Yamaha RX-v685 Crackling issues after YPAO Setup

Tonez9510

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Hi AVForums, So here's my issue, I have tried in vain to find even a single thread with my problem. So hopefully someone out there can help me solve it. I have a Yamaha RX-v685, Q Acoustics 3020i fronts, 3010i rears, 3090Ci centre, a BK Electronics xls200 Sub and a LGTV OLED55C7V plugged into the receiver. The problem is when on Netflix menu screen or when no audio is playing, I get terrible crackling through every channel. After trying literally every setting on the AV settings I found out that it only starts after I have run the YPAO setup. If I manually configure my levels/distance to speakers its fine so I think it's something maybe to do with the PEQ. When I turn on my YPAO volume it starts but if I turn then on the adaptive DRC it stops. Also it only starts when the volume is -29.5db or lower. Can anybody explain why this is happening? Is my AV receiver faulty? Thanks in advance, Tony.
 

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Where is he crackling sound eminating from? Is it from all the speakers, some of them or only one of them?

I'd tend t think it to be a fault with the receiver and you should contact the retailer to see about returning it under warranty. The other potential cause could be the speakers?
 
I can only suggest that you turn the receiver and sub off and then disconnect the speakers from the AV receiver. I'd then systematically connect any of the speakers apart from the cenre speaker to each set of speaker terminals in turn, paying particular attention to the centre speaker terminals when you connect another speaker to those terminals. If you still get the crackling via the centre speaker terminals voa a different speaker then the issue is far more likely to be with the receiver as opposed to being an issue with your centre speaker.
 
So I tried this out. When I plugged the speakers back in except the sub, the crackling went only to the rears this time, with the sub connected the crackling is back to the centre and the sub. Also if I swap the centre for a front the sound follows. The Receiver is under warranty, but do you have any idea why this is happening? Is it repairable? Below is a video, I turned the gain all the way up on the sub to highlight the sound problem.

 
It could be poor solder on a circuit board? Other than this, I've n idea as to an exact reason for it.
 
Thanks for your help Dante. I contacted Yamaha to schedule a repair.

Sorry to necro but I'm having the exact same issue with a brand new unit. Really starts to kick in around -30db with YPAO volume turned on, just the same as in your video. No issues (seemingly) if YPAO volume is turned off and none whatsoever with my previous Denon unit. I've swapped the unit twice now and the same issue occurs. Did you get a resolution on this?
 
Sorry to necro but I'm having the exact same issue with a brand new unit. Really starts to kick in around -30db with YPAO volume turned on, just the same as in your video. No issues (seemingly) if YPAO volume is turned off and none whatsoever with my previous Denon unit. I've swapped the unit twice now and the same issue occurs. Did you get a resolution on this?
I didn't fix the issue, I even bought another one the same and it also had the exact same problem after the YPAO setup, so I sent that one back, my one is back in it's box and I bought a Denon instead (works perfectly) am amazed more people aren’t having complaints about this issue. It drove me crazy. Yamaha said to contact a local dealer to sort it out. I still haven't gotten around to it as clearly it can't be repaired. Will probably just sell it and hope the buyer doesn't have the same fault after setup. Good luck.
 
I didn't fix the issue, I even bought another one the same and it also had the exact same problem after the YPAO setup, so I sent that one back, my one is back in it's box and I bought a Denon instead (works perfectly) am amazed more people aren’t having complaints about this issue. It drove me crazy. Yamaha said to contact a local dealer to sort it out. I still haven't gotten around to it as clearly it can't be repaired. Will probably just sell it and hope the buyer doesn't have the same fault after setup. Good luck.
Thanks so much for replying!

I'm also baffled by the lack of reports on this issue. The amount of troubleshooting I've done at this point to isolate the problem is insane and I'm about ready to call it quits. I'm still within my return windows so I was able to swap out for a RX-A780 and damn if it isn't the exact same problem. All units work perfectly until you enable YPAO volume and then it's exactly as in your video. It's a shame because enabling it sounds great to my ear. Currently waiting on a call back from tier two support at Yamaha but I'm not hopeful as both tier one techs I spoke with just suggested not using the setting as a fix...

