Audio Crackling/Popping

[TechFan@ic]

Hey guys, I've been having issues with my Xonar DX sound card & Sony MDR V6 Studio Headphones, not entirely sure what's causing it but the audio exhibits horrendous crackling especially with bass, I've read that I might need a headphone amp, although I bought the Xonar DX thinking that it already had a very decent headphone amp.

Any idea how I can diagnose this issue ?

The crackling is clearly evident in this video especially at the bass heavy beginning.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gFD7NTDrAqE

 

 

[Godlygamer23]

Have you adjusted the equalizers at all? Do you have Crossover Frequency adjustment?

[Stav Kats]

My Samson SR850 with a Xonar DGX also pop/crackle in this video. It is the first time I notice something like that. Maybe it is too bass heavy for our soundcards.

By the way, the Xonar DX doesn't have a headphone amp.

Edited June 16, 2013 by Stav Kats

[Godlygamer23]

I just listened to the beginning of the song, and I'm getting some crackling too.

[TechFan@ic]

Godlygamer23, on 16 Jun 2013 - 7:34 PM, said:

Have you adjusted the equalizers at all? Do you have Crossover Frequency adjustment?

Yes & no, although the crackling remains exactly as is even with the equalizer at default and crossover frequency disabled.

Stav Kats, on 16 Jun 2013 - 7:39 PM, said:

My Samson SR850 with a Xonar DGX also pop/crackle in this video. It is the first time I notice something like that. Maybe it is too bass heavy for our soundcards.

By the way, the Xonar DX doesn't have a headphone amp.

The more I read about it the more I think I need an amp, my headphones have an impedance rated at 62 OHMs at 1Khz.

By they way, I have 0 craclking with my cheapo headphones plugged into the soundcard or the onboard audio.

[t0wer]

if it's your recording, lower the recording volume.

 

if it's not, stop listening to music on youtube.

[Godlygamer23]

Something tells me it's the quality of the song. I watched a video the other day with so much bass I could feel the speakers vibrating the plastic behind them, but it was crystal clear.

[Stav Kats]

The more I read about it the more I think I need an amp, my headphones have an impedance rated at 62 OHMs at 1Khz.

I don't know if I can recommend you the Xonar DGX after hearing that popping sound in this video but it is the first time hearing it. Maybe it is worth a try since it is so inexpensive.(The PCI version costs 30$ and the PCI-e version costs 40$)It is capable to handle more than 62 Ohms.

[TechFan@ic]

if it's your recording, lower the recording volume.

 

if it's not, stop listening to music on youtube.

No it's not, but I hear the exact same crackling when I play that song on http://www.virtualpiano.net/ , so it's not the recording.

 

Something tells me it's the quality of the song. I watched a video the other day with so much bass I could feel the speakers vibrating the plastic behind them, but it was crystal clear.

Yes it's weird, I listened to the infamously bass heavy Skyrim theme song again & again with no crackling what so ever.

[TechFan@ic]

I don't know if I can recommend you the Xonar DGX after hearing that popping sound in this video but it is the first time hearing it. Maybe it is worth a try since it is so inexpensive.(The PCI version costs 30$ and the PCI-e version costs 40$)It is capable to handle more than 62 Ohms.

I already own the Xonar DX, which is a significantly more expensive sound card, (costs slightly more than double the DGX)

[Godlygamer23]

No it's not, but I hear the exact same crackling when I play that song on http://www.virtualpiano.net/ , so it's not the recording.

 

Yes it's weird, I listened to the infamously bass heavy Skyrim theme song again & again with no crackling what so ever.

I also didn't mention that I was using headphones for both the embedded video and the video I mentioned.

[TechFan@ic]

I think I will just go ahead & order an amp & report back if the crackling is gone, any recommendations ? I just want something simple for around 40$ or less.

[Stav Kats]

I already own the Xonar DX, which is a significantly more expensive sound card, (costs slightly more than double the DGX)

But the DX is not ment for headphones,  it is ment for speakers. No matter how much more it costs than the DG/DGX, it is not fir listening with headphones. The DG/DGX are headphone "optimised".

[t0wer]

are you getting the same cracking outside of virtual piano?

[h264]

No it's not, but I hear the exact same crackling when I play that song on http://www.virtualpiano.net/ , so it's not the recording.

 

Yes it's weird, I listened to the infamously bass heavy Skyrim theme song again & again with no crackling what so ever.

 

I hear the crackling too, even on my O2 and He-500 each of the "keys" is a recording of a real piano, but they didn't do anything to keep playing the audio between tracks or smooth the clipping at the beginning and end of each sound effect.  How terrible.  They should learn 2 flash.

 

I think I will just go ahead & order an amp & report back if the crackling is gone, any recommendations ? I just want something simple for around 40$ or less.

 

Buying more sound equipment won't fix clipping in a recording.

[h264]

Yes & no, although the crackling remains exactly as is even with the equalizer at default and crossover frequency disabled.

The more I read about it the more I think I need an amp, my headphones have an impedance rated at 62 OHMs at 1Khz.

By they way, I have 0 craclking with my cheapo headphones plugged into the soundcard or the onboard audio.

 

Your "cheapo" headphones don't even respond at the frequency where this effect occurs, which is why they ironically sound better.

[TechFan@ic]

Your "cheapo" headphones don't even respond at the frequency where this effect occurs, which is why they ironically sound better.

That's what I thought too.

Thanks everyone for your replies !