Crackling noise from speakers...

[Fab]

Hi,

I need some advice on a little thing i noticed in my 2008 X2 i recently purchased :

I noticed that there is a crackling noise coming from the speakers(all the sepakers, no matter the source input i choose), but only when the engine is running ?!! if i turn the volume higher i don't hear this noise but at low volume it's clearly disturbing.

When the engine is off, with the key turned on left position to have audio, the sound is clear...

I thought it may be something about the batteries, some electrical interferences ??

what do you guys think ?

[willyt]

Definitely an alternator whine... Search that and you should find a solution here.

[JimN]

Originally Posted by Fab

Hi,

I need some advice on a little thing i noticed in my 2008 X2 i recently purchased :

I noticed that there is a crackling noise coming from the speakers(all the sepakers, no matter the source input i choose), but only when the engine is running ?!! if i turn the volume higher i don't hear this noise but at low volume it's clearly disturbing.

When the engine is off, with the key turned on left position to have audio, the sound is clear...

I thought it may be something about the batteries, some electrical interferences ??

what do you guys think ?

List all of the components in the audio system. Did you install the system, or was it in the boat when you bought it?

Clean and tighten the battery terminals, then try it. That can make a difference. Look at the input level settings- are they all turned up, fully? That's not the way they're supposed to be set. The JL Audio website has a procedure for setting the input levels and it's the best way I have seen without needing an oscilloscope.

[EarmarkMarine]

Fab,
It would be helpful if you could describe the crackling noise as something that has a tempo that increases or decreases with engine RPM. Or, is it steady? Is it more of a high pitched whine like a siren or more of a ticking?
Is the noise the same on all audio sources such as ipod, CD and tuner?
Excluding the subwoofer because the lowpass crossover often filters the noise, is the noise in all or just a portion of the speakers?
Then certainly look into the points that Jim mentioned, especially if the amplifier gains are wide open.
There can be a substantial amount of resistance in the HU grounding given the small gauge, long run and multiple connections before it references the battery. If there is a difference between the potential of the HU and the amplifiers' ground or supply then this can introduce a noise loop. Or if the HU is getting its supply off of one battery while the amplifiers are getting their supply off of an alternate battery then this is sure to induce noise. You may have to verify that all audio equipment supplies are to a common point and all audio grounds are to a common point. And you may have to remove the HU from the factory harness and connect it to the battery direct as the amplifiers are or very close to the primary terminals of the amplifiers. Use no less than 14-gauge for this.
Make sure that all RCA cable ends are completely and tightly seated.
Thats a start.

David
Earmark Marine

[agarabaghi]

Check your ground, more often than not engine noise (if that is what it is) comes from a bad of poorly secured ground.

Also check that your rca cables are not running near main power cables or batteries.

[davidstan]

Took me 3 months to figure out this noise problem. I tried everything within reason and w/ help from Jim and Earmark and some dumb luck i got it. I started with the batteries then the rca cable segregation from power lines and then switching cables around to narrow down the problem as well as checking grounds thoughrally. I installed a ground loop isolator on the inside speaker amp and that semi solved or quite'ed down the noise. But what knocked out the noise completly was simply re-bundleing the cables in a neat package. Prolly combination of a lot of things did it but wow what a relief to have a clear system.

[Deltaxstar]

Make sure all your grounds go to the same battery that powers the amps if you landed grounds on a different battery then the 12v is pulled off of it could create noise.

[Thrall]

Same issue with Davidstan on my 06 with the OE setup.
I did a serious upgrade to my system after the 1st season anyway and the noise was gone.
Firends X15, same thing. IMO MC builds a top quality boat and then installs expensive components like cr@p.
CLean up the wiring, make sure power/gnd wires are not running parallel bundled with RCA cables. Make sure all gorunds are of the same guage as the power wire. Dedicated ground for each battery if you have 2 and all components running from each battery are grounded the same (ie dont have the + wire for a component from battery 1 and the - wire from the same component off of battery 2).

[Fab]

Thx for the tips !

I have the OE setup with two batteries, two amps, one for cockpit speakers and one for two tower speakers...it's a high pitched noise, but it doesn"t increase with engine RPM, if i turn the volume louder this sound doesn't increase, you can only hear it at low volume...

Whatever source input i choose it goes the same, on all speakers...

Gonna try what you told me, the strange thing is that it seems that this noise is recent, i purchased the boat recently and i didn't notice this noise at the begininng ?!!

[swatguy]

while by no means an expert like Earmarark or Jim, I am betting maybe someone bumped a gain/crossover or something from the way you describe, or there is a bad ground that got loose. Make sure your head unit is grounded to the same place your amps are. This liitle thing eliminates a lot of issues.

With that said wakeboat dealers and factories are far from stereo gurus, They tend to wire things the easiest way in most cases, which isn't always the "best" way.