crackling in surround mode (1 Viewer)

[PeteKoning]

Hi!

What an awesome forum! Clearly the best source for info I've seen on the web and I've looked at all of the alternatives. THIS is where i want to be!!

Anyway, this is my first post in the forum. Hopefully I've done my research and you'll have enough information to be able to help me.

When I watch a DVD in surround mode I hear crackling noises in all speakers at the same spot on that DVD every time.

- it happens on different DVDs.
- it seems to happen on heavier 'bass' portions ie: 'marching feet', drums, etc
- it happens in all 5 speakers simultaneously (no, i don't have a separate sub-woofer; the receiver is older and only has 5 output channels).

Here's my setup:

TV: Sony Wega 42 Inch LCD wide screen, purchased 10 days ago. (beautiful piece of equipment, by the way).

DVD player: RCA, progressive scan, purchased 20 days ago (I think it's a lower-end model, cost about $95 US).

Tuner/Amp: Kenwood KR6500, 1996 vintage, (Dolby, surround), 160 watts output. It doesn't support the newer Dolby 5.1 standard, but does let me attenuate the center and rear channels. I've used it prior to this with VHS and it worked fine in surround mode.

Topology:
- TV to DVD - monster 3-wire component cable,
- monster 2-wire audio cable
- TV to receiver - monster audio cable

- speakers: (all 8-ohm)
- front l/r - 2 small sony speakers (new)
- center - moderate quality (paradyme, i think)
- rear l/r - excellent quality (sorry, don't know the brand off by heart).

What I've tried:
At first I thought it was the cabling, so i upgraded from the RCA cables to the monster brand but it made no difference.

Thinking it might be the speaker wires, I tried switching the speaker configuration around: using the rear as the front, removing each channel individually, but it made no difference. I DO have to upgrade the speaker wire at some point, but I don't think that's the problem since it happens to all speakers at the same time.

If I run the dvd thru the Sony's (really crappy) speakers, I don't get any crackling. But the output isn't stereo so that won't do for a home theater, will it?

If I turn the DVD's 'Virtual Surround' option on, the crackling almost disappears but the sound quality drops significantly. That won't do either.

If i play cd's on my cd player through the receiver, the sound is fine.

Hmmm. one thing i haven't tried is playing cd's on the dvd player. would that be a useful test?

In my mind it comes down to:

1. a defect in the dvd player.

2. some sort of problem in the receiver.

Before I exchange the DVD player, I'd be interested in your opinions. What am I missing here?

Should I try borrowing someone's dvd player and try that?

/thanks in advance

/pete koning

 

[Grant*S]

sounds like your reciever cant reproduce the whole freq. band. i had that problem with an old jvc reciever, no dolby digital input, so i used the video input....bad move. half the time id lose all sound. bought a new reciever and pow all was well. my reciever was from 95-96 time as well and i was using componet hook ups. if you get a new unit do your self a favor a use a digital coaxail line your be happy!

 

[PeteKoning]

"When I watch a DVD in surround mode I hear crackling noises in all speakers at the same spot on that DVD every time.

- it happens on different DVDs.
- it seems to happen on heavier 'bass' portions ie: 'marching feet', drums, etc
- it happens in all 5 speakers simultaneously (no, i don't have a separate sub-woofer; the receiver is older and only has 5 output channels)."

Problem solved! (Sort of). I removed the audio jacks from the DVD to the Sony TV and the problem went away. Very odd.

/Pete