# Old Audioengine A5 massive pops, crackle



## bayezid

Hi and thanks for reading
   
  I've had a pair of A5 for about 4 years now. A few months ago I noticed there was a bit of crackling, that wouldn't go away if I unplugged the source. More white noise than usual too.
  It got louder, I got sound like somebody's blowing in a mike, and then pops. Problems showed up randomly, but more and more frequently.
  The pops have recently gone louder, sometimes insanely loud. (membranes popping like 3").
   
  Again, plugging off the source has no impact. Turning the volume knob quickly (up or down) seems to affect the crackling though.
   
  I suspect a component or two are dying (capacitor? resistor?). 
  So my question is, what would be the most sensible?
   
  _cough up the money and buy a new set
  _bring it to a repair shop and hope they can fix it for a reasonable price AND that the troubles won't come back AND that the insane popping hasn't damaged the speakers
  _somehow try and fix it myself, if the components are easily testable and replaceable 
   
  Thanks again!


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## Pricklely Peete

Check the fuse(s)...if in doubt replace it with a fresh one of the exact same type.
   
  Hard to say for sure what the issue is...could be any number of things but checking the fuses first (and replacing them with fresh ones) may be the ticket.
   
  Peete.


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## bayezid

Thanks for the reply.
   
  I changed the main fuse, but no impact.


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## dvw

If you're not handy with DIY, you should take it to a repair shop.
  Crackle are usually indication of continuity issues; dirty connection, bad cable, corrupted solder joint, etc. It sounds like you already have a dirty pot, you need to clean it.
  Try tapping/shaking the speaker to see if you have a bad connection. Chang cable to see if you have a bad cable. Wiggle the connector and see if you have a bad connector/jack.
  Most likely you just need a cleaning.


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## bayezid

Did a bit of clean up, pot, circuits, etc. All cables well in place... It's even worse, had to put on earplugs to do the testing.
  Looks well beyond my abilities, I'm giving up.
   
  Thanks for the help though.


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## monk3r

I have been watching your progress with great interest as my A5s started doing exactly this last weekend. They were moved due to decorating taking place and now I have the exact same symptoms - the blowing into a mic sound, some very loud pops. Mine is only on the right speaker though. I tested the right speaker with a regular amp and there was no noise which leads me to believe it must be something inside the left speaker causing this. 
   
  Is it normal that only one channel on an amp starts to go, or is it the case that if an amp is on it's way out both speakers should be making that noise?


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## Pricklely Peete

It's beginning to look like a design defect and or poor quality parts failing prematurely. I bet a cap or two has gone bad. If you can remove the back panel and visually inspect all of the parts paying close attention to the electrolytic caps...if they have any oozing material from the bottom (near the pcb), any bulging tops, splits of any kind...get HQ replacements (like Panasonic FM, Nichicon HE) and up the V rating to 10% over stock (same uf rating). Also pay attention to any small film caps...if they have discoloration replace those...resistors should be clean with no burn marks...any resistors that are heavily discolored are about to fail or have partially failed. Replace those with the same value and mount a little off the pcb (for better air flow).
   
  Sorry to hear of the faults guys...the only way to really know what is causing the problem is to take the gear to a qualified tech (if DIY is out). Try posting/searching at DIY audio.com...there may be some specific answers already addressed. It's a technical site so be prepared to brush up on basic electronics if you plan on a DIY repair.
   
  Peete.


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## bradyb

[size=medium]The Audioengine 5 (A5) has been shipping for 4 (or 5?) years now and we haven't had any specific component failures and/or design issues but parts do fail over time unfortunately.   
   
  However, with that said, we have noticed a few returns with the "blowing into a microphone sound" (odd but that's the best way to describe it) and now have 4 samples with the production engineering guys to figure this one out.  So far no smoking gun or weak link, but we're still evaluating.  Regardless, if you're having any issues with your A5's or just have questions about our gear or computer audio in general, contact support at:  support@audioengineusa.com 
   
  Marshall or Daniel - the eternally patient and very knowledgeable support team - will do their best to take care of you.  
   
  .... and yes, I work for Audioengine and am a long-time lurker.  
   
  Regards,
  Brady 
   ​[/size]


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## Shubar

Oh snap, just two days ago I started getting the "blowing into a microphone sound" with my A5s. Will have to keep my eye out on this thread.


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## monk3r

Does this mean to say it is unlikely a local electrician will be able to fix my speakers given you aren't sure what is causing it? Just checking as I don't want to waste my money (well, no more than the £280 I spent on these speakers just over a year ago) on getting someone to repair them and fail only to then be charged a fee.


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## GREQ

I found this thread a couple of days ago while searching audioengine a5 faults, as mine started making loud popping noises when turning the speakers off from the rear switch.
  Guess what!? now I've started getting the "microphone blowing" sound through my right speaker too!! I think this thread is cursed!

 But I live in Germany, so I after one and a half years of owning these speakers, they should be fully covered by warranty. 
  Although the main reason I'm posting is to increase the awareness of the problem to owners, potential future owners and the guys at audioengine that there might actually be a weak link in the system.


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## trog

Ya more and more issues like this and overheating, balancing, etc popping up so i always tell peeps to stick to tried, tested and proven passives + amp set ups i'm afraid. There are peeps with speakers bought in the 70s still playing in their living rooms as we speak as a testament of durability and timeless design


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## GREQ

I'd love to have separate speakers and amps etc, but I just don't have the space which is why this system appeals to me (and so many others) so much. 
   
  Maybe it's time to think about 'making space' and my options...  *sigh*


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## klukkluk

My Audioengine A5 are having exact the same problem.
   
  First it starts with a little hissing and then it starts to pop-pop-pop (banging sound). Woofers where bulging out during that popping.
  Usually switching the power of and on again made the problem go away for awhile.
  But it became worse and worse over time.
  Now when I turn them on and start playing music they start popping right away. Really loud bangs.
  Tried hooking them up to a different source, changed the line in from back to top panel. Nothing worked.
  I can't use them anymore.
   
  Now I'm thinking of buying a used external amp. and hook them up to that. But I'm not sure how to do that since they are powered speakers.
  Does anybody know if that is possible at all? Which wires do I have to cut?
   
