Re: Loud "crackling" noises from CR210 Radio

Turned on the radio today in my 1998 Boxster to play a CD and got loud crackling from the right dash speaker. Same in AM and FM. Base, treble, balance and fader changes make no difference. Music is there along with the crackling noise. Even with volume all the way down, the loud crackling sound is still there. Radio/CD player has been used very little. Am I correct to assume that the right dash speaker has gone bad? Or is it something else?

You are most likely correct. Quick test would be to switch speakers side to side and when issue follows you'll confirm drivers are issue. Replace easily with some nice coaxial 4.25" drivers and some simple mods.

Good luck

"Cool Prius!"



               -Nobody

Minus 40 degrees... Is that Fahrenheit or Celsius?

If I find that it is a bad speaker, is it o.k. to disconnect the bad speaker and continue to use the radio until I get around to installing a replacement?

It might not be bad as long as no speaker hot lead conductor makes contact with a ground lead. The amp would "see" this as a short (no resistance.) And any hot lead conductor should probably not make contact with any metal panels, being they could well be grounded. Some plastic electrical tape would take care of all this. Taping all exposed conductors/connectors is best, if there's no certainty as to which is hot or ground. Remember which lead is which and look for a red dot or plus sign on the original or new driver unit so as to not mix up polarity when reinstalling. Not harmful, but a reversal would cause weird acoustic phasing issues.

Minus 40 degrees... Is that Fahrenheit or Celsius?



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 11/05/2015 11:27AM by Laz. (view changes)

Dead speakers don't crackle. Speakers are passive devices, and pnly move when their electro-magnets are activated. A crackle is a set of transients. Something sent them.

That sounds like an amp or less likely, wiring problem. Wiring could be something loose, touching somethign it should not. If intermittent, that's a transient.

In fact i woudl suspect a failing capacitor.

Grant

Grant

gee-lenahan-at-gee-mail-dot-com

and it's been a long time since I had a 986 so I could be mistaken...

There is a crossover capacitor in each dash speaker [unit].

Could be mistaken but I seem to recall there being one as each speaker unit has a mid-range and a tweeter.

Also why a simple test as I suggested to flip flop sides would quickly rule the speaker either as cause or not.

Good help as always though, Grant.

"Cool Prius!"



               -Nobody



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/05/2015 03:06PM by Burg Boxster. (view changes)

Unstable (thermally?) component such as a transistor or something?

Minus 40 degrees... Is that Fahrenheit or Celsius?

Looked at a Boxster right side speaker unit on eBay and can see a capacitor wired between the smaller and larger speaker. What I would like to do is just remove the right hand speaker unit, (rather than a swap), and turn on the radio and see if it sounds o.k. My only concern is if by doing so, (right hand speaker unit removed), could cause a problem/harm since the load on the amp would be less......or is my statement about the reduced amp load an unfounded concern. As you can tell, my knowledge of radios and amps is limited. Probably just enough to ask dumb questions.

factory amp is "rated" at 40W PEAK. Metaphorically speaking... that'd be 55mph downhill w/ a really stiff tailwind

So more like less than 2-3W @ "4Ohm" so no real load imbalance issues if you disconnect right side and turn on at low volume for test.

However, if you just remove and do not swap sides (plug is same as they are universal side to side) you will only be able to isolate problem is on right side when right speaker connected. Nothing else. You already know that, now you need to know where/why on right side. Plus, it's only two torx screws per side and the speaker [unit] easily plugs in w/o having to be fastened in place, etc. Why not do simple swap side to side while there 20% more effort... 100% more info gained to achieve desired results.

Good luck

"Cool Prius!"



               -Nobody

Well......I swapped the speakers and still have the crackling sound from the right dash speaker. Also found that the driver door speaker has crackling sound....the left dash speaker also. And the passenger door speaker! My temporary solution to the problem: I turned the radio off! That is my fix for now. Anything more would be beyond my capability. I guess if I decide that I can't do without an operable radio, I will through money at the problem. That should fix it! To all of you that have responded to my post, A BIG THANK YOU!

1. when i referred to a failing capacitor, i was specifically referring to a power supply storage/filter capacitor (nothing to filter in DC, so just storage). The ones you see are the crossover - possible but unliekly to be the culprit.

2. When you disconnect the speaker the load on that terminal goes to infinity. That is EASY on an amp - full voltage output divided by infinite resistance = zero amps. No fuss, no muss. But its always good practice to swap with the power off anyway, since when you disconnect the hot lead, should ti touch ground, you do the same equation with Zero ohms = infinite amps = overload.

Grant

gee-lenahan-at-gee-mail-dot-com

Minus 40 degrees... Is that Fahrenheit or Celsius?

Well......I swapped the speakers and still have the crackling sound from the right dash speaker. Also found that the driver door speaker has crackling sound....the left dash speaker also. And the passenger door speaker! My temporary solution to the problem: I turned the radio off! That is my fix for now. Anything more would be beyond my capability. I guess if I decide that I can't do without an operable radio, I will through money at the problem. That should fix it! To all of you that have responded to my post, A BIG THANK YOU!

a) the amp
b) the wiring

I suspect the amp

Grant

gee-lenahan-at-gee-mail-dot-com

Minus 40 degrees... Is that Fahrenheit or Celsius?
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/06/2015 02:27PM by Laz. (view changes)