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Post by tropicallutefisk on Jan 27, 2022 20:02:46 GMT -5
Just now I was watching TV at low volume and out no where my left Magnepan 3.7i started with a static noise coming from the mid bass/bass side of the panel. I haven’t done much trouble shooting yet, but verified it’s the speaker by swapping amps. The static has a bit of a crackle to it too. Till now the speaker was operating properly with no issues. Any ideas what this might be?
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Post by Jean Genie on Jan 27, 2022 22:59:28 GMT -5
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Post by tropicallutefisk on Jan 28, 2022 6:24:17 GMT -5
Thanks Old Blevins. That's a great article and very informative. Unfortunately, I'm not sure this is the issue. The static is constant even without sending a signal to it. The noise starts as soon as power is applied.
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Post by Jean Genie on Jan 28, 2022 7:33:52 GMT -5
Thanks Old Blevins. That's a great article and very informative. Unfortunately, I'm not sure this is the issue. The static is constant even without sending a signal to it. The noise starts as soon as power is applied. You're welcome. This may sound overly simple but, you might want to check/clean the contacts to the speaker. I've had static from a guitar amplifier that was removed by wiping the 1/4" connect jack down with alcohol (isopropyl?) Also, I once had a brand new, custom speaker cable develop a noticeable buzz. You might want to swap yours out to check. I hope the solution is that simple, good luck. |
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Post by tropicallutefisk on Jan 28, 2022 8:14:52 GMT -5
Thanks Old Blevins. That's a great article and very informative. Unfortunately, I'm not sure this is the issue. The static is constant even without sending a signal to it. The noise starts as soon as power is applied. You're welcome. This may sound overly simple but, you might want to check/clean the contacts to the speaker. I've had static from a guitar amplifier that was removed by wiping the 1/4" connect jack down with alcohol (isopropyl?) Also, I once had a brand new, custom speaker cable develop a noticeable buzz. You might want to swap yours out to check. I hope the solution is that simple, good luck. Excellent suggestions and hopefully its something simple. It happened just before going to bed and I'm working today, so serious troubleshooting won't happen till this evening. |
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Post by 405x5 on Jan 28, 2022 9:14:23 GMT -5
Just now I was watching TV at low volume and out no where my left Magnepan 3.7i started with a static noise coming from the mid bass/bass side of the panel. I haven’t done much trouble shooting yet, but verified it’s the speaker by swapping amps. The static has a bit of a crackle to it too. Till now the speaker was operating properly with no issues. Any ideas what this might be? I don’t know which Maggie owners forum is the best but I would find that out in a hurry and pursue there. Nothing beats common ground to find the answer amongst other enthusiasts that have run into similar (or the same) problem. The forum for my brand (Allison Acoustics) has been instrumental in solving issues over the years. |
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Post by audiobill on Jan 28, 2022 10:00:32 GMT -5
Audioasylum has a large group
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Post by AudioHTIT on Jan 28, 2022 10:55:55 GMT -5
… The noise starts as soon as power is applied.… Just to clarify the troubleshooting you’ve done so far; when you say ‘power applied’, if you just turn on the power amp (nothing else) you get the ‘static’? If you swap the speaker cables the static stays in the same speaker? Are you swapping at the amp end of the cable, or the speaker end? If you swap at the speaker end you also are testing the speaker cable, if you swap at the amp end the speaker cable could still be a problem (and Old Blevins suggestion to check all the connections is spot on). |
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Post by tropicallutefisk on Jan 28, 2022 11:38:32 GMT -5
… The noise starts as soon as power is applied.… Just to clarify the troubleshooting you’ve done so far; when you say ‘power applied’, if you just turn on the power amp (nothing else) you get the ‘static’? If you swap the speaker cables the static stays in the same speaker? Are you swapping at the amp end of the cable, or the speaker end? If you swap at the speaker end you also are testing the speaker cable, if you swap at the amp end the speaker cable could still be a problem (and Old Blevins suggestion to check all the connections is spot on). I just swapped amps not wires, so could definitely be the speaker cable. |
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Post by donh50 on Feb 1, 2022 7:03:49 GMT -5
My usual troubleshooting method is to swap wires at the amp and see if the noise stays with the same speaker or follows the amp, then swap wires at the speaker to see if it follows the wire or stays with the speaker.
