Crackle Tweeter

PerfectCreature

So. I was playing one of my songs that I like to listen to. My right channel speaker crackled when the left didn't. In both A and B it did the same thing at exactly the same spot in the song. It was a crackle from the tweeter... When I do other songs I don't get a crackle (That I can hear or is less noticeable. ) anyway. So this is confusing to me.
These are brand new speakers... both are a pair on Monitor 50s. Not even a week old. I am very curious why this is happening.
I am going to try the same song on a different Sony bookshelf receiver see if I get the same problem.
Any Ideas?

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Tested with other bookshelf receiver and my mothers home theatre. It appears that both tweeters crackle even when set on "small speakers" set up.
I don't see how this could have happened?
I am very upset.

PerfectCreature

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Switched to A setting hoping to help. Neither works.
It appears that the other speaker is fine... I am not sure.
The other speaker crackles but no where nears the other tweeter. I havn't even turned up my receivers volume much past 1/4 at any given time. It has the same problem on other receivers.... Should I return to Newegg and request a new pair? I still have a few weeks left on their return policy.
I have switched the speakers places as well. It seems to no avail.
I am going to have to say that the receiver I have been using may have damaged the speakers.... the speaker that has the most crackling I got 2 days before the other one due to UPS negligence.
If my receiver may have damaged them without me knowing is it still under warranty?

mhmacw

try the same spot same song different speaker. i have a spot in credence that does that to my 1c. no other song or lp does that.

PerfectCreature

I tried other songs. They to produce the crackle sound. As well as on diffrent receivers.
Really odd that one crackles louder than the other.
I'm really confused.

Tony M

Hold the CD up to a light and see if it's delaminating at about the area the song would be. I just threw one away and have seen a few more over the years. Very rare but it does happen.

mhmacw

ive seen dome tweets that are misaligned and only show up with the exact right freq or set of notes. do you have the same song on a different cd that you could try?

PerfectCreature

I've been doing multiple MP3s.
I have tried dozens and all have done it at some point.
I havn't done a CD... I don't really own many of them.
I will try and post in a bit about my findings.

No I don't.
I borrowed the cd from a friend and just copied it.

TECHNOKID

PC, you have mentioned this crackling sound in your original discussion. The crackling sound was there when you first received the speakers. Now that you have tried it on a diffirent amp and swapped them around, you should have proven that the problem is with the speaker itself. Give Polk CS a call first thing in the morning and they will lead you on how they want you to proceed with your bad speaker.

Cheers!
TK

PerfectCreature

Will they just replace the tweeter or have me send back the speakers for new ones or would I have to send them back to new egg?
How could I more thoroughly test the speaker for problems?

TECHNOKID

PerfectCreature wrote: »

Will they just replace the tweeter or have me send back the speakers for new ones or would I have to send them back to new egg?
How could I more thoroughly test the speaker for problems?

Call Polk CS in the morning, they'll make the decision that is best for you. I can not respond for them but I know you are in good hands. At this point, much better to deal with Polk then sending the speaker back. Make sure you call them up first thing in the morning.

Cheers!
TK

PerfectCreature

Yeah I am going to have to.
They are such great speakers I really hate that they are doing this to me. I guess I will try more songs get a better idea of what songs and how...
Anything I should be ready to tell them to make it more clear for them to diagnose?
The fact its on both at varying degrees is odd in itself.

PerfectCreature

This is what I have down so far...
I want to know if this should be more than enough information on everything I can think of.
The speaker that crackles the most I had for two days longer than the other. I ran it with a different speaker. Then when I got it I ran them both at once. I have a subwoofer hooked up but that shouldn't matter.
I play mostly youtube and mp3/wav files i did test on cds and found not so much crackling but I could still hear it on some songs.
When I first hooked them up, I forgot the receiver was on and when I plugged the cord into my computer it made a sound that didn't sound natural. I got freaked and tested with some songs and nothing was evident of being damaged. The most I have put into the speakers is about 50 or 60 watts for about an hour max. Even at low volumes you can still hear a buzzing crackly sound. The highs don't seem as perky on the crackly speaker as the other one, and both seem off to me compared to what I heard before I noticed crackling.
I have scoshe 14 awg wire. It is spliced and taped with electrical tape in a few spots due to wire shortages at times. I don't know if that would make a difference.
It seems on particular songs with a certain bass that makes them crackle... there are a few songs that make it crackle bad on the polks but not on my bookshelf sonys.
I tired different receivers and even tried different terminals and switched terminals.
Um... All the treble and the bass is 0 and the balance is at 0 I don't use an equalizer or anything special on my computer.
The amp i am using is an old amp 1996 Teac AG-V1020... Rated 100 watts per channel. I couldn't find any distortion rates.
I would like to think it is the tweeter but am not 100% positive...
When i gently push in the cones I don't hear anything unnatural sounding and the go in and out pretty smooth. I cant do that with the tweeters since they are cloth domes.
I really can't think of anything else. I have no clue if this is enough information or not?

