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What could be the source of this crackling sound?
Connection problems commonly cause the crackling sound from a speaker.
The following are the two main causes for bad speaker connection:
Worn out speaker wires
This is experienced in most old car audio system installations, where the cables have been damaged. I would recommend 14AWG Speaker Wire that is available on Amazon to experience the best audio, it is worth upgrading factory speakers to rich quality OFC wires
Damaged connectors
Damaged connectors are most often at the speakers because they loosen when speaker wires move. For instance, the speakers that are more prone to this are those installed in the rear decks.
The harness is normally in a good state on the radio side unless when packed tight in the dashboard.
If these are your problems, try and replace the damaged connectors with strong FIXITOK spade connectors
When the wires and connectors have been looked at and are in a good state, the other cause of the crackling sound is the damaged voice coil.
The voice coil is constructed inside the magnet.
There is a small space between the voice coil and the magnet, and when the voice coil goes off-center, it might come into contact with the magnet resulting in a crackling noise.
A shortcut is caused when this contact happens. Even if shortcuts don’t last a long while, this is a good reason for the speaker to crackle.
What would cause a voice coil to go out of position?
- The speaker can be having the issue from the factory.
- The speaker’s cone or suspension was repaired and assembled back with the voice coil being placed out of position against the magnet.
- If you replaced the voice coil and you installed the new one wrongly.
In addition, it can also occur that the crackling sound is resulting from a speaker that has been connected to a faulty amplifier or a damaged pre-outs.
Normally, if the amplifier is damaged, speakers will not play, although this is not always the scenario.
Moreover, if the pre-outs are the problem, you will need to repair the amplifier or replace it depending on the levels of damage. If the amplifier is damaged and you need to replace it BOSS Audio Systems R1100M Monoblock Car Amplifier is my best pick with its powerful and good sound quality I highly recommend it
How can crackling sound damage the car speakers?
If the speaker is releasing a crackling sound, it could already be broken. If not, it could cause an interrupted current that overstrains the voice coil and could eventually damage the speaker’s mechanical or electrical part.
- Mechanical defaults are connected with broken or cracked cones whose erratic voice coil movements have been overstretched.
- In contrast, the electrical damage is related to the voice coil being damaged or blown.
Therefore, when you hear a crackling noise from your speakers, try not to use them until you fix the issue. If not, you will be risking the speaker and the other parts of the car audio system.
How do you fix crackling car speakers?
After realizing the cause of the problem, you need to go ahead and find the solution to it.
Steps:
Fix the connection between the amplifier or radio and the speakers
The initial step of fixing the crackling sound from car speakers is to fix the wire connections between the amplifier and the speaker if they are the ones causing the noise.
The wire might have been moved around a lot in the past by a child or pet.
To test this, turn off the system and disconnect the speaker wires from the amplifiers.
Now, try to start the car.
If the noise still exists, there is a possibility it is being radiated into the wires.
Therefore, reposition the wires or shield them using TitanRF Faraday Fabric Kit
Use high pass filters for all your speakers
In the right manner, set filters that will remove too much bass hitting the door speakers, resulting in distortion.
However, many car speakers are not built for strong and deep bass. Therefore, forcing low frequencies on these speakers can strain them, causing damage.
The solution is if you want to get bass from your speakers, install the subwoofer and isolate only frequencies above 80Hz for the door speakers.
Decrease the bass when the volume is high and increase it when the volume is low
You will hear distortion when playing loud music if the bass exceeds the speaker’s capability.
Therefore, you should adjust the bass and treble on the head unit as it should be. This reduces the chances of experiencing crackling sounds.
Avoid bass boosted music
Unless you compete, too much bass will destroy your audio quality.
Extra bass strains your speakers and any volume level, no matter how great your speakers are.
In addition, if you play very high bass for a long time will cause permanent damage to your speakers.
Therefore, avoid playing music or audio with too much bass.
Check the alternator and car battery
If you have tried fixing the wire connection and the noise is still there, the issue could be the car’s electrical system.
In such a situation, you will be required to fill the car battery.
If the noise is still there, seek a mechanic to check the alternator and the battery.
Moreover, if your car is old has not been turned for a while, chances are the ignition is causing the crackling sounds.
How do you know if the crackles are a result of the ignition? Listen for a ticklish sound that is different in speed with acceleration.
To solve this, you will need to tune it with JDMSPEED New 10.5mm Spark Plug Wire Set resistor-type spark plugs coil and distributor cap.
If the noise exceeds, it could be due to poor grounding of the car ignition system. Poor grounding broadcasts ticks to other items like the air conditioner, hood, and exhaust system.
Therefore, try grounding the underwood components and see if it will remove the noises.
Install a noise filter
If the issue is connected to the engine noise, you will hear whining or clicking sounds coming from the speakers.
In addition, if you find out that the noise comes when the engine is on, and the noise pitch changes with the engine’s RPM, then chances are the issue is your alternator.
This pitch is normally different from the speed of the engine.
Therefore, sometimes installing a noise filter can eliminate this kind of noise.
Moreover, you can also choose to isolate the car amplifier from the car chassis by installing it on the dashboard or using feet or rubber grommets.
If that doesn’t fix it, attempt using different types of patch cables.
If the noise continues regardless of the engine being on or off, then you need to look for the other audio sources leading to the noise.
In addition, installing sound-deadening materials in the car can also help eliminate this noise.
Conclusion
Listening to great music in your car is one of the best achievements that will change your driving experience.
However, people might make some simple mistakes that will lead to distortion of speakers in high or low frequency. Others may mount complex and expensive sound systems but still won’t get a clear output.
Moreover, the problem could originate from the car itself or the car system configuration.
Therefore, the above guide should help you fix the crackling noise and reduce its chances again.
