Experiencing a power cycle audible pop sound on Genelec speakers

[Pancreas]

I might have missed it but why are you uaing an 18i20? Are you recording as well?

A cheap topping dac with headphone out will likely solve all your problems.

I use 18i8. I'm a guitar player and wanted more outputs to connect my ps5 and possibly a guitar amp modeler in the future via spdif

 

[Blumlein 88]

I said based on their ads and right before receiving it lol the 18i8 does stop the pop when powering off pc but not when powering on and i dont know why

Could you test this with your 18i20 for research purposes? Tho if is the 1st gen it may pop even when powering off

You mean power speakers last

Power speakers firsts, then turn Pc with interface, does it pop?

I'll check it, but it may be tomorrow before I get to it. I'll post results here. I'll try another interface I have also.

 

[dualazmak]

Just for your reference,,,

In my rather advanced multichannel multi-driver multi-amplifier DSP-based audio setup (the latest system setup can be found here), I have absolutely no "pop issue" at all including the four integrated amplifiers and active sub-woofers (all of them have proper ignition delay relays) as well as my treasure OKTO DAC8PRO.

For my safety measures, however, I have been always very much careful about my "ignition sequences" and "shutdown sequences";
- Updated startup (ignition) sequences and shutdown sequences of multichannel multi-amplifier system: #426

In our DIY audio setup consists of many audio gears selected from many different companies, it is our own responsibilities and "safety measures" having safe and proper "ignition sequences" and "shutdown sequences", I believe.

In this perspective, I do not like (or even hate) utilization of automatic simultaneous power-on trigger configurations over multiple gears.

 

[dasdoing]

my (older) Motu Traveler MK3 doesn't pop. afaik it's because of the relay. the relay is actually pretty loud when turned on, but nothing on the outputs

 

[theREALdotnet]

What happened to the old matra: the power amp (or in this case, active speaker) is the last thing to be turned on and the first thing to be turned off!

 

[OldHvyMec]

having safe and proper "ignition sequences" and "shutdown sequences", I believe.

I couldn't have put it more plainly. You do what it takes to turn it on and off. I'm using all kinds of combos and if there is a pop anywhere
I locate it and figure out why. It's usually a start up, shutdown sequence. ALWAYS volume down before any source change.
Disk/tape/LP change or any source that has to come out of standby or be turned on has been something I've alway been VERY aware of.
Replacing a 2-300.00 dollar tweeter because of being hardheaded is not an option.

Your sensitivity issue is revealed by the speakers, they are not the issue. How you have set up, what you are NOT doing and have settled for is the only
issue. I suggest listening to some of the great solutions and keep your speakers.

Work the issue, it's a problem when you give up.

After looking at the head set, I can see why. Good Lord, buy a good preamp and use the toy when you want to play your guitar OR learn how to use it.

Again it's NOT the speakers. The noise while idling, 101 cable routing and making sure they are good QUIET pro cables. Use one 15 or 20 amp outlet
on one leg of the main box. Don't mix and match receptacles. Have a dirty plug for all Laptop PS and cable box PS.

I've used 105 sensitivity speakers @ 16ohms, with a Valve headset, valve phono pre and valve amps with unpotted Transformers. 60 years old.
The Decware phono section was new. Quiet as a church mouse.

I know I've fixed 100+ noise issues within 15 minutes, the question is do you want to fix it? Hire a good roadie for 2 hours and feed him. LOL

Protect you gear get a good maintainer with good surge suppression. Inexpensive works, cheap does not.

Happy hunting!

The OLD HEAVY MECHANIC.

Regards

 

[HarmonicTHD]

@Pancreas

Something is off with your setup and I double checked again.

I have Focusrite 4i4 (which is the same as the one you have except for less channels) and yes I have Neumann KH80 and not Genelec 8030. BUT, when I switch on my PC with my Guitar attached and the input gain up (so it lights up green, when playing) and guitar volume turned up (10) and the speakers on plus the headphone attached and loud. Not even a hint of a pop nor any other noise.