  I'm in Canada so only have 1 year warranty, the problem started after 14 months...
  Really disappointed with the build quality.


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## Pricklely Peete

Maybe a bad batch of parts made it into production ?.............I ran into problems with some cheap parts a few years back which would fail within a year even though they were rated for 10,000 hours at 70 C. They were Teapo and Samson brand caps rated for 105C (small value < 100uf 25V/16V electrolytic types). Some OPA's have been heavily counterfeit'd in the PRC such as the ubiquitous JRC5532/NE5532, some of the BB OPAs (2604/627) and quite a few Japanese brand output transistors (Hitachi/Toshiba) which look like the real deal on the outside but inside they are much inferior to the originals. The PRC has been trying to weed out the bad players in this scam but they pop up almost as fast as they are quashed. Sanken is another heavily faked output transistor.
   
  If this problem is showing up ( "microphone blowing" fault ) it might help to post date of manufacture and serial numbers. This could lead to a clue which might be explained by the bad batch of parts theory. I doubt the design has a flaw since it has been used for some years now. It's an odd problem but the fact that others are experiencing this same issue in a short period of time should help the manufacturer with nailing down the possible culprit(s).
   
  Peete.


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## GREQ

So I've finally decided to return my audioengine a5's. The popping and blowing noises only got worse and I've decided to go with separates (Wharfedale Diamond 9.1 + SW150 Sub in case you're interested - as I've already got an old stereo amp at hand and this combo is only 40 euros more than what I paid for the audioengine, as it's the older model with the circular rear port and no infra red volume control)
   
  If it helps anyone, my serial # is A508053006**B2 (I've masked 2 digits for privacy) This may help discern your model as being from a faulty batch.
   
  I just hope it's a smooth refund.


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## greeny69

All of the symptoms here look very familiar and the fact that these have been reported by numerous people suggests this is beyond coincidence. I suspect a defective batch of components or manufacturing run in the units affected, would be interesting to see serial numbers.
   
  My situation is made somewhat more annoying by the fact that despite close to $400 being spent on the speakers 14months ago, Audioengine cannot help me as I apparently purchased from a retailer that is not an authorized reseller of their product and hence have no warranty. I have never asked a retailer of a consumer product if they are authorized to sell the stock they carry; who does?. Maybe I will in future to avoid manufacturers absolving themselves of responsibility when customers are hit by their defective merchandise. Either that, or I will select manufacturers who will back their products without these sorts of reservations as this will probably indicate their level of confidence in their product. It would be refreshing to see more focus on the customer rather than a run for cover behind terms and conditions, particularly where there is evidence of recurring pattern of failure in a particular product. It would appear Audioengine prefer to blame the shopper rather than their deffective merchandise, and this leaves a bad taste. Word of mouth (and forum) reviews invariably have greater economic impact than manufacturers just doing the right thing by their customers - I don't think it is acceptable to say sorry we can't help because of your choice of retailer. I have asked Audioengine if they would reconsider their position - will post updates here for those interested.
   
  I have to say Customer service response from Audioengine has been prompt and courteous (Marshall), but in the absence of a satisfactory response, I would not go near Audioengine products again given this costly experience and the fact I am left with non-functioning speakers and no suggestions of how I might repair/rectify by the manufacturer.
   
  Richard
   
  Quote: 





bradyb said:


> The Audioengine 5 (A5) has been shipping for 4 (or 5?) years now and we haven't had any specific component failures and/or design issues but parts do fail over time unfortunately.
> 
> However, with that said, we have noticed a few returns with the "blowing into a microphone sound" (odd but that's the best way to describe it) and now have 4 samples with the production engineering guys to figure this one out.  So far no smoking gun or weak link, but we're still evaluating.  Regardless, if you're having any issues with your A5's or just have questions about our gear or computer audio in general, contact support at:  support@audioengineusa.com
> 
> ...


 
   
  Quote: 





pricklely peete said:


> It's beginning to look like a design defect and or poor quality parts failing prematurely. I bet a cap or two has gone bad. If you can remove the back panel and visually inspect all of the parts paying close attention to the electrolytic caps...if they have any oozing material from the bottom (near the pcb), any bulging tops, splits of any kind...get HQ replacements (like Panasonic FM, Nichicon HE) and up the V rating to 10% over stock (same uf rating). Also pay attention to any small film caps...if they have discoloration replace those...resistors should be clean with no burn marks...any resistors that are heavily discolored are about to fail or have partially failed. Replace those with the same value and mount a little off the pcb (for better air flow).
> 
> Sorry to hear of the faults guys...the only way to really know what is causing the problem is to take the gear to a qualified tech (if DIY is out). Try posting/searching at DIY audio.com...there may be some specific answers already addressed. It's a technical site so be prepared to brush up on basic electronics if you plan on a DIY repair.
> 
> Peete.


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## izz123

I have the exact same problem.
   
  Ever since I bought them, there was a weird cracking noise when they went into power saving mode and turned off the amp. Didn't bother me *that* much though.
   
  Then I started getting the "blow into microphone" noise, also with some cracking. Always mostly in the right speaker.
   
  I figured it must be some interference from the neighbor running the micro wave or something, since I'm on air play.
   
   
  But now it's not intermittent anymore, but permanent! I can't even keep the speaker on, there's a constant noise with loud cracking and popping sounds mostly from the right speaker.
   
   
  Could not find a serial number on the speakers, where is it located?


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## ProtegeManiac

Was at an audio retailer last week to demo the A2 and the A5, the latter had a screwed up pot despite being on display for a short enough time that it doesn't have even light scratches on it. It's starting to look like they got a bad batch of volume pots.


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## Sean.Perrin

I haven't posted in here for years, but this problem in my speakers has been happening, but only in the powered monitor, since 2010. It's gotten so bad that they are almost unusable.
   
  Were there any solutions found or am I SOL?


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## GREQ

Nobody ever posted the exact problem/culprit component.
   
  As it's a well documented problem (in various forums) in the A5 which they hopefully have remedied in the A5+, it may be worth contacting Audioengine anyway and asking about a repair due to a fault in the design. 
  I would simply try a polite soft approach, and you might just get lucky. It would be at the very least interesting to see how much they care about their customers vs. profits. 
   
