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Topic: Is crackling and popping harmful to speakers? (Read 11223 times) previous topic - next topic
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Is crackling and popping harmful to speakers?

I have some 24bit 96 songs (FLAC) and at some points when listening to them I hear some popping/crackling. Do you think that that is because 24-bit 96 are Vinyl formats?

Is crackling and popping harmful to speakers?

Reply #1 –
You should know better than us if the source for those files was a vinyl. If that's the case, yes, you can expect lots of noise, crackle, distortion, depending how it was captured and post-processed.

And the files being 24 bit at a 96 khz sample rate has nothing to do with vinyl. Many do capture at that high resolution believing it's better or more accurate - it isn't. But that's another topic.

Is crackling and popping harmful to speakers?

Reply #2 –
But if this file is not Vinyl, what can I do to prevent the crackling/popping noise?
I heard that you can change buffer or something. What do you suggest to do?

Is crackling and popping harmful to speakers?

Reply #3 –
You can't do anything if it's in the recording.

Well maybe, load it into an editor and try and clean it up.

Is crackling and popping harmful to speakers?

Reply #4 –
Is this crackling/popping harmful to speakers?

Is crackling and popping harmful to speakers?

Reply #5 –
First you need to make sure it's in the files. Does the crackling always sound the same? Is it always at the same position? Then it's likely to be in the files.
"I hear it when I see it."

Is crackling and popping harmful to speakers?

Reply #6 –
Let say that is in the file. Is this popping/crackling harmful to speakers? (if it is in files)

Is crackling and popping harmful to speakers?

Reply #7 –
That depends on the energy of the crackling and whether your amplifier can drive your speakers that far.

Are you still interested in getting an answer to your initial question? If so, please do what probedb and xnor suggested.
It's only audiophile if it's inconvenient.

Is crackling and popping harmful to speakers?

Reply #8 –
If it's the occasional pop or short crackling I doubt it'll do any damage to speakers if you listen at reasonable levels. When it's more aggressive and longer durations of crackling or if you turn up the volume I guess the tweeter isn't going to be happy.
"I hear it when I see it."

Is crackling and popping harmful to speakers?

Reply #9 –
In the age of vinyl, every speakers had to tolerate those glitches from vinyl anyway.
When I was in junior high or so, I used to rent vinyls from rental shops, typically with many damages here and there. I don't think you have to worry too much about it.

Is crackling and popping harmful to speakers?

Reply #10 –
Thank you for your answers.
But if you want to listen to 24bit Vinyl on your computer than you have to get used to crackling/popping, right?
Because every 24-bit Vinyl file that I listen to contains that crackling/popping. Is this normal?

Is crackling and popping harmful to speakers?

Reply #11 –
Quote from: bwssouth on
Because every 24-bit Vinyl file that I listen to contains that crackling/popping. Is this normal?


It is normal for vinyl to have crackling and popping. If you make a recording of that vinyl, and don't do anything to remove the crackling and popping, then yes, it will still be there in the digital file too, and yes, that is normal.

Is crackling and popping harmful to speakers?

Reply #12 –
Distortions with vinyl transfer do not depend at all on the files being 24 bit, but on the quality of the transfer and the medium, and are also inherent deficiencies of the source medium technology. Good transfers should not have unpleasant artifacts, but with bad transfers it's very likely. Also, you can store your vinyl transfers in 16 bit (and 44.1 kHz) files without it affecting fidelity.
It's only audiophile if it's inconvenient.

Is crackling and popping harmful to speakers?

Reply #13 –
Let's try to put it simple:
If you take a photograph of yourself, it doesn't automatically make you seem more handsome and healthier, even if captured with a professional camera (let's say.. 20MPixel lens)


IF what you are hearing is the typical cracks and pops present in vinyls, the files in the computer retain exactly how it sounded when it was recorded. This is a limitation of the vinyl medium, and one of the reasons why digital media is considered better.

Usually, people that record themselves vinyl to digital, also do some audio editing with specialized programs (denoisers and other DSP filters), so that this annoyances can be reduced. Generally, this is a manual job, just made easier by using the correct tools.


24bit 96Khz digital audio is one thing, and vinyl digitalized to 24bit 96Khz is another.

Is crackling and popping harmful to speakers?

Reply #14 –
Thank you for the answers.

But what are called the mediums which contain 24-bit quality and are often used by DJs in club?
I am little confused here because this type of medium doesn't create popping/crackling.

Is crackling and popping harmful to speakers?

Reply #15 –
These days, many DJs aren't actually dealing with vinyl, there are digital turntable-like things that allow scratching, beat-matching, etc. on digital files.

Is crackling and popping harmful to speakers?

Reply #16 –
Quote from: bwssouth on
But what are called the mediums which contain 24-bit quality and are often used by DJs in club?
I am little confused here because this type of medium doesn't create popping/crackling.
How is this relevant? First you were talking about vinyl. Now you are talking about DJs. Where is the connection? And I have no idea how people can make it any clearer: crackling and popping are properties of vinyl OR poorly configured audio hardware, at any rate. They have no causal relationship to/from the bit-depth or sampling rate.

Quote from: bwssouth on
Let say that is in the file. Is this popping/crackling harmful to speakers? (if it is in files)
If? Why have you not tested the possibility to determine whether you have (A) glitchy rips of vinyls or (B) glitchy playing hardware? There is no point in avoiding the work by making a guess. You might just end up soliciting answers that are not applicable.

Quote from: Kohlrabi on
Quote from: julf on
you could probably get away with 8 bits (most DJs use mp3 files).
What are you implying? An 8 bit audio file will sound considerably worse than a properly encoded MP3 file of a 16 bit source.
This. Any equivalence portrayed between MP3 and such low-parameter uncompressed audio is irresponsibly misleading.

Is crackling and popping harmful to speakers?

Reply #17 –
db1989, I didn't use if in the manner of guessing but I used if in the manner of emphasizing or providing more clearly that popping is in files.

Is crackling and popping harmful to speakers?

Reply #18 –
You connected your audio format with crackling and popping... you never said how frequent these glitches happen. On vinyl usually they are almost permanent. Every grain of dust is a crackle...

did you ever hear a vinyl played back on an analog turntable?

Is crackling and popping harmful to speakers?

Reply #19 –
Quote from: db1989 on
Quote from: Kohlrabi on
Quote from: julf on
you could probably get away with 8 bits (most DJs use mp3 files).
What are you implying? An 8 bit audio file will sound considerably worse than a properly encoded MP3 file of a 16 bit source.
This. Any equivalence portrayed between MP3 and such low-parameter uncompressed audio is irresponsibly misleading.

This portion of the discussion has been split:
http://www.hydrogenaudio.org/forums/index....howtopic=102940

Is crackling and popping harmful to speakers?

Reply #20 –
I think we need a sample (15 to 20 seconds) of the file to work this one out. Vinyl noise is pretty easy to distinguish. My guess is that the OP has some corrupted files, presumably with much worse artifacts than typical vinyl if he's worried about speaker damage.

bwssoutth, can you please upload a few short samples?

Is crackling and popping harmful to speakers?

Reply #21 –
...indeed, samples needed - he could have perfectly fine files, but his equipment cannot play back 24/96 files properly for some reason.