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  1. #1
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    Default Speaker crackle sound fix ?

    Hi .
    I have a pair of nice Tannoy speakers which I made the boxes for 37 years ago . They still get used and are now set up in their new home in my workshop. Not much point having them in the house because who gets to listen to decent music with the wife and kids around anyway . Not Me .
    I'm always getting " Turn it down "

    Any way the speakers have been developing a strong thick crackle type distortion especially on start up as they warm up ,but its getting worse. The distortion is now coming back at quieter sections of music and stronger louder bits just push through it and it goes away again.

    So Ive been reading up about it online and what I have read is to clean or spray connections with either contact cleaner, or most recommended is a US product called Deoxit . It comes in a rejuvenator kit from Jaycar.
    Any experience with this or these products, or is there a better way?
    The contact cleaner in spray cans is a lot cheaper will that do it ? or go the $30 plus post or pick up with the Deoxit ?
    I don't mind giving them the best treatment I can, they are very special to Me.
    I just don't want to pay a lot more if its the same thing.

    The speakers also have crossover switches at the rear and I did read this could also be a problem area so I will have to treat that as well .

    Also what about where the wires terminate at the speaker ? I think they are soldered on .
    Ill have a look but If that is the case should I leave them . Only clean and treat if its a plug ?

    Thanks
    Rob

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  3. #2
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    Sometimes old speakers sag and rub their voice coil on the speaker magnet core.
    Try turning the boxes upside down for a while and see if it changes.

  4. #3
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    Rather than invert the boxes rotate the speakers 180°.

  5. #4
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    Could it be noisy pots in the amp?
    CHRIS

  6. #5
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    It does sound like it may be a capacitance issue but have you swapped out the speakers with another, known set to be sure it is the speaker(s) and not elsewhere in your system? (eg. amp, pre-amp, whatever.)

    I'd recommend using new speaker wire for this test as well as old cabling can break down from age, even without flexing, and give similar effects.

    It's also worth looking at the cross-over PCBs looking for potential dry joints. A quick touch of a soldering iron to each would ensure this isn't a possible cause.

    Cleaning the contacts every few years is a good idea anyway, if you're a true audiophile. Even if you have no problems! I like Deoxit for this as other, cheaper cleaners can be a tad harsh. Fine to clean contacts once or twice (eg. for soldering) but I wouldn't base even a decadely cleaning regimen on them.

    Personally, in your shoes I'd just use a cheaper cleaner just to see if cleaning makes any difference at all.

    Even if it does fix things I'd still recommend checking the other things I've covered. When age becomes involved it's often lots of little things adding up to cause the problem and while fixing one may seem to make the problem go away... it'll only take another little thing becoming worse to seemingly bring the same problem back but not be fixable in the same manner as last time.

    My beloved custom DA towers are coming up to 38 years old now and have outlasted many an amp (...and partner. ) I know what you mean by their being special to you.
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  7. #6
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    I turned them upside down and they still did it but it may have been less , Im not sure . Ill try them the right way up again tomorrow and see. sounds like its a good idea to turn them in the boxes any way . Id turn them and not just the boxes if its the main problem . Don't know any thing about pots in the Amp hopefully its not that. I have another set of smaller speakers nearby so Ill try them out . Ive been meaning to get on to fixing this for months . I want to raise the speakers up high so have to get it sorted before I do that .

    Ill clip the ends for some fresh wire first and try that . Its looking a bit old on the ends. Try the other speakers and then get some cheap contact spray . The boxes were made for the speakers. I bought the speakers off a shop that dealt in mainly Tannoy speakers and other Hi Fi gear like Amps and the brand new CD with its player that had just come out .
    They had a pair with no boxes for some reason . So I worked out the internal dimensions of the English box that they came in and built them to that out of 25mm MDF . Then veneered them in Mahogany . They are braced on the inside and packed out with wadding held in place with Hession . They are heavy .
    First had them on a Yamaha 80 W amp that the shop sold as well . loved that amp but it started having problems years later and I gave it to the wrong guy to fix , it got worse from there . He fitted a new transformer that was to big for it and buggered it right up . I used a Rega Planner 2 turntable for the records . And had some crazy Hi Fi nights with the mates over in the days we were all apprentices .
    Crystal clear perfection it was . Or as close as I could afford to get a great sound.

    Rob

  8. #7
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    Inverting the boxes or speakers will take weeks for any results to become obvious. It has taken years for the sag to develop

  9. #8
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    Rob, I'd swap out the amp and see if a different one duplicates the crackle. In my experience with ageing amps (like their owner), the joints begin to go. I've have to twice deal with a crackling volume control. This responded to cleaning (compressed air).