  If it's the latter, then yes, you are SOL - although having said that, I'm sure it's possible to just bypass the amp, and re-wire the speakers to any old AV-receiver... which does defeat the point of a low-real-estate-desktop monitor system, but it should work fine.
  If they repair for free, the worst thing is that you'll probably pay the postage both ways.


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## ProtegeManiac

Quote: 





> Originally Posted by *GREQ* /img/forum/go_quote.gif
> 
> ...I'm sure it's possible to just bypass the amp, and re-wire the speakers to any old AV-receiver... which does defeat the point of a low-real-estate-desktop monitor system...


 
   
  That's going to be more complex than it seems depending on how the crossover modules are integrated into the amplifiers on the active speaker. However if one can get the specs, and PartsExpress happens to have one identical to or very close to it, then it should be easy enough.


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## astroboysoup

Hey there everyone, My AE5s have finally given up, after a year of the loud pop noise when switching it off, I finally started getting the loud hum and now the speaker crackling.
   
  I'm going to pull the entire thing apart this weekend and document exactly what I'm changing over in order to fix them.
   
  I had a quick look at the circuit boards and some of them have been seals on the back with plastic/protector so it is going to be hard to get to if they're covering the parts with the issues.
   
  At first glance all the connectors and wires look good. No oxidisation on them or all connected well so I have to agree with others here that it may be the capacitors on the boards.
   
  Will let you know how I go and how it costs to repair DIY style.
   
  I like these speakers and not going to give them up this easily.
   
  Peter


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## fkon

Hi guys, I have the same issue with my A5:s.
   
  As I turn them on they are silent for perhaps 30 sec or so, then the popping and crackling begins and it gradually increases until I have to turn the speakers off becouse the crackling is so loud. They are completely unusable right now.
   
  The fact that the behavior is escalating would indicate that it occurs as a component is warming up and that the issue is somehow temperature related. 
   
  Did anyone have any luck with dissecting the amplifier and replacing any defect component?
   
  Best regards
  Fredrik


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## greenside

I have same problem. Going to call tomorrow. What a bummer.

Any updates?


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## ntsnkfob

I contacted AEUSA about mine with this problem. They (Marshall) said they had had a few reports of the problem described here, but hadn't found a cause for it, and anyway mine were out of warranty, so goodbye. I'm pretty sure this is common enough to be a design fault, which, if they admit to, will deluge them with claims and perhaps a class action suit, so they are keeping quiet about it.
  
 Mine had several duff capacitors, which when replaced didn't fix the problem, so I imagine the problem is deeper than that. Marshall also said they had no stock of parts for the A5, as I asked if I could buy replacement boards or failing that - another passive unit crossover to convert them to a pair of passives.
  
 I'm definitely done with Audioengine.


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## Hatmann

I've owned A2s for several years and love 'em. No problems at all.
  
 Audioengine is a small company and their reps were very helpful to me.
  
 But even a small company ought to fix a design or manufacturing defect, even when the purchase is out of warranty. A good reputation is something you can't buy. Or get back once it's gone.


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## ntsnkfob

I ended up stripping the guts from the powered speaker, cutting the crossover from the PCB, and wired it up as a passive. I put a £20 Lepai amp on the back and have a reasonably nice sound from them, once I'd plugged up all the holes left behind after removing the old electrics. I've a pair of Kef 104ab's that are close to 40 years old still working fine connected to my Sonos system. I guess they gave me unreasonable expectations for this day and age.


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## ProtegeManiac

ntsnkfob said:


> I ended up stripping the guts from the powered speaker, cutting the crossover from the PCB, and wired it up as a passive. I put a £20 Lepai amp on the back and have a reasonably nice sound from them, once I'd plugged up all the holes left behind after removing the old electrics. I've a pair of Kef 104ab's that are close to 40 years old still working fine connected to my Sonos system. I guess they gave me unreasonable expectations for this day and age.


 
  
 Nice, can you post pics of what the board looks like? I'm due to move next year and wherever I go I might look for a broken A5 and use my Dayton T-amp on it if the conversion looks like something I can handle.


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## vw151

Has anyone mentioned what DAC they are using?   Are all of you having the issue using the Audioengine DAC? 
  
  
 The reason I ask is because I have a set of A5+ with subwoofer and I also have the audioengine DAC.   I ran into this crackle problem today and eventually hooked up to the 'line in' input with my iphone to see if it was a connection to the computer problem or a speaker problem.   On the 'line in' it worked fine.   So then I swapped for a my Fiio DAC and everything sounds fine.   I guess I'm gonna call audio engine about it and see what's up with my DAC.   It seemed to go out after 3-4 hours of play, at a reasonable volume, but the DAC was at max volume, not sure if that is harder on it.


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## cocostar

astroboysoup said:


> Hey there everyone, My AE5s have finally given up, after a year of the loud pop noise when switching it off, I finally started getting the loud hum and now the speaker crackling.
> 
> I'm going to pull the entire thing apart this weekend and document exactly what I'm changing over in order to fix them.
> 
> ...




Hi Peter. I have a same problem (blowing mic sound) in my right speaker. Are you repair your speaker? If you done, can you tell me how?

Note: sory for grammer. English is my third language

Edit 2. Oh, I think david is not here. He has one post in 2013. So everyone, any updates in this problem?


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## A5WTF

I had a pair of A5's - did the exact same thing. Got zero help from Audioengine other standard boilerplate email suggesting I move the speakers, check wiring etc.
  
 Bought a second pair - 2 years later - exact same thing. And yet they claim there isn't an "issue."
  
 Shame - they would do a better job of building their brand by offering genuine, thoughtful and considered solutions to what is clearly a real issue with their flagship product - as proven by comments on this board and several other where posters have the same "non-existent" issue.
  
 In this modern age of social media and transparent brand management, all brands, need to do a better job to stay relevant in consumers minds. 
 - A5WTF


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## espressogeek

Howdy Everyone,
 Looks like I get to join the snap crackle pop and blow into the mic sound club. This really sucks. My previous monitors lasted over 10 years and these were only used a few times a week for less than 5 years and now they are toast. I've got a 20+ year old Adcom amp sitting here that will power a new pair of non powered monitors or desktop speakers fairly soon. I really liked my Audio Engine speakers when they worked but they won't be getting any repeat business from me.


