Bonerclops

Hey guys. I am having an issue with hearing pops in my speakers- It doesn't happen during playback at all, but whenever the audio stops suddenly (skipping scenes, running the THX audio test, and pausing). The 5.1 outs of my dvd player (Toshiba SD4800) go into a Parasound 1205A THX (the sub out fro mthe player goes right into the sub). I have M&K speakers (don't recall the exact model names and my setup is downstairs). Could it be an issue with grounding? Perhaps phasing (which I doubt, as phasing seems normal based on teh THX tests I've run)?Is this something that could be caused by keeping speaker wire to close to AC cables? Perhaps a preamp before the power amp in my chain? Or should I invest in something like a gate to help ramp down sudden stops? (I also produce some music and know that attack and release times that are too short can cause pops.... I doubt a gate would be the best solution but I thought I'd at least mention it). Any other ideas you guys have, or anything you think I should try? This is the first 5.1 setup I've used; until now I've used the standard L-R RCA outs........ thanks for your help and patience

Brian Shannon

I would begin by checking all of your connections to make sure that they are tight.

Bonerclops

I checked all of the connections, and they are tight (I'm almost afiraid they may be TOO tight). I also plugged the normal rca jacks in and ran the audio out of my TV's speakers, and I noticed the same thing (dunno if it was there before and I somehow missed it or not), so I'm starting to think it's the player. Any ideas to go from there? I'm going to borrow a friend's player and see if the same thing happens with that player as well, so that route's going to be taken in the meantime. Thanks!

Brian Shannon

If the connections are good, then another player is a good first step. It may be something internal such as a cold solder joint that is failing in the Parasound

Cardiff Giant11

I'm having a similar problem with my Pioneer player, if I turn it off but still have my receiver on that input it makes a slight pop sound through the speakers.

Bonerclops

Cardiff, the receiver makes a pop because turning the player off causes the noise the player makes (the noise you hear when the speakers are on or whatever due to voltage or white noise or whatever) goes instantly from whatever level to 0 (the equivalent to no attack or release phase in an envelope, if you're familiar with music or synths at all)... There's no ramp for the decrease of sound... just make sure you turn off the receiver first. I tried a neighbor's player today, and there wasn't any audible popping going on. Unfortunately there wasn't any multi out jacks, so I had to plug in the front pair speakers, and then unplug them and try the surround, and then unplug those and try the center channel. This means that either there's some sort of issue with grounding on my player, or my player's audio outs have gone to crap... Any recommendations on a player? I'd prefer to keep Toshiba, but will research any other players you guys seem to think are good. It would need to have analog outs for the Parasound I have, but I'd like digital outs as well for any future setups (I'm only borrowing my friend's power amp and speakers for the next couple of years while he's away and figure by the time I give them back digital will be much more practical and common than the analog stuff anyway). I'm also probably going to need a preamp, as I can't really do much to adjust volume without turning the Parasound's output knobs themselves (no remote or master volume, and my friend used an M-Audio studio card from his PC as his preamp), so any recommendations there would also be much appreciated. I'm not being lazy about it, I'd rather just ask people who have experience with this stuff and can offer a little more insight than the people who write consumer reviews and are easily impressed by anything that's not their TV speakers. Thanks!

Bonerclops

B.u.m.p.......

Spiky

You have nice audio. Planning on SACD, DVD-A, or a preamp for more control? Does the video matter as much? Toshiba players are seldom considered great for either audio or video.

If you have an HDTV with digital video connections, the upconverting players can be pretty good for video, even at fairly low prices, like the Oppo. Or if you only need 480i/480p output, the Pioneer 588A is a great low-end choice for decent audio and video. But if you are looking for all around upconversion, video AND audio excellence, there isn't much that can compete with the Denon lineup right now. They've put lots of work into their players the last few years, even listening to customers and providing firmware upgrades for errors.

On the popping....I wonder what going direct to the amp is doing to the equipment. It doesn't make sense that it would affect the DVDp, but it's a little odd. How do you control volume with that setup?

Bonerclops

I actually don't control audio volume with the current setup, which is half the reason I'm looking into some variety of preamp (my friend had a Delta 1010 card in his PC that he used to control volume going into the Parasound, but I need to come up with that part myself). I've been looking at the Oppo players since they've gotten really good buzz going on about them (my TV isn't HD, but if I'm replacing a player at this stage I may as well plan for HD anyway). I think something is up with the player, because after jacking it into the Parasound using the multi outs and getting the pops when audio drops quickly (chapter skipping, etc), I get teh same now using the standard RCA audio. My thinking is that if I go into a preamp (perhaps a normal receiver would be good as well so I could switch between a few devices if necessary) it would not only give me a volume control solution, but also give a piece in the chain that would help ramp up/ramp down the sound signal to eliminate the popping I hear. What's odd to me about the whole popping thing is that it does it when there is NO audio, rather than during peak volumes or in regular intervals or what have you... Is Denon a pretty good preamp/receiver option as well, or are they more reputable in the player end? The only thing I need to make sure of is that whatever I wind up going with has both analog/digital inputs (flexibility with other things I may try to use) and digital/analog coax outputs (digital for flexibility later on, and the coax because the Parasound I'm borrowing only has coax inputs and banana plug outputs)

Spiky

Denon is making some real nice receivers. They don't currently make preamps. There isn't much reason for you to opt for a receiver, it's amp won't be as nice as your Parasound and any HT preamp will have just as many inputs (both digital and analog) as a comparable receiver. I don't think you've looked at this market before if you think otherwise. Outlaw makes an impressive preamp for $1100. Emotiva makes a decent one for $700. Either of these would destroy any receiver in the price range. Preamps do tend to be high-end, so they go up in price from there. In spite of what I said, the Denon 3806 receiver is $1300 and looks like a giant killer, esp if you only use it as a preamp. Video upconversion, HDMI in/out, auto-calibration with included microphone, etc. If the Outlaw had HDMI instead of DVI switching, I'd like it better.

The used market can be good for preamps and amps, as well. Without moving parts, they hold up well.

I wonder if your popping is do to the amp flipping on and off thinking there is no signal when it's quiet.

Bonerclops

I thought originally that the problem could have been with my power amp, but the popping happens now whether the audio is ouput to the power amp (multi out) or directly into the tv (rca stereo pair), which is why I have been looking into testing other players/replacing my player. Thanks for the pre suggestions-I've never heard of either of them, but they review well and really seem to be good possibilities, especially considering what they sell for. Thanks for the suggestions!