Initially I thought it was the Genelecs but I would rule that out now, because my headphone would have popped if there would have been a pop caused by the 4i4. So I think it is neither the speakers nor the interface, but something else and unless you figure that out, you will be chasing ghosts.

FYI. My input / output routing is configured such as this, as I play my Guitar (Analogue 2 set to INST) through my DAW where I apply all the effects triggered by pedals.

 

[Pancreas]

The pop i refer to is the one that happens when you turn on Pc and the Scarlett connects to the PC usb

The pop matches the usb green light when it happens and it pops twice as the computer powers usb then cuts power the powers again all in a few seconds until window login screen appears. This interface has a power brick so is not because is trying to get power from the pc

This is bad design from focusrite and they probably use some cheap capacitor rather than something better interfaces use

My popping issue has nothing to do with playing guitar

Maybe the issue is my pc is an HP

I tried with a laptop same thing happens but the laptop is also HP so i dont know

This tells me is the interface why?

Cause it happens with headphones too

Even if i disconnect the speakers from interface it happens with headphones so is not the speakers

Is either the interface or pc or both

 

[Pancreas]

I mean think about it.

The fact that I remove speakers from interface and connect headphones to interface and nothing else, then I turn on my
Computer and the headphones pop twice when the scarlett usb light shines this tells me is not the speakers is the interface or pc

Since i tried it on another pc albeit same brand and the issue happens too

This tells me is more than likely the interface

My pc is from 2018 so could be thr motherboard too

 

[NiagaraPete]

I mean think about it.

The fact that I remove speakers from interface and connect headphones to interface and nothing else, then I turn on my
Computer and the headphones pop twice when the scarlett usb light shines this tells me is not the speakers is the interface or pc

Since i tried it on another pc albeit same brand and the issue happens too

This tells me is more than likely the interface

My pc is from 2018 so could be thr motherboard too

I’d be surprised if the pop was coming through the usb. Does your interface get power from the usb?

 

[TimW]

If you think having usb power stay on after the PC turns off could help, why not try a powered usb hub? I use a MOTU Ultralite Mk4 and it has no turn on pop, although it does have a lengthy turn on sequence.

 

[Blumlein 88]

Using a BabyFace Pro FS, connected to JBL LSR 308 speakers set to high sensitivity and max volume, there is a small muffled pop upon PC power down, and a similar muffled low level pop on power up. This with output set to max on the Babyface. Further the intensity of the pop has no connection with output volume setting.

The headphones have more intense higher level click. So the pop for speakers is low enough in level I'd not worry about it. The click on the headphones is substantial, but headphones are not damaged by such usually. I don't want to have the phone on my ears when it happens however.

The LSR's go into standby after 15 minutes of no signal. I made sure they were not in standby for this test. It strikes me that standby on the Genelecs might save you from the turn on pop. From the manuals they have such a feature and delay power up when in standby. It can be disabled or enabled. If you have 8010a speakers, the ISS switch should be on for going into standby after a few minutes.

I'll try my 18i20 next.

 

[Pancreas]

I’d be surprised if the pop was coming through the usb. Does your interface get power from the usb?

The interface has a power supply and is connected to my power strip. I tried it at the wall, other strip, etc. Same thing.

I disabled usb save energy on all the usb ports at the device manager. I disabled usb save power at power options.

This results in the usb port being on when the pc is off, as the usb green light on scarlett still shines for hours.

I can also charge my phone with the pc off.

The issue happens as soon as I press the button to turn on the pc.

For some reason, the green light on interface lights off when I turn on pc, then on Hp loading screen it lights up and the pop happens, then lights off again

Then right before entering the windows sign in, the green light, lights up again, another pop and then it stays on.