Conradicles

PerfectCreature wrote: »

When I first hooked them up, I forgot the receiver was on and when I plugged the cord into my computer it made a sound that didn't sound natural.

Beavis and Butt Head would say..."Yeah, hehe, yeah, hehe...cool, hehe, yeah, hehe!":cool:

PerfectCreature

Ah..jeeeze. I kinda miss that show.
It was a good show. Oh well.
I did some frequency tests.
http://www.eminent-tech.com/music/multimediatest.html

I think that last one may have caused me hearing loss. They seemed to play all of them fine...except the bass ones. they didn't play the 30. My sub couldn't play the 30. Didn't expect it to anyway.
I don't know at this point.
Hopefully Polk support will guide me in the right direction of musical happiness.

PerfectCreature

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=24USlUb7m-U&playnext_from=TL&videos=XXSSnhaOWno


I really like a few people to play this (even if it is not your tastes) and see if they get the same crackling effect as I do. This is one of the songs that causes it.
Please and thank you. It is a trance song called magic touch flowex.

Tony M

No crackle here. But I can hear that this music would send alot of info to a tweeter to reproduce and cause a shorted one to make stange noises at some of those frequencies.

Good luck...

PerfectCreature

Yeah. thanks for checking it.
I talked with a guy and he said that My amp was under powering my towers by a lot. I thought the amp was giving 100 watts a channel I guess it gave barely over 50 watts a channel. He said my amp basically ruined my tweeter by clipping and all of that. He said my mids should be fine though because they can endure a lot more than the tweeters can. So for now I'll just use them and when the tweets come...the towers are being stored until I can get a better amp.
I sent him an email a few hours ago just waiting for the response that my tweeters are out for shipment.
It was really a cake walk. Very please with their customer service.

dubradio

PerfectCreature,

Information received. Warranty replacement tweeters should ship within 24-48 hours.

-Kyle

greyford1979

Gotta love Polk customer service:D

PerfectCreature

Wow. Now that was quick I sent him an email at like 11. 1246 they are ready to be shipped?
That is fast. I am a very happy customer now... well kind of.
I need a new amp now... heh. Old one blew my tweeters...
I guess I got a whole system upgrade haha.
Anyway. If mods want to close this thread or what not they can do so. It is no longer needed.

mhmacw

polk cs to the rescue!

PerfectCreature

Very true. It was extremely hassle free they knew exactly what I was talking about.

cnh

For future reference. When you get a NEW set of M-series speakers...be 'careful' during the break in period. When I got mine I ran them for many hours at a 'moderate' NOT 'loud' volume..easing them in. After that slow break in the Tweeters in the towers have taken pretty much everything I've thrown at them.

I still try not to clip my amps and AVRs...but these tweeters have survived high current Denons, Onkyos and Adcom power amps! These tweeters, once properly broken in will give you decent performance for many years to come. This is also ADVICE for any recent purchaser of M series or TSI series speakers! Give Polk CS a break and be gentle to your 'new' tweeters.

cnh

PerfectCreature

Yeah. After I talked to them they said at least a 25 hour break in period at a lower level...but not too low. And after that you can gradually go up or something along those lines.
After I get the new tweeters and install them I will be putting them up until I can land myself a more powerful receiver so I don't clip the speakers which is what I really did.
Oh well at least I was lucky to have chosen Polk.

PerfectCreature

I was just wondering how long it takes to get replacement tweeters...
I have been waiting since like the 29th...and still haven't got them yet....
Just wondering.

fbm211

You should have had them within 3 days.

TECHNOKID

Just call Polk CS back for some answer.

Cheers!
TK

PerfectCreature

I have sent them an email.