Speaker damaged/clipping? Or DVD problem?

[gmichael]

Thanks for your help guys. I'm a bit new at this hobby, so I don't know what a blow speaker sounds like. I ran my PSB 4Ts, both with their tweeters blown, for months without realizing what it was. Then I learned not to karaoke on this type of equipment. Trial and error!

It would sound very bad. Hard to tell what was even being played. Trust me, you'd know it if you heard it.
Try that speaker swap.

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

It crackles right when he says "SPPAARTTAANNSS!!"

Can someone with the 300 BD see if it happens on that scene?

Okay, I just played that scene 3 times in DD, 3 times TrueHD, and 3 times in Uncompressed PCM. My ears were as close to the front of the center speaker as possible.

I did not hear any crackle sound in any sound format.

How are you placing your center speaker?
On the floor or in a cabinet?

I'm thinking it might be your receiver.

Now when I played that scene through just the Mitsubishi TV's little speakers, I definitely heard crackles. I don't think the TV's speakers are blown though.

 

[Bloodstriker]

Thanks AcuDefTechGuy.

I'm placing the speaker on a stand right below the TV. Funny thing is I don't hear crackling for any music I play - even when it's in PLII.

Maybe it's the PS3 then? I'm going to try some different things tonight - see if my old DVD player fairs better, or try to borrow an AVR. Of course, the speaker swap will be the first thing I do.

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

Thanks AcuDefTechGuy.

I'm placing the speaker on a stand right below the TV. Funny thing is I don't hear crackling for any music I play - even when it's in PLII.

Maybe it's the PS3 then? I'm going to try some different things tonight - see if my old DVD player fairs better, or try to borrow an AVR. Of course, the speaker swap will be the first thing I do.

If music sounds perfect, then your drivers are not blown.
Perhaps the crackling sound is due to some distortion at a certain frequency at high volume. Maybe it is the resonance of the speaker wood cabinet in combination with the speaker stand? Does it sound better when the speaker is placed on the carpet instead of the stand?
Yeah, speaker swap is the first thing.

 

[Bloodstriker]

The speakers are sitting on a bit of cushioning on the stand, so I don't think that would be it.

I'm usually watch movies at 65-68 dB. From what I'm hearing from others, that isn't super loud, but not quiet either.

So if it does still make the the crackle if I swap the speakers, it's most likely my AVR or player?

I've checked the cables, they are connected properly, and there's no red touching any black.

I'm pretty sure my amp has enough juice to drive the speakers without problem at the levels I listen to.

 

[j_garcia]

Does it happen on all sources? Say if you find a DVD that does it, can you try it in the 360 and DVD to see if it does the same thing on the same scene? If you swap one of the main speakers to the center, does it still crackle?

 

[Bloodstriker]

Does it happen on all sources? Say if you find a DVD that does it, can you try it in the 360 and DVD to see if it does the same thing on the same scene? If you swap one of the main speakers to the center, does it still crackle?

I haven't tried the speaker swap yet, but that'll be tonight. In terms of sources.. music doesn't cause the crackle. It only happens in movies, whether it be DVD or BD. I haven't tried a the 360 yet.

However, if I run a DVD audio on my old DVD player, there is definitely no crackle - even if I turn the volume up to 75dB.

So far, it seems to only be movies. But I think movies have a more dynamic soundtrack than music, so maybe it's hitting frequencies that aren't normally in music.

 

[j_garcia]

It depends really on what you are listening to, but music tends to be much more dynamic than most movie sound tracks. With BD you can get some very dynamic sound however. DD and DTS are lossy formats compared to CDs, but it depends on the recording and mastering as to what you end up hearing really.

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

...I think movies have a more dynamic soundtrack than music, so maybe it's hitting frequencies that aren't normally in music.

That exactly what I'm thinking!

Some speakers may have distortion at certain frequencies. That's why there are peaks at certain frequencies on the SPL vs Frequency graph?

This crackle happens only with dialogue. Since the human voice frequency is uually 80-1,600 Hz, maybe there is speaker distortion somewhere in this range?