    Regards from Perth

    Derek
    Visit www.inthewoodshop.com for tutorials on constructing handtools, handtool reviews, and my trials and tribulations with furniture builds.

  10. #9
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    Quote Originally Posted by derekcohen View Post
    Rob, I'd swap out the amp and see if a different one duplicates the crackle.
    I could try that if I had another amp Derek but I don't have a second one . I hope I don't have to go amp shopping .

    Rob

  11. #10
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    Rob, those old Tannoys are very efficient speakers. This means that you could connect a low power source to one, such as a bedside radio. Perhaps that may be enough to get sound sound from them. Alternately, try the amp with headphones - I assume the output is from the same control? What amp do you have, and how old is it?

    Regards from Perth

    Derek
    Visit www.inthewoodshop.com for tutorials on constructing handtools, handtool reviews, and my trials and tribulations with furniture builds.

  12. #11
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    The Amp is an Onkyo integra Derek . The speakers are a dual concentric from around 1981.

    Rob

  13. #12
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    The amp has a headphone socket. Try it with headphones - you do have headphones? Do you still get the crackle when the volume control is adjusted?

    Regards from Perth

    Derek
    Visit www.inthewoodshop.com for tutorials on constructing handtools, handtool reviews, and my trials and tribulations with furniture builds.

  14. #13
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    I have headphones for use at the computer but the jack is 3mm roughly . The Amp one is next size up .

    I'm going to try freshen the speaker cable ends this morning then I'll swap speakers out . And if its still there I'll start worrying that its the Amp .
    If its the speakers then Ill buy some contact spray and see how that goes.
    I'm thinking if there was a slight difference in crackle like I though I possibly heard yesterday when I flipped the speaker boxes then it may be the cable end . I haven't actually given them a wiggle while the problem shows itself. I do know the cable ends are oxidized and not fresh .
    Rob

  15. #14
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    Quote Originally Posted by auscab View Post
    The Amp is an Onkyo integra Derek . The speakers are a dual concentric from around 1981.
    What is the age of the Amp Rob, and is it Stereo or 5.1 or similar? I had a 1999 vintage Onkyo 777 (with other letters there too) which was a 5.1 jobbie. About 2 years ago, maybe 3, it started buzzing (a constant buzz) when first turned on. This would more or less disappear once it warmed up - depending upon winter or summer it would be 3-8 or so minutes (we're a cold climate here). This was clearly a heating issue, in that a bit of heat was required to get rid of the buzz. We got into the habit of turning it on enough minutes before we needed it, so it wasn't a huge big deal, but annoying enough.

    Then, about a year ago, it started turning off and then back on seemingly at random. It could do this a few times in a row, and it seemed to be worse in hot weather. This was not just annoying in the end (and annoying in the "end") it just had to be replaced. So this was due to over-heating, it would seem. Clearly this amp had a very finicky temp range where it would work properly.

    I did some research and found a new model Onkyo on runout special for a good price (somewhere around $900) and consulted with a friend who knows about such things. He said he didn't like Onkyo's because of the way they didn't handle heat. "Funny you should mention that....."

    So I bought a Denon 7.1 AVR-X2400H and crikey it's a good thing. I only have 5.1 speakers in the main room so I can use the extra two channels stereo cordless speakers in another room if I want. Amps these days are as cheap as chips when you consider what you get. Connected to the net through my modem for Spotify et al, automatic firmware updates - one happened a couple of nights ago. The sound quality from a Direct to Disc Vinyl (San Francisco Ltd) with the amp set to "Pure" (aka Direct) is just beautiful. The sweetest acoustic bass I've ever heard.



    Quote Originally Posted by auscab View Post
    I have headphones for use at the computer but the jack is 3mm roughly .
    You can get an adaptor for that at some sort of electronics shop. Just a few bucks.
    Regards, FenceFurniture

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  16. #15
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    I bought it second hand around 1996 maybe ? So its getting on a bit I suppose .

    If your using 5.1 and 7.1, that's for surround sound with a tv isn't it ?
    I do have a spare 5.1 from a surround sound for the tv . Its a Yamaha, will that run the stereo OK ? A Tuner , cassette tape, which I rarely use , a CD player and possibly the turntable if I ever plug it back in ?
    I could get by on just a tuner , its not digital though and the CD player.

    I trimmed both ends of wires today and the Tannoy speakers still had distortion . Swapped speakers with the other set , sounded good at first but then I heard distortion again . It wasn't happening as much but it was there. Ill still get some contact cleaner posted and clean fittings first. The back of the second set is work shop dirty . All this gear was used in my old workshop for the last ten years or so .

    Rob

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