Stereo acting up

A few weeks ago I had some popping from the right speaker. Tonight it happened again. Tomorrow I will switch the preamp outputs and see if the left speaker has this issue. If so then I need to change the Lumin outputs and see if the popping changes with it. Personally, I am beginning to get tired of component failures. I went through this exercise about three years ago for a preamp issue, and really don’t feel like doing it again. If something is failing then I wish it would fail hard. Having a pop or two every few weeks will never get fixed by a vendor.
Lumin X1 file player, Westminster Labs interconnect cable
Sony XA-5400ES SACD; Pass XP-22 pre; X600.5 amps
Magico S5 MKII Mcast Rose speakers; SPOD spikes

Shunyata Triton v3/Typhon QR on source, Denali 2000 (2) on amps
Shunyata Sigma XLR analog ICs, Sigma speaker cables
Shunyata Sigma HC (2), Sigma Analog, Sigma Digital, Z Anaconda (3) power cables

Mapleshade Samson V.3 four shelf solid maple rack, Micropoint brass footers
Three 20 amp circuits.

Comments

  • Clipdat
    Clipdat Posts: 12,557
    Probably the amp.
  • treitz3
    treitz3 Posts: 18,230
    Sorry to hear of this Bud. Chasing ghosts in a system can be challenging and is definitely not fun, especially when it's so intermittent.

    How loud is the pop when it happens and is it more of a "thump" or a pop?

    Tom
    ~ In search of accurate reproduction of music. Real sound is my reference and while perfection may not be attainable? If I chase it, I might just catch excellence. ~
  • mhardy6647
    mhardy6647 Posts: 32,926
    edited March 2022
    Reflecting on years of typos seen in subject lines for issues like this, I am just glad you're not reporting
    either "p o o ping" or "Poping". ;)

    Occam's Razor: The simplest explanation is the most likely one, a priori.

    Troubleshooting 101. (admittedly, harder with intermittents)
    Reduce/minimize & isolate.
    Start with the simplest possible system and add back.
    Amp plus speakers, no source at all wouldn't be a bad place to start.
    Failing that, a line level source (ideally, an analog one) that can be attenuated (i.e., bypass everything else)
    Add back components until pops reappear.

    That said, random popping to me suggests line (AC mains) noise, athough, obviously, it could be something innate to the hifi "system" -- but I wouldnt start there (FWIW).

    Plug the system into another circuit (use an extension cord if necessary) -- if you use any power conditioning, bypass all of it.

    Is there anything different on the line (AC circuit) or in the house (or maybe, maybe, even the neighborhood -- i.e., the feed transformer)?
    Things with high start up current and operating cycles (heatpumps, A/C, refrigerators, well pumps, hot water heaters - those sorts of things) can put random pulses on the mains, and might even induce noise into electrically isolated circuits.
    Digital cr@p is even worse. Are there any digital (i.e., microprocessor controlled) gizmos anywhere near the system? More to the point: are there any changes in the physical location of any of them relative to the system. Everything "smart" today creates mammoth amounts of RFI "hash". :(

    Are you in a single family house or a condo? If the latter... well, a noise issue could be difficult to impossible to suss out.

    Maybe youre lucky and it's just an active component (e.g., your amplifier) thats bjorked.
    Just pitch it and get a new one ;)




  • VR3
    VR3 Posts: 27,965
    I'd start with the pass labs gear 😝

    I find with tidal, I get a pop every now and again on track changes. It doesn't really bother me so I don't worry about it
    - Not Tom ::::::: Any system can play Diana Krall. Only the best can play Limp Bizkit.
  • mhardy6647
    mhardy6647 Posts: 32,926
    edited March 2022
    Oh, I forgot "plan B" -- just listen to it. The popping will either remain random & intermittent, or it will get worse. In the latter case, eventually something will fail catastrophically. In that event, repair or replace.

    In the old days of vacuum tube circuits (which were both simpler and much more robust), a popular troubleshooting technique was called "smoking the problem out". If a piece of equipment was popping fuses, replace the fuse with a stout piece of wire, energize equipment, and see what smokes inside of it. Replace that part (also check the condition of parts upstream from the smoke site). This works great except when the smoke comes from a transformer. :/

    I am not being - totally - facetious. :#
  • tonyb
    tonyb Posts: 32,902
    If you haven't changed anything in the system recently, I might be inclined to focus on the line, outlet, or grounding.

    HT SYSTEM-
    Sony 850c 4k
    Pioneer elite vhx 21
    Sony 4k BRP
    SVS SB-2000
    Polk Sig. 20's
    Polk FX500 surrounds

    Cables-
    Acoustic zen Satori speaker cables
    Acoustic zen Matrix 2 IC's
    Wireworld eclipse 7 ic's
    Audio metallurgy ga-o digital cable

    Kitchen

    Sonos zp90
    Grant Fidelity tube dac
    B&k 1420
    lsi 9's
  • mhardy6647
    mhardy6647 Posts: 32,926
    F1nut wrote: »
    Your solar panels are beginning to fail.