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## jacdel

Hi!
 I wish you could help me.
 I bought an Audioengine A5 and I must admit that I dont like it; actually I really love this sound system very much.
 For several months, I have been hearing crackling sounds coming from both speakers randomly. The volume control has no effect on these crackling sounds which are sometimes coming from the right speaker or from the left one or from both of them at the same time. These sounds persist even f I disconnect all the input cables . Wiping the input 1/8 " jacks had no effects. I have turned off all the surrounding electronic equipements to rule out any possible souces of interference. No effect!
 I realize that I am not the only one to experience this problem :  http://www.head-fi.org/t/573266/old-audioengine-a5-massive-pops-crackle
 I have looked inside at both boards; there are no obvious leaking electolytic capacitors or bad connectors. 
 I asked a very good electronic techinician twho is a friend of mine to try to repair my A5; he returned me the A5 with a large smile suggesting he didnt have the foggest idea of what was going wrong.
 Any idea what to do? Drop the A5 in a garbage can? 
 Any suggestion for me? 
 I really hope you can help me.
 Thanks.
 Jacques De Lean, 3212 rue de Montreux, Quebec, G1W 4S4. 
jdelean@videotron.ca


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## cocostar

Audioengine know this problem but they pretend not to know. What a shameless company..


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## black8900

Hello,
  
 i am new in this forum and registered because of problems with my Audioengines 5. I bought them used (so no information about seller). Due to the high reputation if this speakers (and also high price) I expected a solic piece of hardware.
  
 Unfortunately after two weeks of use the left speaker (With the amp inside) does not work anymore (or only from time to time if i am lucky). If I connect an audio device and increase the volume really high I can hear the music very silent. Seems that there is sth wrong with the amp which correlates with the postings in this forum.
  
 What can I do now? Are there any success stories on this one? Is a circuit diagram available? What would be an official repair shop in Germany? I have to say I would not expect that from speakers with the price of about 400 euros.
  
 Regards blacki


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## ProtegeManiac

I'd first look up the distributor in your region on Audioengine's website and inquire about repair services; if the prices are too high or they are unresponsive, ask for schematics so you can fix it or have it fixed by someone who can understand it. I wouldn't bet on that latter option though - large companies tend to be more iffy about "intellectual property" and are only responsive to issues within the warranty period (when they are legally obliged to do so) and by virtue of production economics it is always cheaper to replace the entire thing than have a tech repair it (sometimes that falls on distributors - over here all distros and some dealers have an in-house tech maintaining audio gear, although when they aren't responsive, we learned to take it up to the manufacturer's HQ).


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## Liquidretro

I am also having problems with mine. They are in warranty though, going to try calling today.  I don't have massive popping just some very muddy sound coming out the right hand speaker when I first turn it on. Doesn't matter the input. Connections are solid no trouble there.  Thinking this has to be a problem in the amp.


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## NazgulKing

Do these problems afflict the A5+ as well?


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## ProtegeManiac

nazgulking said:


> Do these problems afflict the A5+ as well?


 
  
 I went to a local store to audition that one. Demo unit had it already when I got there, despite being on display for only a few weeks at the time.


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## Curley

I setup the three scenes below to recreate the fault to see what happens, this was with the A5+ Whites.
  
 1.) XONAR Essence STX w/iTunes, flat equalisers - Volume (Windows 100%, Essence 100%, iTunes 100%
 2.) Maximus V Gene w/iTunes, flat equalisers - Volume (Windows 100%, iTunes 100%)
  
 With the two above setups, I was able to recreate the issue after playing the same song two or three times. *I also noticed that it only happens after a certain volume.* For arguments sake lets say that on the 30th notch (the volume dialer on the speaker unit) it starts to act up within about 5 minutes of audio playing.* If I dial it back to notch* 28 or 29, *I can play music for 20 + minutes without anything happening. *Though it isn't as if the extra notch makes the audio distort, it's still crystal clear and is for quite a few notches after. 
  
 3.) LG G3 w/Shuttle, flat equalisers - Volume (LG G3 100%)
  
 After recreating the scene from 1.) and 2.), I quickly switched the AUX cable from the computer, straight into my phone and played the same song. The problem persisted without reducing or changing. After turning it down for 30 seconds, and turning it back up, it was no longer there, but came back a few minutes later. So by this I'm guessing that means it's not a problem with equalisers, or output devices :c *What sort of component in the speakers would be responsible for this, and what is actually happening? *My first thought is that it's overheating as the fins on the back are quite hot to touch, though I'm no audio hardware expert.


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## Curley

In regards to the issue, I think I've found a fix. 64 HZ!!
  
 My issue is basically, after a certain volume (81st notch on the speakers with 100 % windows) it doesn't distort, but after a while the speakers act up and start to pop/crackle, and reduce in volume. 
  
 I reduced the 64 Hz range in the EQ, and doing so allowed me to increase my volume and now I'm able to go further than 81 notches, right up until it does start to distort and the issue is now non existent. I can also increase the 32 Hz range which gives back that little bit of bass that was reduced.

 Below is the EQ that works best for me. Give it a try before sending them off for RMA. 
  
 Maybe the speakers just can't handle that much power, *and reducing the 64 Hz range allowed for an opening of a headroom to also increase volume?* After reading I have found out that the parts inside these speakers aren't of high quality build. Which leads me to believe this is true. 
  
 Hope this helps!!
  
 http://i.imgur.com/mxYfew8.jpg


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## ProtegeManiac

That sounds more like a patch or tourniquet than a "fix" considering nobody reported these problems on brand new units. If anything, maybe the box tuning or the crossover or whatever was boosting 64hz to make it sound good (that's almost smack in the middle of hard bass thump and the low bass that makes the bass drum have a deeper bass sound), it breaks something on the drivers, then cutting that frequency reduces the distortion made more obvious by the damage.

Either way, whether it was eventual damage or not, that's either a design or manufacturing defect.


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## wildeweg

Same issue here. Bought in december 2009 (so about 5 y/o). Mailed Audioengine support, will keep you posted.