I have a pc tower. I tried it with my brothers laptop, also an HP and it did the same thing, so I don’t know if is an HP thing

More than likely is the interface and how it handles the USB connection to PC

Using a power usb hub wouldn’t do me any good if the problem is the interface

I actually installed a PCIe usb card in my motherboard, same thing happens there too. I thought it would solve my issue lol but the usb card is installed on motherboard so if the issue is motherboard or pc it would be the same

 

[FrantzM]

Wouldn't it be fair to change the title of the thread? Current title, suggests that the OP is unhappy about his Genelec speakers, it is however that his problems lie, clearly, elsewhere


Peace.

 

[fieldcar]

From what I've heard, almost all 1st Gen focusrite scarlett products and many 2nd generation products suffer from the pop. My 2i4 Gen 1 has a loud pop during bootup. I've since moved on to a SMSL SU-8s, and it does some very slight static noises on sample rate change and boot up, but it's generally very quiet. I use a smart switch to power up my monitors, so it didn't bother me that much when I ran the focusrite.

Focusrite | Focusrite Downloads

Software and documentation for Focusrite products

downloads.focusrite.com

 

[Blumlein 88]

Okay, using the same setup except a 1st gen Focusrite 18i20. With everything powered up, if you turn the power switch on or off there is a high pitched click (though not of much intensity). This is related to output volume level, but even at max is not of high intensity.

If everything is powered up, and you shut down or upon restart of the PC, there is no click, pop or other noise. This is leaving the 18i20 itself powered on at all times or if you power it up prior to starting the PC.

Ditto for the headphone output.

One other thing to note. There is a very slight click when starting or stopping playback of files except when using ASIO. With ASIO everything is quiet. With Wasapi or other settings you get the click on start and stop of a file.

Also the 18i20 has a three prong power cord with internal power supply.

 

[HarmonicTHD]

The pop i refer to is the one that happens when you turn on Pc and the Scarlett connects to the PC usb

The pop matches the usb green light when it happens and it pops twice as the computer powers usb then cuts power the powers again all in a few seconds until window login screen appears. This interface has a power brick so is not because is trying to get power from the pc

This is bad design from focusrite and they probably use some cheap capacitor rather than something better interfaces use

My popping issue has nothing to do with playing guitar

Maybe the issue is my pc is an HP

I tried with a laptop same thing happens but the laptop is also HP so i dont know

This tells me is the interface why?

Cause it happens with headphones too

Even if i disconnect the speakers from interface it happens with headphones so is not the speakers

Is either the interface or pc or both

I tested and explicitly wrote that (see above). Switching on and off the PC while I had everything setup as above. No pop. Not in the headphones nor the speakers.

Can you post screenshots of your Focusrite control (as I did), so we can have a look?

 

[HarmonicTHD]

From what I've heard, almost all 1st Gen focusrite scarlett products and many 2nd generation products suffer from the pop. My 2i4 Gen 1 has a loud pop during bootup. I've since moved on to a SMSL SU-8s, and it does some very slight static noises on sample rate change and boot up, but it's generally very quiet. I use a smart switch to power up my monitors, so it didn't bother me that much when I ran the focusrite.

Focusrite | Focusrite Downloads

Software and documentation for Focusrite products

downloads.focusrite.com

View attachment 264578

He and I, both have 3rd gen (at least I do and as his is new, unless bought used). Pop for him. No pop for me ;-)

 

[Pancreas]

It doesn’t pop when powering the computer off because the interface has its own power supply maybe

I think is an issue with the way Focusrite handles the usb connection to PC as I read others have experienced the same

My solo pops when powering off windows but the 18i8 does not and more than likely is because the 18i8 has a power supply

Both pop when the interface makes usb connection with computer

This tells is bad design from focusrite and the way they handle the usb connection

 

[Pancreas]

He and I, both have 3rd gen (at least I do and as his is new, unless bought used). Pop for him. No pop for me ;-)

Do you have a second gen or 3rd?

Is your speaker on before you power on computer? Otherwise doesn’t make sense lol

Is your speaker on before you power off computer?

My issue may be the computer maybe the usb motherboard or the way it handles usb

When you turn on your pc, does the usb green light on interface turn on, then off and then eventually stays on?

Or when you power pc, the green usb light turns on and stays on?