[cssarrow]

Hello,
 
I've had my Audioengine A's for nearly 6 months now.
 
Recently at late nights when the all is silent, i hear white noise/static coming from my speakers.
 
What i did was put my ears and listened to them, and heard static coming out from the tweeter. (standard zzzzzz noise)
As for the 5" speaker, i hear a booooom noise. The tweet static is audible, as for the other, not really unless im 1 feet next to them.
 
I ultimately ended up unplugging all the cables connected to the loudspeakers and even disconnected the right speaker, but still the static is still there. (static happens in both left and right speakers)
 
I turned off my phone so there wouldn't be interference, unplugged my wireless router, and turned everything else wifi related. Static Remains. I also plugged the power plug into 3 different power strips along with it directly into the wall jack. Static remains.
 
So, is there anything that i haven't done? I noticed this sound when i first got it and connected it to my Yamaha CP33 Stage Piano, thinking the static was from the piano because i bought it used. Months later, i realized the static was there despite which cables are plugged in.
 
So end of the line, should i RMA these speakers or is this just a normal thing? i thought speakers are suppose to be soundless at 1%-20% volume. Oh also, when its connected to my computer, sound is distorted when it's around 1-5% volume. Thus i have to put it to 20% and set the sound to 50% in Windows.
 
Please kindly help me <3
 
- Tim

 

[Redrider469]

I've heard this same problem from quite a few A5 owners. I know there's a thread on there somewhere talking about the problem but I couldn't find it. Maybe someone else can?
 
As for things you can do, I think you've done just about everything I would have thought to do.
 
It sounds like there's a bad resistor or capacitor in there somewhere......
 
EDIT:
 
I found those threads, they can be found here and here.

 

[cssarrow]

Thanks for taking your time to reply notwithstanding your enormous help of finding those threads for me too.
 
I appreciate it from the bottom of my heart Redrider469.
 
I've gotten a few responses from my real life music smart buddies who've also told me that perhaps there are a few bad components that are not stopping the flow of energy that ends up being linked to the amplifier as well.. That's pretty much all i have heard.

As for the popping noise every 15-30 mins, i've understood that it's from standby mode for it to consume less power while not sound signal is detected and that is fine with me.
 
- Tim

 

[goodolcheez]

Another thing you could try is move your speakers to a different room and run it through powerstrip to a wall outlet.  Or take it to your friend's place or family's home and try it.
 
Something tells me it maybe the imperfection of the circuitry in your speakers.
 
You can contact Audioengine manufacturer and complain about it.  Give them all things you have tried and they will send you a replacement.  Keep replacing until you don't hear the static / noise you described.
 

 

[GREQ]

I had the same problem after a year and just got a refund. Now I use vintage separates and I'm much happier.

 

[cssarrow]

Quote:

I had the same problem after a year and just got a refund. Now I use vintage separates and I'm much happier.

 If the new ones i get still have issues, do you have any recommendations on any around the $300 value that are about the same or even better than the Audioengine A5s? $300 isn't a dead on mark, i can stretch to about $400 or $450 too.
 
 At low volumes during night time, the noise annoys me thus i turn off the speakers and switch to Ultrasone HFI-2400's instead.
 
Quote:

Another thing you could try is move your speakers to a different room and run it through powerstrip to a wall outlet.  Or take it to your friend's place or family's home and try it.
 
Something tells me it maybe the imperfection of the circuitry in your speakers.
 
You can contact Audioengine manufacturer and complain about it.  Give them all things you have tried and they will send you a replacement.  Keep replacing until you don't hear the static / noise you described.
 

Yeah, i've tried just about everything. I gave them my serial number on the speakers and is in the process of returning them now.
Hopefully the next won't be nearly as bad, or be bad at all.

 

[planx]

Did they fix the problem with the A5+?

 

[mikemercer]

Quote:

Did they fix the problem with the A5+?

They addressed alot of issue w/ the A5 with the A5+.  My A5's are still running - but used to occasionally cut out after bangin' em for hours on my DJ desk, no more w/ the bigger heatsink and plate amp on the A5+!  They now have RCA IN (they're my good friends, and even they admit not having RCA inputs on the A5 was an oversight), but you have to remember these guys originally just set out to make a better computer speaker!  They just kept going, and have good engineers there, and the amazing response surprised everybody!
 
I run the A2's, A5's, and A5+ (part of our SONOS music distribution system for sound throughout the house).  Thankfully I've never had a problem.

 

[planx]

Quote:

They addressed alot of issue w/ the A5 with the A5+.  My A5's are still running - but used to occasionally cut out after bangin' em for hours on my DJ desk, no more w/ the bigger heatsink and plate amp on the A5+!  They now have RCA IN (they're my good friends, and even they admit not having RCA inputs on the A5 was an oversight), but you have to remember these guys originally just set out to make a better computer speaker!  They just kept going, and have good engineers there, and the amazing response surprised everybody!
 
I run the A2's, A5's, and A5+ (part of our SONOS music distribution system for sound throughout the house).  Thankfully I've never had a problem.