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## maroon

Well, I was dumb enough to buy a pair already broken. Cheapish, thank goodness.
 My hope was that I could get them fixed cheap.
 No go.
 My repair guy (indie and good) says they die for a simple reason: heat. The amps they use run hot, and although they do use a heat sink, there's no real way of dissipating the heat to the outside. They get hot, and die.
 Worse, the component that actually dies isn't the amps, which are readily found ( 2x TDA 7294s- $10 or so each) but a proprietary Audioengine IC, and it's very pricey. Of course.
  
 So, a couple of possible solutions: one, separate off the crossover to the speaker set with the amp (it's integrated onto the amp board) and make them passives (as above). Good detailed instructions- with pix- here:
 http://forums.vr-zone.com/audiophiles-htpc-corner/2167308-bought-faulty-a5-you-decide-its-fate.html
  
 That's what I'm gonna try first.
 My repair guy isn't impressed with this solution. He says the crossovers themselves are cheapish and not great quality. But what the heck...otherwise I got bookends.
  
 Long term solution will probably be Mackie MR5s, or maybe a set of small passives.
 Live and learn. Sigh....


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## ProtegeManiac

You can get passives from Parts Express. Have him check what the cut-offs are on the A5 (and also the impedance of each driver), then buy one with the high pass at the same frequency or slightly higher, for drivers with the same impedance.


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## maroon

Oh! Good call! I’d forgotten about them. And $25 isn’t too bad.
  
 Still, I probably won’t, unless hacking up the board doesn’t work. If these were ever gonna be top-notch speakers, or if my application were critical, I’d probably put in the $ and effort to make them shine. (I’d go whole hog if they were Mackie HR824’s for example.) Ditto to get them back to active, with a direct iThing input, handy volume knob, etc.
  
 But they aren’t. And I don’t need much more than what they were designed to be, which is a pretty good to good set of working desktops, cheap and easy as possible.
  
 Speakers are 8ohm, probably crossed over at 3500 or so, but that's just a guess.


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## DanielP

Hi All,
  
 I work for Audioengine.  We wanted to provide the head-fi community with an update on this and clear a few things up.  
  
 Like Brady mentioned early on in this thread, we have seen a few A5s come back with these symptoms and we've been taking a close look at them.  So far though, through our evaluation we still haven't found the cause to be a consistent, specific, component failure.
  
 We've seen exactly 0 cases of similar symptoms in A5+s, which have been on the market since 2011.
  
 If you're set is exhibiting these symptoms here's what you should do:
  
 First contact us at support@audioengineusa.com.  We can help you troubleshoot to make sure the issue is not something else, more easily resolved.  You'd be surprised how many customers contact us referencing this thread, only to find out the issue was a dirty volume pot, or a loose connection; corrected respectively by turning the knob a few times and/or swapping out interconnect(s).
  
 If you've gone through troubleshooting and your still having trouble:
  
 Inside the US, continue contact with support@audioengineusa.com.  We are the service center for the US, so we will be able to help you out one way or another.  We offer a 3 year warranty on all our products, and offer fairly priced flat rate repairs for all our products outside the warranty.
  
 Outside the US, the first thing you should do is contact your local distributor.  You can find a complete list of Audioengine distributors here: http://audioengineusa.com/resellers/Distributors
 Each distributor manages their own warranty period/terms.  So check with them to see if your eligible and what you need to do to submit a claim.
  
  
  
 Quote:


maroon said:


> Oh! Good call! I’d forgotten about them. And $25 isn’t too bad.
> 
> Still, I probably won’t, unless hacking up the board doesn’t work. If these were ever gonna be top-notch speakers, or if my application were critical, I’d probably put in the $ and effort to make them shine. (I’d go whole hog if they were Mackie HR824’s for example.) Ditto to get them back to active, with a direct iThing input, handy volume knob, etc.
> 
> ...


 
 The A5 uses 4 ohm drivers.  I don't have any info on how the crossovers are designed though.


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## GREQ

danielp said:


> You'd be surprised how many customers contact us referencing this thread, only to find out the issue was a dirty volume pot


 
 If it was a dirty pot I'd probably be so disappointed I'd just get a refund anyway. 
 That kind of stuff normally only happens after 5-10 years, usually much more.


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## DanielP

greq said:


> If it was a dirty pot I'd probably be so disappointed I'd just get a refund anyway.
> That kind of stuff normally only happens after 5-10 years, usually much more.


 
 I mention this because it's one example of a very easy to fix issue that could be mistaken as this "wind noise" issue, due to similar sounding symptoms.
  
 We wouldn't expect something like this in a new factory fresh product either, but dust can accumulate in any analog potentiometer over a period of time.  The time frame depends heavily on the environment.  In general though, I think your 5-10 year estimation sounds about right.  Keep in mind that the A5s were made from as early as 2005.  We replaced them with the A5+s towards the end of 2011.
  
 In any case, this isn't usually a huge deal.  Most of the time it's easily remedied by quickly rotating the volume knob from 0% to 100% about 20-30 times.


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## maroon

Well I have to say I find AudioEngine’s interest in supporting a product which is anywhere from 3-8 years old encouraging, to say the least. Many companies’- maybe most- interest tends to end abruptly upon expiry of the warrantee. After that, it’s often “too bad, so sad, you got your money’s worth, now go buy another one.” So, good on them.
  
 That said, my speaker’s problems definitely ain’t trivial, and that isn’t just my seat of the pants diagnosis, it comes from a good repair shop testing out the innards and finding a fried- and pricey- IC.
  
 So I’ve taken DanielIP’s advice, and contacted Audioengine support. Alas, I’m not located in the USA, so I suspect that’s gonna limit my options and complicate any kind of resolution, but we’ll see.


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## wildeweg

maroon said:


> My repair guy (indie and good) says they die for a simple reason: heat. The amps they use run hot, and although they do use a heat sink, there's no real way of dissipating the heat to the outside. They get hot, and die.


 
  
 I think it's heat too. I decided to take the speakers out of their normal environment as suggested in the standard mail I received from Audioengine. So i took them to work, and placed the active speaker in the windowsill, above the heating (what was i thinking). After the weekend i came back, put the speakers on and the kind of exploded. The bangs were so loud and frequent i immediately had to disconnect them from the power source.
  
 If this is caused by a dirty pod i'll eat my hat.


