Submitted by Status-Half-919 t3_zz22q3 in headphones

ill get straight to the point, i can't tell if my IEMs are broken or if I'm going insane. i have a pair of Audio Monarch Mk2s and there's a subtle crackle everyone once in a while for less than a second. I can't tell if it's actually there though. It will happen in a song, ill go back over that same section, and its gone. The reason why its annoying is previously i had the SAME issue with Sennheiser IE 600s where the left monitor was distorted and sounded terrible a few days later it was dead completely. At the time i figured i got shipped a bad unit as it died within 3 days of me using it or user error "throwing them around" taking them out and setting them on my desk. But now i dont know if its user error this time around, maybe what I'm using it to power it (Elgato wave xlr), or if I'm going insane due to the fact things sound so good all the time when something is mixed badly or is slightly off i cant tell. Its driving me insane b/c the only real way to test is a get a new dac for them like a schiit hell (not that big of a deal but a pain in the ass due to my audio set up.) or get another pair of IEMs to see if its my current one/user error/ im going insane (this would be expensive and annoying) So im asking reddit does anyone else have this issue with IEM crackle, experience with outputting from elgato wave xlr, issues with the monarch mk2s. I need answers.

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LauriCular t1_j290j74 wrote

The jack can give out a bit of a crackle when there's a bit of movement. Often, stuff can build up on them over time but they can be a bit crackly straight out of the factory. Breath on the jack and give it a wipe with your jumper or a cloth a few times. It might help.

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Status-Half-919 OP t1_j2910yv wrote

pulled it out an noticed there was some minor like super minor residue on it. but ii tink its the dac I'm using.

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sorbuss t1_j28z2mu wrote

Test it with your phone and apple dac?

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Status-Half-919 OP t1_j2907xv wrote

not a bad idea let me find the dongle

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Status-Half-919 OP t1_j290ult wrote

its the fucking wave xlr. clutch idea thanks brotha. The next question is could it damage my headphones permanently? (possible what happened to my 600 pros) or is it just concidence they had the same issue with the same side and ended up dying

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No_Analysis6187 t1_j291cwr wrote

Could be, just like how some of those Topping stuff destroyed some headphones. I would go to someone who has measurements gear to test it if I were you

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blargh4 t1_j2a6rbf wrote

Could be a coincidence, but not one I’d bet a $1000 IEM on. I would not keep using it, personally.

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PutPineappleOnPizza t1_j292oij wrote

>It will happen in a song

only in one specific song? I have heard recordings of songs with crackle and distortion, static noise and whatnot and it wasn't my headphones doing this. It was just me being able to spot errors in recordings.

Try different devices without your elgato, see if it persists.

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Status-Half-919 OP t1_j293qur wrote

some songs use those efcts act but this isn't that its total different and shows up in well mixed songs. after some testing seems to be the elgato output. worked fine with my phone and another device.

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germanium21 t1_j2d26f6 wrote

Try switching ears & see if problem move to other ear or not. If problem sound moves it is your earphones. If not have your ears checked. I had a crackling in my right ear & the crackling sound did not move with suspected driver but stayed with my right ear. Some months later I had sudden hearing loss in my right ear. Then distortion got really bad on that side after hearing loss. I still have hearing loss in that ear but much of the distortion has left. Most sound above 5KHz is severely reduced & gone by 9KHz altogether on that ear. I did recover some hearing in that ear as right after hearing loss I had nothing above 2KHz. Before hearing loss I could hear up to 15 KHz.

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