My previous Denon unit exhibited no issues (was just lacking some modern features). Unless I can get some solid support out of Yamaha I expect I'll end up the same as you and just upgrading within that line.

I'll report back in the event that I do get it solved. Thanks again.
 
Since you are having the issue with two different receivers, the problem has to be with one of your inputs or outputs. Here are some things you might want to try:

1. Is your system properly grounded. Ideally, all of your input devices, receiver, and subwoofer should be plugged into the same power source and ground.

2. Unplug ALL of your input devices but leave all of your speakers connected. Do you still get the crackling? If so, disconnect your subwoofer from the LFE port to see if that corrects the issue.

3. If you get no static with all the inputs connected, start plugging them back in one at a time. Switch the receiver to that input and make sure it is functioning properly. Repeat this procedure one at a time for each of your inputs until you identify the one that causes the issue.

4. Yamaha has had issues with HDMI ports on some of their receivers. If you have an issue plugging an input or output into an HDMI in or out port, try another port to see if that resolves the issue.
 
Since you are having the issue with two different receivers, the problem has to be with one of your inputs or outputs. Here are some things you might want to try:

1. Is your system properly grounded. Ideally, all of your input devices, receiver, and subwoofer should be plugged into the same power source and ground.

2. Unplug ALL of your input devices but leave all of your speakers connected. Do you still get the crackling? If so, disconnect your subwoofer from the LFE port to see if that corrects the issue.

3. If you get no static with all the inputs connected, start plugging them back in one at a time. Switch the receiver to that input and make sure it is functioning properly. Repeat this procedure one at a time for each of your inputs until you identify the one that causes the issue.

4. Yamaha has had issues with HDMI ports on some of their receivers. If you have an issue plugging an input or output into an HDMI in or out port, try another port to see if that resolves the issue.

Hi Ray -

Thanks for the suggestions. I had the same thought - must be the input (or possibly an output problem) but so far the problem has persisted with all inputs tested. My troubleshooting/testing resulting in the following test bench setup:

AVR with a HDMI out to a standard 60HZ, 1080P computer monitor (no ARC and not a SmartTV).
Single speaker with a purpose made length of wire (~1 meter). All devices tested connected to the same power source.

Inputs tested:
-Firestick 4K directly connected to one of the HDMI ports on the back of the AVR input
-ChromeCast Ultra directly connected
-Samsung SmartTV connected via ARC
-Samsung SmartTV connected via optical

All inputs were tested individually and on several HDMI inputs. Part of my testing included removing video output entirely and moving the speaker to and from several positions (Front L/R, C, and Rear L/R). With no input at all, the problem does not occur. The problem does not occur until the unit receives an audio signal. It occurs both before and after YPAO setup (it turns out you can enable the YPAO volume setting without running YPAO config) and from an out-of-the-box, factory fresh starting point. It occurs on both older and newer firmware revisions.

As stated before, no problems whatsoever on my Denon setup. In my testing I just used a single speaker (Polk TL3), but when the unit is hooked up to my home theater it happens on all of my speakers (Polk S35 and Polk S20s).

At this point I've tried turning off/on every setting I can find and thus far there doesn't seem to be any combination of settings/inputs/outputs that doesn't result in the crackling/popping when the YPAO volume is enabled. Disabling this setting completely eliminates the issue. Interestingly, enabling YPAO volume and disabling the ADRC subsetting results in the volume range at which the issue occurs shifting down.

Really appreciate the suggestions - I'm not much of a audio guy so I'm trying to figure most of this out as I go.
 
I tried all the above as blunderdome had, everything conceivable, I thought at one point it was the TV motherboard so I sent that back to LG and they replaced it, but it wasn't. I tried different power outlets, different HDMI ports, I bought new high end HDMI cables, firmware update, bought an nvidia shield same issue, also just bought the same receiver, In the end I just gave up and am more than happy with my Denon 3600. Sad though that it's now sitting in a box for 3 months
 
If felt sure that your testing procedure would reveal the cause of your problem. However, based on what you have done, it seems like the most likely culprit is the DSP circuit that adjusts YPAO. However, it seems unusual that you would have the same problem on two receivers UNLESS both receivers were built using defective DSP chips from the same batch.