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## wildeweg

Related to this heat issue: wonder why the differences between the old and the new A5. http://cl.ly/image/3h2f431r3r44


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## maroon

Oh! Easy- that big black set of fins on the back of the A5+ is a heat sink. It takes heat generated inside the speaker enclosure and dissipates it outside. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heat_sink
  
In other words, yes indeed, the failure of A5 speakers is very probably caused by heat build up inside the speakers and the failure of one or more components. IE: a basic design flaw, fixed in a later version by the manufacturer.
  
What to do? Well, I’ve just about given up on Audioengine. I emailed them my woes a couple of weeks ago and never even got the courtesy of a reply. I’ll restrain myself from venting dark thoughts about that. Maybe they’re just tardy. Maybe they’ve told Santa to bring me a new pair. Maybe.
  
And anyway, getting them fixed seems dumb- and expensive- if they’re just going to die again, which seems likely.
  
Therefore, Plan B. I’m going to try salvaging the crossover and turning them into passives as detailed in a link posted earlier. I’ll report back on this, and if I can do it, anyone can. (I’m not much of a hand with a soldering iron…)
  
For an amp, I’ve come across a great desktop solution: a mini amp! These were a revelation to me, and there’s lots. Many are based on the same (?) TDA7492 amp IC used by Audioengine. Couple examples that have gotten great reviews: SMSL SA-50, or MicroFidelity Mini Amplifier, Model 200. Ballpark $70-$80 or so, 50x2 watts RMS, about the size of a pack of cigarettes, and some have a nice big volume knob. If you decide to go this route, do your research! There’re lots of other brands. Many are junk, and the specs on even the better-reviewed ones seem to be, if not outright lies, then at least very…ahem…optimistic. Will all this work? Dunno. But at least there’s light at the end of the tunnel. I’ll find out soon enough if it’s a train.


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## stewart73

Hey guys, new here.  I also just purchased the A2+ set from an authorized seller here in Japan and have noticed a fairly large "pop" everytime I wake the computer from sleep, restart, or turning the computer off.  It's a loud electronic "crack" kind of noise coming from the speakers and it's a bit scary as the driver itself kind of pops out too when they make that sound.  Have mailed Audioengine and am waiting for a response...these speakers sound nice but not loving this loud 'pop' everytime I turn anything on or off!


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## GREQ

I had those pops on my A5, and they got progressively louder before the hissing 'microphone-blowing' kind of sounds started happening.
 It doesn't bode well.


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## goodvibes

greq said:


> If it was a dirty pot I'd probably be so disappointed I'd just get a refund anyway.
> That kind of stuff normally only happens after 5-10 years, usually much more.


 
 Actually, not so much when it doesn't get used as it often doesn't when used with a PC etc. Fix is usually just to exercise it a bit. Pots like this are self cleaning but need to be used every so often for that to happen.
  
 Popping is a different issue. I do know that there was period where a LOT of manufacturers were shipped misrepresented/bogus electrolytic capacitors from a chinese supplier. Only shows up after some years and not because the manufacturer cut corners.


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## stewart73

Just had a reply back from Audioengine and was told that when using the USB connection on the A2+, hearing a 'pop' upon startup and shutdown is normal.  This was confirmed by the local dealer as well who said that all of their A2+s do that.  I suppose I'll just try to ignore it (though it's sometimes pretty darn loud).  Hopefully they don't develop any of these other issues discussed in this thread.


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## maroon

So, my A5s are back up and working. I turned them into passives, using the instructions in this thread:
http://forums.vr-zone.com/audiophiles-htpc-corner/2167308-bought-faulty-a5-you-decide-its-fate.html
  
 This was a walk in the park. I had no interest in preserving anything other than the crossover part of the board, so I just flailed away with sidecutters to- ahem-  disconnect all unnecessary wiring, cut the little electronic thingies in half (at the points indicated by the red arrows in the above post) to disconnect all the unneeded electronics on the board, and soldered on wires at the points indicated for inputs.I left the main board attached to the heat sink so I could mount it back into the speaker. All very low skill. Took about an hour. 
  
 I also got a SMSL SA-50 mini amp (teeny tiny, with a nice big volume knob and on/off switch) hooked it up, and I'm a happy camper.
  
I also did hear from Audioengine service. I suspect they would've either fixed the speakers at a reasonable cost or replaced them, but the hitch was shipping, which was a deal-breaker.
  
Anyway, done.


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## happel

I had the same problem-twice. I do suggest contacting Audioengine support. They were very helpful and responsive. I sent my speakers back for repair or replacement for a reasonable fee since they were out of warranty.


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## GREQ

happel said:


> I had the same problem-twice. I do suggest contacting Audioengine support. They were very helpful and responsive. I sent my speakers back for repair or replacement for a reasonable fee since they were out of warranty.


 
 You sent it back for a repair with a fee for a KNOWN RECURRING fault?
 I don't know about you, but where I'm from, that's a crime.
  
 If these loudspeakers were cars, they'd all be recalled by now, and all of them would be serviced for free.
 I can't believe how many people are being so nonchalant about this.


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## wildeweg

Heads up: Audioengine USA advised me to contact the store i bought them (the Netherlands). They contacted the distributor and offered me to replace the A5 with the new A5+ for an extra € 109,-. I think that's a pretty good deal, the old A5's were about 5 years old, after all. I hope the A5+ won't have the same issue, but i'm confident it won't since it seems to be a redesign with large cooling ribs at the back.


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## bee65n

Mine just died after 5 years.  Pretty sure it was due to the heat.  Seems like the new heat sink on the a5+ should solve the problem...Not sure if I'll try to get it repaired since they will inevitably fail again due to the heat sink problem.


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## raja_mastana

My 6 years old Audioengine 5 also developed problems like crackle, massive pops and "blow into microphone" sounds
 These happens as soon as any song is played.
 Unfortunately, we do not have audioengine service in India.
  
 So, I got it repaired from other sources. Here are some details which may help other A5 users.
 The below is my assumption - please correct if you see a mistake.
 There are two circuit boards in the audioengine 5. The left one seems like the preamp. It has two voltage regulators, some 8-9 solid caps and other caps. The right one may be the power amp (caps like 475j 100v are present here).
 I can see repair was carried on the left board only. The right board is untouched.
 Looks like 4 capacitors are changed and a resistor also added.