 
How would you compare the A2 vs the A5+? I'm pretty sure the A5+ is able to produce more bass and has a lot more power than the A2, but a direct comparison would really help me in deciding which one to get. I heard the A5+ and really liked the bass coming from a 2.0 speaker unit. Does the A2 produce similar bass?

 

[cssarrow]

@ Planx
The A5 is a lot fuller sounding than the A2's. A2's are more for laptop users imho. A5's are better for desktop and home setups with mid/large sized dac/amp.
 
The A5+ has a larger hatsink and im guessing their amp has been upped a notch too. The A5 sounds fine for me, i did a minor Heatsink upgrade myself for the back of the speaker using aluminum heatsinks and some highly  conduction Prolimatech PK-3 thermal paste.
 
@ Mikemercer
I have always wondered if the A5+ was that large of a step up from the A5 as to be a $100 increase. What is your comparison of the two? In terms of spec sheets, they seem nearly identical to me.

 

[mtkversion]

The static noise you're running into could be interference from your computer.
 
What soundcard are you using?
 
I had the same noise issue on my pair until I went to a USB DAC.  Completely silent even with the volume turned up all the way.
 
The A5+ are probably worth the extra $100 for the remote/cooling upgrades in certain cases.  But if you just use them as computer speakers then the remote is sort of pointless.  If you have them hooked up to your T.V as well then the remote would be very handy but you're usually at arms reach when just hooked up to your computer.
 
The overheating issue that a lot of people had is puzzling because I'm wondering just how loud people are playing them.  I only need to turn them up to the 10-11 o'clock position ( 0 at 7 o'clock) to get extremely loud.  Have played them for hours and never shut off or anything.  
 
When you get your new pair, if you run into the buzzing issue get a USB DAC from Amazon or somewhere with a return policy and test it to see if it's interference from your computer.  You might just end up keeping the DAC if you like the sound improvement.

 

[cssarrow]

Quote:

The static noise you're running into could be interference from your computer.
 
What soundcard are you using?
 
I had the same noise issue on my pair until I went to a USB DAC.  Completely silent even with the volume turned up all the way.
 
The A5+ are probably worth the extra $100 for the remote/cooling upgrades in certain cases.  But if you just use them as computer speakers then the remote is sort of pointless.  If you have them hooked up to your T.V as well then the remote would be very handy but you're usually at arms reach when just hooked up to your computer.
 
The overheating issue that a lot of people had is puzzling because I'm wondering just how loud people are playing them.  I only need to turn them up to the 10-11 o'clock position ( 0 at 7 o'clock) to get extremely loud.  Have played them for hours and never shut off or anything.  
 
When you get your new pair, if you run into the buzzing issue get a USB DAC from Amazon or somewhere with a return policy and test it to see if it's interference from your computer.  You might just end up keeping the DAC if you like the sound improvement.

 
I had the Maverick Audio D2 Pure DAC at first, even when everything is unplugged except for the DC plug, it has the buzz. When i put my ears 2-3 inch from the tweeter, it sounds like a fly. It gets extremely annoying after 7PM when it the house gets quiet.
 
As for 1-2 inch away from the 5" driver, i hear a humm. like the noise that shaolin monks make. hummmm.
 
I upgraded my $300 DAC (Maverick D2) to a $450 DAC (NuForce Icon HDP) and still experience the problem. Volume never exceeding 9-12 o clock.
 
When i first turn the speakers on, there are no noises (static) whatsoever. However, when i play a song on itunes for 5 seconds then pause the song, i hear the buzz noise once again.
 
It seems as though the noise happens after the first initial drive to the speakers. I'm pretty sure its the speakers because when i plug my Ultrasone HFI-2400's into the headphone amp on the dac, i hear no static at all.
 
Here is my set-up. I even unplugged the modem, router, microphone, wireless mouse, put iphone into airplane mode. Moved the speakers to another room. Still has the issue.
 

 

[planx]

Holy now that I see it at a good angle, they are DEFINITELY off my list now! I just don't have enough room on my desk for that... The A2 it is 

 

[cssarrow]

The A2 is like 1/4 or 1/3 the size, so it should be better suited for your smaller desk haha.
 
I'm getting these RMA'd once i come back from vacation.
 
They told me that they are giving me a free upgrade to the A5+.
 
I was so bloody excited when i heard that. Hopefully the new redesign in the A5+ would help with my static hum/squeak noise problem.
 
They have a large back mounted heatsink on the A5+ and a horizontal exhaust which is an extreme benefactor. It will add the longevity to these speakers.
 
"The main differences added by the A5+ are:

- Improved thermal management
- Upgraded speaker connectors
- Remote control included
- RCA and mini-jack inputs
- Variable preamp line out
- New stand-mount 1/4" threaded inserts

The A5+ and A5 are tuned very similar, however, the slot port on the A5+ in my opinion seems to sound more authoritative in mid-bass response."
 
was said by Marshall at Audioengine. I can't wait to hear that mid bass! :]

 

[imeem]

I have the A2s and when i first bought it, i heard a slight white noise. I did sum google and a guy at the store said that it's most likely bad wires/connection. My friend also have the samething with his speakers. So i just told myself that it was normal.