hello, new to the forum so please forgive any novice errors...

i have a pair of m22 v2 axiom speakers which i'm running from an old pioneer sx750 amp/tuner. i bought this amp at a garage sale for $10, it's in fairly good shape but there's definitely some dust in it, most of the knobs crackle when turned...anyway, i have noticed since i got the speakers that they regularly crackle, especially when playing, say, solo piano works or recordings with a similarly small range of dynamics (whereas I don't detect it when there's a full ensemble playing or some rock). likewise, when i use my headphones (AKG701) i hear crackling, same as with speakers but i also notice it on isolated bass sounds as well(but not bass in a fuller instrumentation).

the crackling doesn't sound like the speakers/phones are "blown" but rather that the signal is busted, kind of like it's too weak or something, -- but then again, i don't know what blown speakers sound like. the fact that i noticed this with new speakers and headphones also leads me to believe it's the receiver -- or the power.

any one have any insights on this? i live in an old building and our electricity will go off if we use too many devices at one time -- could this have something to do with it? i can try to be more detailed but i feel like this post is already quite long.

sorry i'm such a n00b...

Sounds like it's almost certainly the receiver. The electricity seems unlikely to me, and if you're getting it through the headphones and the speakers, it's definitely not the speakers.

It is not the speakers, it is most likely the garage sale receiver your using. If your also hearing crackling in the headphones, it is obviously not the speakers. It may not be in as good shape as you think it is...

that seems reasonable -- i'm worried though, what are the chances that the receiver damaged the speakers? NB i don't play my music especially loud; surely there are moments when i crank it but i've never even got that volume knob to the 12 o'clock position before.

and just now i tried my headphones through my mixer in another room and, i still noticed the crackle....

I would assume that if you heard crackling, you didn't keep playing it for an extended period of time, so the speakers are most likely just fine.

Welcome Novalis!
One more thing I'll add to the above is that I would be very careful about using that receiver to play your new speakers loudly as damage to the speakers might result.

Most speakers can absorb pretty high amounts of power, as long as the signal is clean. When an amp is overdriven (clipping) or your getting some other types of funky crackling, etc., the speaker is not being asked to reproduce musical waveforms (generally somewhat smooth and "rounded"), but jagged waveforms produced by the crackles or overdriven amp. These can damage speakers at lower volumes much more easily than a clean, loud signal.

oh yeah, i mean, the receiver looks ok but it could very well be all messed up. i just don't know anything about that kind of stuff (e.g. what could cause the crackle in the receiver?) ultimately, i really want another receiver...

thank you!

i hope i haven't spoiled my m22s! or my akgs!

Over time things wear out, that is life. If the receiver is older, the electrical components inside could just be worn out. It might be a small problem, but would not be worth trying to figure out and you'd spend more than what you payed to have it fixed.

You would be better off buying an affordable receiver new for a couple of hundred bucks if that is in your budget.

in some ways this little thread has been just what i needed -- I MUST GET A NEW RECEIVER!!!

Uh, seriously, buy a decent receiver. Like, today.

You've got $500 pair of speakers and a $350 set of headphones there. They deserve more than a $10 garage sale receiver.

Something like this (refurb Denon AVR687 for $139) would be far, far, far superior to your garage-sale special and should be affordable for just about anyone.

And to be really honest, those AKG701's ought to have their own headphone amp if you really want to hear their potential.

oh yes, my order for buying these things has not been logical exactly, but has been mostly organized by circumstance. i was afraid that i had already done too much damage to the speakers before i had a chance to get a new receiver...let's hope that's not the case and that i will soon be rocking out.

but seriously, i'm such a newb with this stuff!

thanks everyone for your quick and helpful replies. sorry this is kind of a lame thread.

Your volume potentiometer (pot/dial) is most likely dirty.

If you really wanted to consider saving the receiver, you could disassemble and clean the pot with tuner cleaner.

Bren R.

A nice one.
And not too expensive...