections. Then ran a self diagnosis test of each HDMI cable through the settings menu on TV. HDMI from DVR tests ok but both HMDI cables from the NVIDIA Shield to TV and from TV to soundbar show as NO good! Both these cables are audio quest high speed 4k blah blah...and were bought new with TV. I dont have any other high speed cables in stock but a ton of older ones. Will it be ok to use those? Id rather not buy anymore cables I'd I can help it. All my cables are run through wall so its a pain to replace so maybe this weekend I'll swap them out and see if that's the problem. Thanks guys!

 

[lovinthehd]

LOL Audioquest being bullshit wouldn't surprise me in the least.....would never pay for that crap.

 

[lovinthehd]

If your cables work, use them. I'd buy from Monoprice over Audiocrap any day.

 

[ray91962]

General crossover frequency question. I just bought the Pioneer Andrew Jones 5.0 system and paired it with a 2018 Onkyo TX-NR686 7.2 amp and a 10" Klipsch sub. Fantastic review on this site by Gene DellaSalla in 2013. Pioneer rates the towers down to 40Hz, the center and surrounds down to 55Hz. The surrounds are Pioneer Atmos bookshelves. Gene found the tower usable bass extension down to 50Hz, the center to 70Hz, and the surrounds good to 60Hz. My question (finally): I set the sub LFE to the recommended 120Hz and turned the crossover on the sub all the way up, but I'm not sure about the rest. Onkyo has no small or large speaker setting, just crossover frequency adjustments. Do I set them all to the THX 80Hz spec (amp is THX, speakers are not) or 10Hz over the usable bass extension as many people recommend?

 

[ray91962]

^^^ Sorry. I accidentally posted my question here, but I'll bet some people reading it are more knowledgeable than me and can provide a good answer.

 

[CypherMax]

If your cables work, use them. I'd buy from Monoprice over Audiocrap any day.

I know, I've got 2 new mono price ones coming for Saturday, thanks!

 

[lovinthehd]

General crossover frequency question. I just bought the Pioneer Andrew Jones 5.0 system and paired it with a 2018 Onkyo TX-NR686 7.2 amp and a 10" Klipsch sub. Fantastic review on this site by Gene DellaSalla in 2013. Pioneer rates the towers down to 40Hz, the center and surrounds down to 55Hz. The surrounds are Pioneer Atmos bookshelves. Gene found the tower usable bass extension down to 50Hz, the center to 70Hz, and the surrounds good to 60Hz. My question (finally): I set the sub LFE to the recommended 120Hz and turned the crossover on the sub all the way up, but I'm not sure about the rest. Onkyo has no small or large speaker setting, just crossover frequency adjustments. Do I set them all to the THX 80Hz spec (amp is THX, speakers are not) or 10Hz over the usable bass extension as many people recommend?

Please don't be afraid of starting your own conversation. LPF of LFE is not a crossover, just a limitation of LFE content (content with the .1 channel encoded). Onkyo probably uses the terminology full range instead of "large" (both mean do not use bass management for this channel/speaker). 80 Hz is a very good starting point for crossover (but I'd leave LPF of LFE at 120 hz as that is the normal range of such), and I don't think 10hz over f3 is a particularly relevant starting point. I prefer higher crossovers as long as it doesn't affect localization myself.

 

[ray91962]

Thanks for the quick reply @lovinthehd. On the sub crossover I was referring to the knob on the back, not the receiver setting. I'm not an audiophile so I have to ask: Why set the crossover at 80Hz on a speaker that can comfortably go down to 50Hz? Doesn't this limit the impact of bass on the fronts in the immediate seating area?

 

[everettT]

Thanks for the quick reply @lovinthehd. On the sub crossover I was referring to the knob on the back, not the receiver setting. I'm not an audiophile so I have to ask: Why set the crossover at 80Hz on a speaker that can comfortably go down to 50Hz? Doesn't this limit the impact of bass on the fronts in the immediate seating area?

Crossovers are not brick walls, so usually go an octave higher. On the back of the sub set the crossover knob all the way up if it's not a .LFE input as not to combine the two.

 

[lovinthehd]

Thanks for the quick reply @lovinthehd. On the sub crossover I was referring to the knob on the back, not the receiver setting. I'm not an audiophile so I have to ask: Why set the crossover at 80Hz on a speaker that can comfortably go down to 50Hz? Doesn't this limit the impact of bass on the fronts in the immediate seating area?

Like Everett says, don't combine the low pass filter (called cascading filters) provided by the avr in the crossover with that on the sub, altho if you're using the LFE input on the sub it may take the low pass filter on the sub out of the signal path (but turn it to max if it doesn't). So you set the low pass filter on the sub to 120hz? The LPF of LFE setting in the avr, which many confuse as part of a crossover,, is what I thought you were referring to.

Generally if you have a capable sub it's better at the bass frequencies than the speakers and 80hz is the THX standard as it usually doesn't enable localization of the sub (which would be distracting). You may do well using the bass from your speakers in your room, tho. Lower bass isn't particularly directional. Sub placement can be made to maximize your room's interaction with the bass frequencies (look up Schroeder frequency), whereas the L/R speakers placement is by necessity somewhat fixed. Even if the speaker has a 50hz f3, at what spl? Subs tend to have higher capabilities. A 10" Klipsch could be of limited performance compared to some others, tho....

 

[Robwjones7]

I have had this same problem with my LG TV connected to this same soundbar. Also only experiencing in movie mode. I will be trying some new cables as I also suspect it is a signal issue. If it is a decoding thing, I would have expected it to be a more widespread issue... But that could still be the case.