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## Srinivas Murthy

My 5 year old A5 is also producing crackling noises.  Can you please provide details of where you got your A5s repaired and the cost of repairs?  This will be very helpful to me.


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## raja_mastana

I got it repaired from Mumbai - I have sent you the name of the shop by PM


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## Srinivas Murthy

Thank you very much for the immediate reply. I am from Karnataka and Mumbai is too far for me!  I may have to try locally.  Will it be possible to list what was repaired / replaced actually? And are the speakers working without that irritating noise now?


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## Mike Burley

I've got two sets of A5s, each with snaps, crackles, pops. Can I just use the working passive speakers from each and hook them up to an amp? Do the passive speakers have crossovers inside or are they attached to the circuit board of the powered speaker?

 I've already tried it, and they sound just ok. Not nearly the same bass output and everything sounds a little flat. This may very well be because of the new amp (Onkyo DR-UN7). I haven't messed with the EQ settings yet, but so far I'm not impressed. I had one hooked up to a Teac MC-D90 shelf system, and it sounded pretty good, though it was a small room with excellent acoustics that make anything sound amazing.


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## sdfasdfasdf

I HAVE THE SOLUTION! PROBLEM SOLVED!!
  
 I had massive crackles and pops and breathing into mic problems. I went to a speaker/audio store and bought a new skinnier cable for between the speakers (OUT TO RIGHT). Using these completely erased the problem and the new cables were quite cheap as well (like 5$). I suggest everyone here move away from those huge clunky copper cables and just buy a smaller cheaper one. I haven't noticed any difference in quality as of yet. You could also try cutting the cables and trying over with fresh ends as I think the problem is with the cable.
  
 email me at leogpenny@gmail.com if you have a question as I will probably never check this thread again. 
 Problem solved for me!
  
 Edit: I have no amps or otherwise fancy audio equipment. The source of the problem really was the left to right speaker cable!


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## JamesWood

I replaced the capacitors from Raja's post but that did not solve the problem. Almost all of the capacitors on this board are dried up. I am waiting on some freeze spray since I noticed the problem get worse after the unit warms up a min. I will let you know what I find after the repairs are completed.


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## mattrp

Hey, have had my A5s for a few years now, very happy with them until now. Moved house, had them in boxes, probably some dust got in. Reconnected them and had the crackles, bangs and mic-breathing sounds. Read the comment from the Audioengine guy on the previous page about twiddling the volume knob from 0 to 100 about 20-30 times and amazingly that fixed the problem. Happy customer again.


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## nervous

Bought my AudioEngine 5 set around 5y ago in Germany, they just developed the same hissing+crackle sound that everyone else seem to have.
 Contacted support, will report back.


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## Annoyed

I'm guess no one has solved this issue?  I'm getting the same problem - really loud popping noise that makes the speakers unusable.  For the cost of these speakers, they should have lasted a lot longer than 4 years.


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## geekchic

I have a pair of AudioEngine's bought in 2009, in Mumbai, India. Recently, my right speaker developed the 'crackling' noise described in this forum and both speakers were non-responsive to the volume knob. The post made by the AudioEngine rep, DanielP, helped me to troubleshoot and fix the issue. Turning the volume knob from min to max several times eliminated the sound completely (probably cleaned them?) and stripping the speaker wire has made them sound like new again. I do not use the speakers regularly and the environment can safely be described as dust-prone.
 Till now, in 7 years, the Audioengines have never given me a problem. I use them with a FiiO X3 as a source, and recently with Chromecast Audio and my phone and both sound really good.


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## BlakeT

I have A5's that are about 5 years old.  They always functioned perfectly.  Gave them to my son and he started experiencing the noise issues referenced in this thread.  Per the earlier posts, I cycled the volume knob from full on to full off about 100 times.
  
 Problem solved!  I was literally about to donate them to Good Will.  Good thing I saw this thread!


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## saneguy

Hope your issues are resolved guys!
 My left active speaker hardly produces any sound....only the right speaker seems to be working.
 I think it might have fried its amp....Contacted support. lets see!


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## bigcookiemon

I notice the popping noise from my 5 yrs old A5 since 4-5 months ago, which once it was so notable when my PC & TV's was totally off and non stopping pop*s was there during my reading.

I find there was people saying change power cable.,. turning the volume knob all the way a 100 times....and thinking to open up and check if any noticeable dry caps or something.

finally someone was talking about wifi rounter.. and it really was the popping source.! problem solved for 4days already with quiet.


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## RamblinMan1885

Had the same issue with a set of these.  I opened it up and found that a number of vias on the audio PCB were looking really bad.  Poor connections could certainly lead to the circuit picking up electrical noise.

After touching them up with some solder, the popping and crackling has gone away.  It was either the soldering or working the volume knob as I was troubleshooting.  

Good luck!


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## craycrayfrog (Jun 1, 2022)

Had some progress!
I’ve been working on a broken set of Audioengine a5 (old) with the symptom that one channel sounds better than the other.

The issue seems to be the op amps on the pre amp board fail over time I found the issue to be a single ne5532 which was covered in black adhesive which restored the right channel after swapping for another ne5532 on the board. On the amplifier board everything seems to have voltage but there doesn’t seem to be any amplifying taking place which leads back to what everyone else has been saying about the TDA7294 amp chips failing, though it could still be the preamp board at a low level.

For my attempt to repair this I’m intending to replace these systematically so I know where things have failed but replacing all the active chips including the jrc4558 op amp, all 6 of the ne5532 op amps and the 2 tda7294 amplifier chips.

When I’ve used my component tester on the tw bor electrolytic capacitors they have good values and actually have closer to spec capacitance and esr values than the new farnell bought Panasonics I was going to replace these with.


I didn’t find this work easy in fact I’ve stored these for 12 months while I get more equipment like a component tester, ts100, leaded solder with a lower melting point, 858d hot air station and a microscope.


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## octil

craycrayfrog, have you had any further progress?  A few years ago my A5 intermittently started making scratching noises in the left channel.  I've opened it up on the bench twice to try locating the problem, but each time I was unable to get the speaker to malfunction, so I've been unsuccessful in localizing the noise source.