Have you tried contacting Yamaha tech service?
 
If felt sure that your testing procedure would reveal the cause of your problem. However, based on what you have done, it seems like the most likely culprit is the DSP circuit that adjusts YPAO. However, it seems unusual that you would have the same problem on two receivers UNLESS both receivers were built using defective DSP chips from the same batch.

Have you tried contacting Yamaha tech service?


I had the same thought about the batch, which is why I swapped it for the RX-A780 but found the same issue. Over the weekend I also contacted a colleague who owns a TSR-7850 (Costco rebrand of the A780). He has a totally different home theater setup to my own with different speakers and input types. Regardless, when I had him enable YPAO volume and ADRC he had the exact same crackling/popping feedback in the same volume range.

Also over the weekend I picked up some cheap speakers from a brand other than Polk to test. Hooked them up with a purpose made length of 12GA wire and confirmed that the issue occurred on them as well.

Currently have an open ticket with Yamaha and waiting for tier two support to get back to me.
 
Also, for anyone who has one of these who wants to test their own unit, here are my steps to recreate the issue:

1. Have speakers connected to either front, rear, or center channels that are set to "Small"
2. Connected input can either be HDMI or optical
3. Initiate an audio stream (play something on Netflix, Hulu, YouTube, etc) and then pause the content
4. In the AVR options menu, enable YPAO Volume and the ADRC subsetting
5. Tune your volume to between -29 and -26db

You should hear the feedback from your "Small" speakers that this point. No other settings seem to affect this and it does not matter if you've run YPAO setup or which PEQ you're using, (through included).

Inputs individually tested so far - Firestick 4K, Samsung SmartTV (optical and ARC), PS4 (optical and HDMI), XBOX X (HDMI), Chromecast Ultra
Units tested - RX-V685, RX-A780, TSR-7850

I've tested both DD and DTS bitstreams and it doesn't seem to be a factor. The Chromecast did not reliably create the issue as it seems that pausing content in some apps causes the device to completely cut the audio stream (Netflix does this but Plex does not).
 
Finally spoke with Yamaha and they were unable to recreate the issue on their test unit. They're of the opinion that it's a bad processor but it's blowing my mind that I tested three with the same issue. Got a Denon arriving tonight so I might just roll with that instead of shipping the Yamaha down to their repair center. So frustrating.
 
Having the same issue with an RX-V685.

I get the crackling sound when Enhancer and YPAO Volume in the Options menu are both On and the Adaptive DRC setting is Off. Turning Adaptive DRC setting to On stops the crackling sound for me.

Switching DSP programs can affect the crackling. When switching through programs, the crackling switches on and off whenever the "ENHANCER" LCD display indicator blinks.

I can get the crackle out of L, R, C and SW and also only C and SW. I forget what setting removed the crackle from L and R. If I can figure out how to push the crackle to L and R again, I'll come back and comment.

I have never heard the crackle from my front presence speakers or from my MusicCast surrounds.
 
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+1 on this issue, or at least I think I am.

(I registered today for the sole purpose of adding my voice to this discussion)

Unit is a TSR-7850 purchased from Costco. So at least I know I have a chance at returning it if it ends up being defective even past 90 days (their policy doesn't seem to limit receiver returns to 90 days, at least as far as I can tell).

I'm on the latest firmware (as of this writing) and have reset the receiver to factory defaults a couple of times now in my quest to figure out what was going on.

For me, I only hear the crackling out of the center channel, as if the level is set too high with certain dialog and I get distortion in the audio.

But I would only hear it occasionally, not constantly, mainly when watching programming from my cable provider's DVR. Every time it would happen, which was occasionally, I would cringe, but it would only happen when there was a sudden loudness in the dialog, like it was due to bad sound mixing/too high vocal levels. When there was a lull in the dialog and then someone said something explosive, the levels would cause the dialog to crack/crackle.

I happened to record a movie on the DVR and found a scene where it would happen every time I rewound and watched it, so I knew I had a repeatable situation where I could test with different parameters to see if it was still a problem.

