Facepalm please! I am going nuts...

Discussion in 'Audio Hardware' started by basuled, Nov 17, 2014.

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  1. basuled

    basuled Member Thread Starter

    I am having a strange issue.

    Yesterday I was playing Down to the waterline from the album Dire Straits by Dire Straits. Bob Ludwig remaster. I have multiple copies of this CD. Bought in various years. And as my amp setup is somewhat new I was increasing the volume when the song started to play. Slowly. And before the drums come crashing there is a short passage and as I was moving my volume up and down I heard click and pops like a vinyl has in 3 particular places. I tried with all the CDs. Same result.

    My setup -

    WinXP -> Audioquest Dragonfly 1.2 DAC -> Onkyo A-9030 Integrated Amp -> PSB Alpha B1

    Now I removed the DAC and played directly through my PC sound card. Same result.

    I was using a surge protector for my amp, removed that too. Same result.

    This is not the click and pop that the volume control has due to dirt. Because otherwise there is no noise. Not at other parts of the same track or any other track.

    BUT, I plugged in my Sony 2.1 speakers instead of the amp and there was no click and pops in the same location. However the power of the Sony is 1/5th of the Onkyo.

    The clicks and pops occur if the volume is turned up and down quickly and not if the volume is kept constant. It is a weird thing.

    I am depressed.
     
  2. james

    james Summon The Queen

    Location:
    Annapolis
    is it a "dirty" volume pot?
     
  3. basuled

    basuled Member Thread Starter

    No not at all. it is a brand new amp just been around 6 months.
     
  4. basuled

    basuled Member Thread Starter

    The 'thing' does not happen on all tracks. That is what is making me go nuts.
     
  5. BrokenByAudio

    BrokenByAudio Forum Resident


    It doesn't happen with other CD sources??
     
  6. basuled

    basuled Member Thread Starter

    Not on other DS tracks. But in some tracks where is say a few seconds passage in the music without too much of high frequency. It is so difficult to explain it.

    I wish if someone could test that same track on their system.
     
  7. 80sjunkie

    80sjunkie Forum Resident

    Location:
    Dallas, Texas
    Does this happen across all line in inputs? I see this amp has 4.
     
  8. basuled

    basuled Member Thread Starter

    Yes all line in inputs.
     
  9. BrokenByAudio

    BrokenByAudio Forum Resident


    I suspect they'd not replicate the problem.

    I'm not a techie but a couple of times in the past I've had noise issues that were somewhat similar to yours (but NOT limited to just one track on multiple copies of the same disc) and the issue has come down to a bad capacitor in my amplification. So I guess my next troubleshooting approach would be to put the amp into a different setup and play the same discs through a different player (different everything, except the amp). If you recreate the problem you'll have it narrowed down to an amplification issue.
     
    Dave likes this.
  10. basuled

    basuled Member Thread Starter

    But not on all tracks.
     
  11. basuled

    basuled Member Thread Starter

    Like now I am playing Morrison Hotel and everything is fine.
     
  12. deadcoldfish

    deadcoldfish Senior Member

    Location:
    Santa Rosa, CA
    So, are you playing the actual CD or a rip of it from the PC ?
     
  13. basuled

    basuled Member Thread Starter

    I am playing the original CDs.
     
  14. basuled

    basuled Member Thread Starter

    But in the next track Water of Love nothing such happens. This track also has micro passages at the beginning.
     
  15. 80sjunkie

    80sjunkie Forum Resident

    Location:
    Dallas, Texas
    Not sure what would cause this. Sort of sounds like extreme clipping the way you describe it, like the signal coming out of your computer is too hot.

    Do you have a regular cd player with line out to try? Test by taking the computer out of the equation.
     
  16. deadcoldfish

    deadcoldfish Senior Member

    Location:
    Santa Rosa, CA
    Ok, so when you replay the track that has the clicks and pops again, do the clicks and pops occur at the same point ?
     
  17. basuled

    basuled Member Thread Starter

    Yes. At the same point.
     
  18. 80sjunkie

    80sjunkie Forum Resident

    Location:
    Dallas, Texas
    If it is the amp, is it new enough to qualify for exchange or warranty repair?
     
  19. basuled

    basuled Member Thread Starter

    Does anyone here own an Onkyo A-9030 ? If so can you please run an experiment for me?

    Disconnect all the inputs and power on the amplifier with the speakers. Set direct mode off. Set phase matching bass on. Now slowly turn the controls and see if they make a click at every increment point. Volume, Bass, Treble and balance.

    Mine is producing a click sound and on line 4 it is more pronounced.
     
  20. basuled

    basuled Member Thread Starter

    It is definitely under warranty, but taking to the service center means, the aesthetic is bound to be ruined.
     
  21. I'm not kidding. When crazy stuff like this happens I start tapping units, moving cables. Pick up one side of a unit about an inch and let it fall back down. Do all this while the gear is on, both with and with out music playing. Unplug and reseat all cables. do this before you think about getting something serviced.

    Oh, and do this to ALL of the gear in your system, not just to the unit you think is the offender.
     
  22. basuled

    basuled Member Thread Starter

    I have obsessive compulsive disorder. I can't take it to the service center and re-use the unit.
     
  23. GoldprintAudio

    GoldprintAudio Forum Resident

    Location:
    Lexington, NC

    So you only hear it when there is no music playing, or there is a soft passage?

    This is probably normal. I've heard other units that do this as well. It's likely doing it all the time, just that you can not hear it when music is being played.

    Is it the noise varying in sound, or is it always a small tick/click sound?
     
  24. Ham Sandwich

    Ham Sandwich Senior Member

    Location:
    Sherwood, OR, USA
    What software are you using on the computer to play the CD?
    It's possible that this is a software problem on the computer, and not a problem with the amp.
     
  25. Beattles

    Beattles Senior Member

    Location:
    Florence, SC
    Does it only make the sound if the volume is changed or does it make the sound at steady volume? On different copies of same cd but same exact place?
     
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