I used my Galaxy Audio SPL meter while watching a movie or listening to a CD. Using the C-weight & slow response, I get a range of 80-90 dBC. I need to check out the A-weight too.

But if a tweeter or woofer/midrange is blown, you would not hear any good sound from movies or music. I think we can eliminate this possibility.

Even if the other speakers have crackles, it could just mean that all of your speakers may have distortion with this frequency range.

Man, a lot of trial and error. If you try a different AVR, different DVD player, different speakers and you still hear this crackle, I would have to say it may be your entire speaker system.

Maybe you can audition some other speakers for FREE? Say a local HT store or Best Buy/Circuit City/Ultimate Electronics?
I don't know.

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

Do you have automatic calibration in the Denon, like Audyssey?
If you do, you might want to try using the Automatic EQ Calibration and see if it can fix the possible frequency anomaly.

 

[Bloodstriker]

I wish I could audition some new speakers, but I think I already spent too much on the sound stuff this year. Plus, the speakers are only about 6 months old, so those won't be leaving anytime soon.

I was going to do the speaker swap, but I went to get my ultra instead and spent the night messing with that. I think I'm deaf now. Speaker swap in two days!

 

[Bloodstriker]

Update:

I wasn't able to do a speaker swap yet, but I tried a few things:

- My old DVD player doesn't fix things.
- Tried to "push" on the cones - no crackle.

I noticed that when I went to watch a movie at the theater, their speaker showed a similar crackle. I also noticed that the volume was waaay to high there.

Well, last test comes tonight. I'm becoming convinced that the speakers are damaged from before I got the seperate amp.

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

Update:

I wasn't able to do a speaker swap yet, but I tried a few things:

- My old DVD player doesn't fix things.
- Tried to "push" on the cones - no crackle.

I noticed that when I went to watch a movie at the theater, their speaker showed a similar crackle. I also noticed that the volume was waaay to high there.

Well, last test comes tonight. I'm becoming convinced that the speakers are damaged from before I got the seperate amp.

I still think it's distortion, and not speaker damage since music sounds perfectly okay with the speakers.

 

[ParadigmDawg]

It's just not that difficult to tell if a speaker is blown (how many times do I have to say that?)

I still think it's distortion, and not speaker damage since music sounds perfectly okay with the speakers.

 

[whitestone]

I've blown a few speakers and it's been obvious every time. You can tell from listening.

 

[rnatalli]

I'm also betting it's something other than a blown speaker. I can't tell you how many times in the past I've thought something was wrong with a speaker only to hook up other speakers and hear the same defects.

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

It's just not that difficult to tell if a speaker is blown (how many times do I have to say that?)

Maybe Bloodstriker means that his speaker is not totally "blown", but still damaged somehow?

But to answer your question, Greg, you need to repeat yourself 20 times before we begin to believe.

I think it's distortion. If he hooked it up to one of those fancy dandy digital drives/equalizers, you think it would show a severe spike on the SPL vs Frequency graph at that specific frequency range?

Oh, and by the way, I have also blown a speaker in the past, & I could not hear anything out of that blown speaker.

 

[ParadigmDawg]

I have blown 4 home speakers and ~1 million car speakers (in my youth) and you know it when you blow it.

So I need to say this around 16 more times?

Maybe Bloodstriker means that his speaker is not totally "blown", but still damaged somehow?

But to answer your question, Greg, you need to repeat yourself 20 times before we begin to believe.

I think it's distortion. If he hooked it up to one of those fancy dandy digital drives/equalizers, you think it would show a severe spike on the SPL vs Frequency graph at that specific frequency range?

Oh, and by the way, I have also blown a speaker in the past, & I could not hear anything out of that blown speaker.

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

I have blown 4 home speakers and ~1 million car speakers (in my youth) and you know it when you blow it.

So I need to say this around 16 more times?

Say, what? Huh? Did you say something?

 

[ParadigmDawg]

You know it when you blow a speaker...

15 more times...