    Interesting hypothesis.
    Testable, to the extent that there is (should be) a shut-off.
    They can be taken offline and a day or two of listening should reveal if there's a change in popping behavior.

    Chances are, only one panel - or maybe one microinverter - is at fault.


  • SIHAB
    SIHAB Posts: 4,491
    Can you take these off line?
    Shunyata Triton v3/Typhon QR on source, Denali 2000 (2) on amps
    Speakers: Polk Lsim, ATC SCM19 v2, NHT SuperzeroSpeaker Cables: DH Labs, Transparent, Wireworld, Canare, Monster: Beer budget, Bose ears
  • BlueFox
    BlueFox Posts: 15,251
    Decided to troubleshot from the bottom up. Each amp is on a dedicated 20 amp line, and each line has a Shunyata Denali 2000 on it. So I swapped the Denalis. If that doesn't change anything then the preamp output cables will get swapped.
    Lumin X1 file player, Westminster Labs interconnect cable
    Sony XA-5400ES SACD; Pass XP-22 pre; X600.5 amps
    Magico S5 MKII Mcast Rose speakers; SPOD spikes

    Shunyata Triton v3/Typhon QR on source, Denali 2000 (2) on amps
    Shunyata Sigma XLR analog ICs, Sigma speaker cables
    Shunyata Sigma HC (2), Sigma Analog, Sigma Digital, Z Anaconda (3) power cables

    Mapleshade Samson V.3 four shelf solid maple rack, Micropoint brass footers
    Three 20 amp circuits.
  • Clipdat
    Clipdat Posts: 12,557
    It's probably the amp.
  • F1nut
    F1nut Posts: 49,704
    Good news!
    Political Correctness'.........defined

    "A doctrine fostered by a delusional, illogical minority and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a t-u-r-d by the clean end."


    President of Club Polk

  • treitz3
    treitz3 Posts: 18,230
    He found out his solar panels **** the bed?

    Tom

    ~ In search of accurate reproduction of music. Real sound is my reference and while perfection may not be attainable? If I chase it, I might just catch excellence. ~
  • BlueFox
    BlueFox Posts: 15,251
    After playing the stereo for 6-7 hours last Friday night, and another 6-7 hours Tuesday night with no issues, I put the cables back in the correct sockets. So, now to hear if anything happens tonight. While unlikely, maybe it was a dirty or poor cable connection even though they are XLR connectors.
    Lumin X1 file player, Westminster Labs interconnect cable
    Sony XA-5400ES SACD; Pass XP-22 pre; X600.5 amps
    Magico S5 MKII Mcast Rose speakers; SPOD spikes

    Shunyata Triton v3/Typhon QR on source, Denali 2000 (2) on amps
    Shunyata Sigma XLR analog ICs, Sigma speaker cables
    Shunyata Sigma HC (2), Sigma Analog, Sigma Digital, Z Anaconda (3) power cables

    Mapleshade Samson V.3 four shelf solid maple rack, Micropoint brass footers
    Three 20 amp circuits.
  • boston1450
    boston1450 Posts: 7,438
    Good news grasshoppah
    ..
    ..
    ..
    Randy/Maine
  • BlueFox
    BlueFox Posts: 15,251
    So far, so good.
    Lumin X1 file player, Westminster Labs interconnect cable
    Sony XA-5400ES SACD; Pass XP-22 pre; X600.5 amps
    Magico S5 MKII Mcast Rose speakers; SPOD spikes

    Shunyata Triton v3/Typhon QR on source, Denali 2000 (2) on amps
    Shunyata Sigma XLR analog ICs, Sigma speaker cables
    Shunyata Sigma HC (2), Sigma Analog, Sigma Digital, Z Anaconda (3) power cables

    Mapleshade Samson V.3 four shelf solid maple rack, Micropoint brass footers
    Three 20 amp circuits.
  • BlueFox
    BlueFox Posts: 15,251
    Whatever was the problem appears to have fixed itself (knock on wood). I haven’t had this issue for a while now, and hopefully never again. Life is too short to spend time fracking with audio issues.
    Lumin X1 file player, Westminster Labs interconnect cable
    Sony XA-5400ES SACD; Pass XP-22 pre; X600.5 amps
    Magico S5 MKII Mcast Rose speakers; SPOD spikes

    Shunyata Triton v3/Typhon QR on source, Denali 2000 (2) on amps
    Shunyata Sigma XLR analog ICs, Sigma speaker cables
    Shunyata Sigma HC (2), Sigma Analog, Sigma Digital, Z Anaconda (3) power cables

    Mapleshade Samson V.3 four shelf solid maple rack, Micropoint brass footers
    Three 20 amp circuits.