My first thought was maybe that I had a blown a tweeter in my center channel speaker, so I purchased a brand new center channel speaker, and played back the scene from the saved DVR recording. It still cracked, so I knew it wasn't my old center channel (or both center channel speakers were blown, not likely).

Unplugging the center channel speaker and playing back that scene -- no audio crackling/distortion.

It's always a possibility, I guess, that the center channel audio level is coming in too hot from the DVR - maybe only on certain programming? Not sure.

I have used YPAO, so I will try turning it off to see if that makes a difference. There is almost no info online about center channel cracking/distortion so it must not be that wide-spread?

I'm hearing good things about the Denon, so maybe I'll go with that if I can find one!
 
+1 on this issue, or at least I think I am.

(I registered today for the sole purpose of adding my voice to this discussion)

Unit is a TSR-7850 purchased from Costco. So at least I know I have a chance at returning it if it ends up being defective even past 90 days (their policy doesn't seem to limit receiver returns to 90 days, at least as far as I can tell).

I'm on the latest firmware (as of this writing) and have reset the receiver to factory defaults a couple of times now in my quest to figure out what was going on.

For me, I only hear the crackling out of the center channel, as if the level is set too high with certain dialog and I get distortion in the audio.

But I would only hear it occasionally, not constantly, mainly when watching programming from my cable provider's DVR. Every time it would happen, which was occasionally, I would cringe, but it would only happen when there was a sudden loudness in the dialog, like it was due to bad sound mixing/too high vocal levels. When there was a lull in the dialog and then someone said something explosive, the levels would cause the dialog to crack/crackle.

I happened to record a movie on the DVR and found a scene where it would happen every time I rewound and watched it, so I knew I had a repeatable situation where I could test with different parameters to see if it was still a problem.

My first thought was maybe that I had a blown a tweeter in my center channel speaker, so I purchased a brand new center channel speaker, and played back the scene from the saved DVR recording. It still cracked, so I knew it wasn't my old center channel (or both center channel speakers were blown, not likely).

Unplugging the center channel speaker and playing back that scene -- no audio crackling/distortion.

It's always a possibility, I guess, that the center channel audio level is coming in too hot from the DVR - maybe only on certain programming? Not sure.

I have used YPAO, so I will try turning it off to see if that makes a difference. There is almost no info online about center channel cracking/distortion so it must not be that wide-spread?

I'm hearing good things about the Denon, so maybe I'll go with that if I can find one!
When I found another source which crackled in the center channel, I can say that turning off YPAO definitely had zero impact other than making the audio a little more muddy/muted. All of the center channel level "hotness" and the associated cracking was absolutely still there.

I think this receiver is garbage and will be replacing it once I can identify a suitable replacement.
 
I have the same issue with my RX-A780 on the rear speakers. Looks like disabling YPAO "fixes" the issue.
 
Try putting receiver in "straight" mode and turning off all enhancer effects etc.
 
I didn't fix the issue, I even bought another one the same and it also had the exact same problem after the YPAO setup, so I sent that one back, my one is back in it's box and I bought a Denon instead (works perfectly) am amazed more people aren’t having complaints about this issue. It drove me crazy. Yamaha said to contact a local dealer to sort it out. I still haven't gotten around to it as clearly it can't be repaired. Will probably just sell it and hope the buyer doesn't have the same fault after setup. Good luck.
I did have it with my RX-A3050 but that poping sound coming from my Front Atmos.
At some point whent away but I have upgraded my TV from that time and I am not sure now if it whent away before or after. It might have been something with my old TV as my other stuff from my current set up is same.
 
Have you figured out the issue? I seem to have the same problem on my Yamaha rx a2a. If i watch a show with a dolby digital signal and pause it, i get the same crackling from my fronts.
 
Have you figured out the issue? I seem to have the same problem on my Yamaha rx a2a. If i watch a show with a dolby digital signal and pause it, i get the same crackling from my fronts.
I figured out my issue in case anyone runs into the same situation as me...it turns out the dialogue volume setting in setup>sound>dialogue volume.. was the issue... anything above the default 0 would create the issue.
 

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