Snapping crackling and popping with KH150 + KH750

[bachatero]

For the past few days my KH150 + KH750 setup has been snapping, crackling and popping intermittently after it's been on for about 30 minutes. I have my MOTU M2 connected with TRS to the KH750's input, where I have a BNC -> RCA adapter and a plain old RCA cable going to the left KH150's input, after which is the right KH150. I can't find the exact cause but suspect it has to do with the really cheap RCA cable I've used here. It's been working fine for months but could it in fact be this cable? Or could it be some kind of circuitry degradation in the speakers themselves?

 

[DVDdoug]

If it's the cable, wiggling the cable (usually near the ends/connections) should make it crackle. But swapping the cable is a cheap experiment and a cheap fix if it is the problem!

You can also try disconnecting the inputs to see if the noise is being fed-in from somewhere. If both KH150 speakers are making noise, it's very unlikely that the amps in both speakers developed the same defect at the same time.

the really cheap RCA cable

If the cable isn't defective it should be fine: Are Dirt Cheap RCA Cables Any Good?

 

[bachatero]

If the cable isn't defective it should be fine: Are Dirt Cheap RCA Cables Any Good?

My thinking was because SPDIF and AES3 expect a 75 ohm cable, this really cheap plain old RCA cable with almost 0 ohms might alter the signal just enough to either throw off the receiving end or be susceptible to alien crosstalk.

 

[raindance]

No such thing as an audio cable with 0 ohms. That's a short circuit.

Most audio cables, even cheap ones, are 75 ohms but it only matters at very high frequencies way above audio.

 

[JSmith]

Analog RCA's should be around 50 Ohm impedance, "digital" RCA's should be 75 Ohm.

If you're measuring between the centre pin and the outer shield and get 0 ohms... that's a short circuit, damaged or faulty cable.

If you're measuring centre pin to centre pin or shield to shield across the length of the cable and get 0 ohms, that's normal continuity.

RCA cables have very low resistance over short distances, so a reading close to 0 ohms is expected in that case.


JSmith

 

[antcollinet]

So to clarify - you have ballanced TRS into the sub, then digital SPDIF into the left Speaker - then what - analogue from that into the right speaker?

And both speakers are crackling? But not the sub?



How long is the digital cable from Sub to speaker?

 

[Torin Krell]

For the past few days my KH150 + KH750 setup has been snapping, crackling and popping intermittently after it's been on for about 30 minutes. I have my MOTU M2 connected with TRS to the KH750's input, where I have a BNC -> RCA adapter and a plain old RCA cable going to the left KH150's input, after which is the right KH150. I can't find the exact cause but suspect it has to do with the really cheap RCA cable I've used here. It's been working fine for months but could it in fact be this cable? Or could it be some kind of circuitry degradation in the speakers themselves?

Bachatero - did you find a solution to your "snap crackle pop" issue? If so what was the remedy?

 

[bachatero]

Bachatero - did you find a solution to your "snap crackle pop" issue? If so what was the remedy?

I twisted the plugs on the super duper cheap cables and that seemed to fix it, so I replaced them with these https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B001W0HLB8 to make sure this issue can absolutely never happen again (plus add some noise shielding for my unbalanced guitar cables)