LSi7 crackling sound when listening movies or bassy music

pyrocyborg

Hi,

I am having an issue I think I didn't have before. One of my speakers is making a strange "crackling" type sound from one of my speaker only when running a bass heavy music or movies parts where I should probably need a subwoofer. As I have an amp, I can't set a frequency limit to let's say, 50 or 60 Hz like I could on my receiver. I don't think it actually makes strange noises in any other situation, but I don't know if it's damaged or something. I didn't listen to anything at even near loud level (can't stand loudness), but while watching Star Wars, I could hear that crackling coming from the right speaker and it kinda scared me.

Anything I could do to get rid of that problem?

Thanks!

tonyb

pyrocyborg wrote: »

Hi,

As I have an amp, I can't set a frequency limit to let's say, 50 or 60 Hz like I could on my receiver.
Thanks!

There in lies your problem, your sending full range dynamic frequencies to a speaker not capable of such. Does your integrated have any settings for speakers, small or large. You not using a subwoofer ? If you were, you could at least connect them up by way of the sub and cut freq. that way.

pyrocyborg

I wish I could, but I have no sub yet (In a student appartment, wouldn't be that great for my neighbours), and i don't think that my integrated has this kind of settings like my receiver had. Guess I'll need a sub then, even if I won't use it much

I just quite don't understand why only one speaker has these crackling? Is it more sensitive to this issue, or damaged or anything?

pyrocyborg

anonymouse wrote: »

It should not do that. Its designed to accept the full audio range, just not reproduce the low end. I suspect you may have a bad midbass driver, where the coil is touching the magnet structure at higher excursions. On the bad speaker, gently (and I mean gently), push in the cone on the midbass driver and let it pop out. Do not force anything. Does it scratch?

Compare with the same movement on the good speaker.

Do I have to try it with music playing, or only with volume up and no music at all (so that there is a signal, but no movement from the driver)? I tried it with no music at all, and I heard nothing from the bad speaker. I just tried again with bassy music, and I hear no crackling... but I do with movies!

BlueFox

I had a center channel that would do that. Turned out to be a poor interconnect cable.

cnh

+1 on the suggestions above. There is NO reason why your LSi-7s should distort on their own other than some of the possibilities mentioned above. As said, they are designed so that they will roll off the frequencies they can't handle. If that were not the case "no one" could ever use a bookshelf speaker with separates?

I've played any number of DVDs in my office where I have my LSi-7s as the main go to for films (2.0) (and other more musical formats as well) and I've never experienced what you're describing, so hopefully the above will help you trouble shoot the problem. Hope it's something minor!

cnh

tonyb

The 7's driver can be overdriven with bass heavy tracks or big dynamic movie soundtracks, volume dependant of coarse. I'm thinking he's bottoming out the driver, or maybe did so before and now it's more noticeable. A bad cable crossed my mind too but that would also affect the tweeter, which I guess it's not. Any bookie is not a full range speaker, and not capable of the full freq. range, which is why most augment with a subwoofer. Trying to push too much low end out of a small speaker will bottom out that driver.
Did you try swapping speakers to see if it followed the speaker ?

Drenis

You blew your new pair already!? :razz:

tonyb

We don't know that yet Drenis, could be a defective speaker, a bad amp channel, a scratchy volume control, or bad cable even. Give the man some time to do alittle trouble shooting and get back to us.

Drenis

Oh I'm just razzing him about it Tony. I harassed him when he bought them.:cheesygrin:

pyrocyborg

Haha Drenis! :P

Well, I clearly hope it's not the case. I worked all day long, so I had no time to test anything yet.

- So there is no popping noise or scratch when everything is offline (I don't want to push the driver too much, but that crackling sound was noticeable even at lower volume so it wasn't moving that much).

I'll try with another interconnect or by switching left and right channels. Hopefully, it will be the answer.

pyrocyborg

Well, just to let you know that I think the driver is probably fine. The problem seems to be very low frequencies (around 20hz) which some action Bluray movies have in great quantity. I could say the same about bass heavy music, but I don't listen to that kind of music so I think I'll be fine.

So I think a sub is in order as I didn't have this kind of issue when I had one in my 2.1 system. Thanks everyone!

Face

It's a bookshelf speaker with a single 5.25" woofer, you shouldn't be using it as a full range speaker.

tonyb

Face wrote: »

It's a bookshelf speaker with a single 5.25" woofer, you shouldn't be using it as a full range speaker.

Agreed, made that point in the second post. If he's not using a sub, he has them set up for full range which in a dynamic BR movie is going to bottom out the driver if you want to get volume out of those 7's.