Audio issue - Sizzling from speakers

gorguts6

New member
Hello,

I just bought last month brand new audioengine HD6, and I love them! I just discovered few days ago a very undesirable sound, very noticeable and annoying while listening at middle to high volume. At first I tought it was only the active speaker but then realised that it was also happening but to less extend on the passive one.

It is not really a hiss or a hum, it's more like an annoying sizzling in the high end frequencies I would say. I even thought at some point it was maybe the magnetic grills vibrating as it really felt like a similar sound as if it was.

Laptop is plugged via USB into the Yamaha MG Mixer and the mixer output is XLR cable to RCA cable into the audioengine active speaker.

Speakers don't use the same power socket than the computer and are on stands, left and right from my desk.

It is very much apparent, when I put the volume at max on the mixer and reduce the volume at the min on the audioengine speaker.

I tried other channels of the mixer, the problem is on whatever channel i use.

I tried to connect the yamaha mixer to the speaker with another cable (stereo jack 1/4 to RCA), problem is still there.

The problem doesn't occur when I bypass the yamaha mixer, for example when I play from my smartphone directly to the speakers via chromecast, the noise is not here, so there is something wrong with the mixer i guess (bougth brand new 2 month ago!)

Any idea?
 
The problem doesn't occur when I bypass the yamaha mixer...

You're answering your own questions...so it's obviously not the speakers you were concerned about, and it's something to do with/at the mixer.

Is there something wrong with the mixer...?
Well, it's kinda hard to answer that question based on the limited info you provided. Could be...or could be how it's set up or how it's being used...etc.

You may want to remove the laptop/usb...and just trying sending a signal to/through the mixer and into the speakers.
It could be the laptop/USB thing.

Troubleshoot the problem...try to narrow it down, and eliminate the possible causes.
 
Hold on here - what kind of adapter are using from the XLR of the mixer to the RCA inputs of the speakers? The XLR is not stereo. I usually disvalue any stereo speakers that have the amp in one speaker and run a powered signal to the other one.

I see these selling for $700 - really? Do you really need the blue tooth? For that money you can get some decent monitors.
 
The audioengine HD6 speakers get a reasonable review, so they ought to get the job done pretty well, accepting their lack of low end punch.

The sizzle sounds like it's coming from the mixer.

It could be the output circuitry, specially when you observe that "It is very much apparent, when I put the volume at max on the mixer and reduce the volume at the min on the audioengine speaker."

On the other hand, it maybe that you have the input on one of the mixer's channels inadvertnetly set to very high, and what you are hearing is channel pre-amp noise.

So, as Miro says above, do some trouble shooting and work on a process of elimination.

1 Disconnect anything plugged into the speakers, and turn them full up and see what noise you get.

2 Connect the mixer. Turn all gain and faders settings down to nothing, turn the speakers to max and see what happens.

3 Leave the speakers at max, then bring up the master fader on the mixer.

4 Then bring up each channel separately, in case there is a dodgy chennel on the mixer.

5 Finally, connect the laptop and see what happens.
 
The audioengine HD6 speakers get a reasonable review, so they ought to get the job done pretty well, accepting their lack of low end punch.

The sizzle sounds like it's coming from the mixer.

It could be the output circuitry, specially when you observe that "It is very much apparent, when I put the volume at max on the mixer and reduce the volume at the min on the audioengine speaker."

On the other hand, it maybe that you have the input on one of the mixer's channels inadvertnetly set to very high, and what you are hearing is channel pre-amp noise.

So, as Miro says above, do some trouble shooting and work on a process of elimination.

1 Disconnect anything plugged into the speakers, and turn them full up and see what noise you get.

2 Connect the mixer. Turn all gain and faders settings down to nothing, turn the speakers to max and see what happens.

3 Leave the speakers at max, then bring up the master fader on the mixer.

4 Then bring up each channel separately, in case there is a dodgy chennel on the mixer.

5 Finally, connect the laptop and see what happens.

+1
 
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