If you are new to the world of home audio, you may wonder why your speakers keep cutting out. Even the best speakers, after all, depend heavily on their cables, A/V signal emitters, and related tools to create an audio signal. So what are the main reasons speakers cut out and what can you do to prevent it? Keep reading to find out.
Key Takeaways_
- Speakers cut out for a number of reasons, many of them preventable.
- If you overdrive your speakers from the audio source or audio device, they become damaged which leads to audio that cuts out.
- Other causes of speaker connection issues? Out-of-date audio drivers, poor Bluetooth connectivity for wireless speakers, and damaged speaker wires.
Why Do Audio Speakers Cut Out?
Unfortunately, there are as many reasons why audio speakers cut out as there are audio speakers themselves, and the same is said when wondering why audio speakers crackle. Here are some of the major reasons that speakers cut out. As a note, some of these troubleshooting tips work for other issues, like if you are wondering why your subwoofer sounds weak.
insider tip
Keep your wires untangled, as tangled wires damage easily, which leads to poor audio in many cases.
Wire Issues
Wired speakers play host to all manner of issues, many of them leading to crackling and related audio problems. If your wires or connection ports are dirty, guess what? Audio that cuts out. If your wires are slightly damaged anywhere along their length, guess what? Audio that cuts out or crackles. Loose connections, dirty pots, aging components, and plenty of other issues also lead to poor audio when using your speakers. How to prevent this? Purchase and install new wiring and keep an eye on it.
Bluetooth Issues
Bluetooth speakers are fantastically convenient. But, some models don’t play well with ultra-hot signals, leading to crackling when trying to play music at high volumes. Another issue that plagues Bluetooth speakers, particularly rechargeable models, is that the battery only lasts for so long. If you are using them to play lots of music and podcasts, the batteries will deplete, leading to crackling and the audio prematurely cutting out. One final issue impacting Bluetooth speakers is out-of-date audio drivers. If your drivers are ancient, it is likely your audio will suffer.
STAT: The signal frequency range used by wireless speakers is generally the same as that used by cordless telephones – 900 MHz. The RF signal can traverse walls and floors/ceilings. Most manufacturers claim the signal transmits over a range of 150 to 300 feet (50 to 100 m). (source)
Blown Speakers
Speakers have plenty of necessary components, one of which is the voice coil. When this voice coil becomes overwhelmed, it blows the speakers. When you use blown speakers, you’ll hear the tell-tale frustrating crackle. How does the voice coil become damaged? Usually, it happens by overdriving the system, which eventually tears the speaker cone itself. To prevent this, try to avoid jamming your speakers at full blast. As an added bonus, this will also please your neighbours.