While open on the bench I wiggled and poked connectors, components, solder joints, and everything seemed solid and didn't provoke any noises.  The noise also seems to be more frequent when the temperature is warm, so I might try hitting parts with a hot air pencil.  Whether the volume knob is at one extreme or the other doesn't change the noise volume or likelihood, so it's coming from one of the later stages.

The noise isn't overbearingly loud, so I've put up with it for a while, but it does get annoying.  The electronics don't disassemble nicely, so I'm trying to be as noninvasive as possible.  If anyone has nice internal shots of the boards and traces it would be helpful for doing a bit of reverse engineering before making another go at repair.


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## octil

I've gone for a more dedicated go at resolving the noise issue.  Long story short, I suspect the issue I and others have had is due to thermal fatiguing of joints on boards (as RamblinMan1885 has suggested above).  This would also explain slightly varied symptoms.  Overall quality control of the boards is poor.

While open on the bench the noise was very infrequent, thus hard to localize, but I was able to determine the noise originates from the preamp board that all audio inputs feed into by witnessing noise being outputted from this board while isolated from the power amp board.

I removed the board, and in order to better examine and image the board I cleaned off the majority of the black elastic compound with fiberglass/wooden rods, desoldered large components, and cleaned the board with solvent followed by 15 minutes in an ultrasonic bath of alkaline electronics cleaning solution (Branson EC).  Attached are images of the top (TOP.jpg) and mirrored bottom (BOT_mirrored.jpg) of the board.  These have been formatted to perfectly overlap and allow the signals to be traced by opening these as separate layers in an imaging program.

I found multiple issues through examining the board:

On the trivial end, reference designators for connectors alternate between "CH" and "CN"; perhaps this board was laid out by someone whose first language doesn't use the Roman alphabet, but it's a bit sloppy.
While removing the black compound, soldermask came along with it in a few spots on both the top and bottom (see examples pointed out with red arrows in TOP_annotated.jpg).  What is concerning is these areas are not bare copper, but coated in solder.  This indicates the soldermask had poor adhesion and released either during application of HASL during board manufacture, or failed in subsequent soldering operations.
The solder joins are a bit starved of solder (lead free is used).  Of particular concern is the quality of some of the vias having a partial fill of solder, which through thermal fatigue can cause the connection to fail.  One suspicious looking via is circled in TOP_annotated.jpg and shown under a microscope in via.jpg.  This via also happens to be in a location that would perfectly explain the issue I've been having.  I tried poking the center of it to elicit noise (resulting in the divot seen in the center), but didn't get any reaction.  It's possible the cleaning steps could have temporarily fixed the joint.
While the ("TBOR" brand) electrolytic capacitors were removed from the board I tested them and found the majority to be bad, with high ESR and low capacitance.  These are mostly in locations of the circuit where this won't have much effect (like after the linear voltage regulators which are preceded by a large capacitance), and scratching noises from a bad capacitor would be very unusual.
The voltage regulators 3U1 and 3U2 run very hot and without heat sinks, which is clearly visible in discoloration of the board at this location.  These regulators are fairly robust and can operate this way, but capacitors 3C11 and 3C12 are right next to the regulators.  These two capacitors tested the worst of all.

I'm going to replace the capacitors with quality ones and resolder joints that appear poor, and hopefully get quite a bit more life out of these.  Without insight into whether Audioengine's quality control has improved, I couldn't justify ever purchasing from them again.


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## craycrayfrog

octil said:


> craycrayfrog, have you had any further progress?  A few years ago my A5 intermittently started making scratching noises in the left channel.  I've opened it up on the bench twice to try locating the problem, but each time I was unable to get the speaker to malfunction, so I've been unsuccessful in localizing the noise source.
> 
> While open on the bench I wiggled and poked connectors, components, solder joints, and everything seemed solid and didn't provoke any noises.  The noise also seems to be more frequent when the temperature is warm, so I might try hitting parts with a hot air pencil.  Whether the volume knob is at one extreme or the other doesn't change the noise volume or likelihood, so it's coming from one of the later stages.
> 
> The noise isn't overbearingly loud, so I've put up with it for a while, but it does get annoying.  The electronics don't disassemble nicely, so I'm trying to be as noninvasive as possible.  If anyone has nice internal shots of the boards and traces it would be helpful for doing a bit of reverse engineering before making another go at repair.


Unfortunately not. I had a set of broken a5 speakers and a spares/repair one off ebay. The set had zero sound and the one off ebay quiet with no amplification and super noisy. Where the black adhesive was around the ne5532 they had failed and the adhesive was burned underneath, I proceeded to remove themove the adhesive with a 858d hot air station and tweezers which did an excellent job no damage to the solder mask or components. I couldnt find any missing connections on the amplification board and the signal on the mute pin seemed fine(it was ages ago dont remember what I read). I tried replacing the tda7294 but when I plugged in and tested with everything connected I got smoke around one of the capacitors however rather than carrying on the project I swore a bit and converted these to passive speakers using the stock crossover using the below Nobsound NS-04G
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005001631970703.html?spm=a2g0o.order_list.0.0.710c18025bX10r

Honest opinion these speakers dont sound amazing on my desk as the tweeters dont play much of there range. Looking for the next set of speakers for my desk atm and want something equivalent to the below QTX 2.25" 40w mylar tweeters
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/234167579676.


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## octil

Converting these to passives seems like the right thing to do.  Having gone through this, I'd not recommend spending time to repair.  But I'm stubborn, and did manage to get these working well.

After reflowing all vias on the top (if not covered with a component) and bottom with 60/40 Sn/Pb solder and replacing the bad capacitors, I then had issues with the right channel.  Whether the 3.5 mm jack on the back or top was used, the audio was intermittent, and the issues were easily found by poking around with a fiberglass rod.  In both cases, one of the solder joints of a surface mount inductor near the audio input was cracked (different inductor for each input jack, but coincidentally the same problem on both).  After reflowing these and banging around the board some more before reassembly to listen for issues, I reassembled and have been using the speakers heavily for the past week and a half with zero issues.  It's very possible I'll have more fatigued joints to fix in time, so I'll ditch these once it ceases to be a quick to locate fix.


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