Noise with no amp output is strange. Delamination caused by glue failure has not been a thing for a while now except for a very few cases. I have not really heard of delamination with the newer "full-QR" models like the 3.7i (that was mainly older models using wires instead of thin traces on the panels). The couple of failures I have read about were the membrane separating from the carrier rather than the traces delaminating. In any event, either of those failures would normally not exhibit with no signal, and get increasingly louder as the signal increases (as you turn up the volume).
So it sounds like the amp, except that you switched amps, so it could be a bad cable. Scratching noise, vs. a humming sound, sounds more like a bad connection someplace or a bad coupling capacitor (any of which could be within our outside the speaker). Check the connections very carefully and make sure there are no small stray wires or weak connectors (poor attachment of wire to connectors). Also make sure the fuses are firmly seated, and you could swap fuses. It is possible an internal connection failed, or a capacitor went bad in the crossover, but best to rule out all external causes first.
It has been many years since I worked as a tech and repaired Maggies but Magnepan was always supportive. I would give them a call if none of this works (last I tried, couple of years ago, email was not something they responded to well, but they are always responsive to a phone call).
HTH - Don
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Post by audiobill on Feb 1, 2022 7:13:13 GMT -5
Could this be a capacitor in the speaker crossover?
As I understand the issue, the problem persists even when changing amps....
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Post by tropicallutefisk on Feb 1, 2022 7:50:48 GMT -5
Sorry, for my silence on this. I have not had a chance to play with it. We got a water bill for over $600 due to a water leak under our slab. This has taken up my troubleshooting "free time". The solution is to replumb the entire house through the attic, and as one can imagine this is not cheap. Seems this is not an uncommon occurrence here in Florida.
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Post by donh50 on Feb 1, 2022 10:39:47 GMT -5
Could this be a capacitor in the speaker crossover? As I understand the issue, the problem persists even when changing amps.... Yes -- see my post above. |
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Post by donh50 on Feb 1, 2022 10:44:08 GMT -5
Sorry, for my silence on this. I have not had a chance to play with it. We got a water bill for over $600 due to a water leak under our slab. This has taken up my troubleshooting "free time". The solution is to replumb the entire house through the attic, and as one can imagine this is not cheap. Seems this is not an uncommon occurrence here in Florida. That happened to my uncle's house in Pasadena and it was a huge, costly, mess. It flooded a bedroom and adjacent room; fortunately, they caught it and the slope was such that it did not go further. In his case they actually broke up the concrete under a couple of rooms, replaced the pipe, and repaired the floor (concrete). They had to replace carpet and some molding, patch some drywall, and paint but would have had to do that anyway. It was cheaper than replumbing the entire place. Sorry it happened to you, hope it is fixed soon! |
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Post by Jean Genie on Feb 1, 2022 11:02:18 GMT -5
So sorry to hear of this. I hope you can get your plumbing system resolved quickly, at reasonable expense, and that the speaker issue is simple.
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Post by tropicallutefisk on Feb 1, 2022 11:42:03 GMT -5
Sorry, for my silence on this. I have not had a chance to play with it. We got a water bill for over $600 due to a water leak under our slab. This has taken up my troubleshooting "free time". The solution is to replumb the entire house through the attic, and as one can imagine this is not cheap. Seems this is not an uncommon occurrence here in Florida. That happened to my uncle's house in Pasadena and it was a huge, costly, mess. It flooded a bedroom and adjacent room; fortunately, they caught it and the slope was such that it did not go further. In his case they actually broke up the concrete under a couple of rooms, replaced the pipe, and repaired the floor (concrete). They had to replace carpet and some molding, patch some drywall, and paint but would have had to do that anyway. It was cheaper than replumbing the entire place. Sorry it happened to you, hope it is fixed soon! Thanks, Luckily, the water is simply staying under the slab, and not rushing out anywhere or destroying anything. Down here, once the pipe leaks, they figure its best to go through the attic for a long term fix. Our "soil", if I can call it that, shifts and settles so much another crack is probably likely. Total cost is going to be $5000. Just think of the goodies I could buy with that LOL |
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Post by donh50 on Feb 1, 2022 11:56:23 GMT -5
Ouch. Well, at least the Maggie's aren't under water.
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