[kirch]

Gentlemen - One of my Audio Note AZ-Two's is acting up and I can't quite figure it out - big surprise there.

Getting a slight scratchy sound from the woofer, as though I'm playing a record with a little dirt in the grooves.  I can only hear it in softer songs and quieter passages.  It's not always there, but shows up for a second or two here and there, could be five or six times a minute or just once a minute.  I'm 100% certain it is the speaker and not any of the other system components.  It was suggested I pull the speaker out to make sure none of the wires were touching the cone, and they're not.

Also, the scratchy sound is NEVER there between songs, or when the amp is on and nothing is playing, only while a CD is playing.

Any ideas?  Anyone?  Anyone?  Ferris?

kirch

[Blackmore]

Ooooooh, it sounds like your voicecoil is damaged.  Try gently pushing the woofer in and out and see if you can replicate the scratching sound.  Be sure to push straight in and out because most voicecoils can be made to scrape if you push sideways on the cone hard enough.

If you can hear a scraping sound while 'palpating' the woofer, then you'll need a recone.  Hope that's not true, but I'd try this and let everybody know what you found.

[Scott F.]

Marks' right. That sure sounds like the voice coil is rubbing. The good news is that I think you can get that driver from Brian at Audio Note Kits.
http://www.audionotekits.com/

[kirch]

Try gently pushing the woofer in and out and see if you can replicate the scratching sound.  Be sure to push straight in and out because most voicecoils can be made to scrape if you push sideways on the cone hard enough.

Blackmore - thanks for the tip, and I'm happy to say that doing this did NOT re-create the scratching sound.  I am noticing that it seems to be making this noise much more now though.  And I don't think it's related to the 4 or 5 times I gently pushed in on the woofer.  Maybe I'm just much more aware of it now.

[Scott F.]

hmmmm...scratchy when music is playing, the woofer doesn't scrape when you push it in......tell you what, try changing your driver tubes on your amp. I wonder if one of them is starting to go bad. They can make weird popping and whistling noises when they start to go out.

[kirch]

Hey Scott - thing is, when I swap out the speaker, the noise is gone, so I don't think it's a tube or the integrated. 

[Blackmore]

Well, how about this?
Are any of the drivers connected with push on connectors?  If so, take a pair of needle nose pliers and squeeze the connectors so they'll make a tighter contact with the speakers.  I'd do this on the tweeters too, since they'll get some sympathetic vibrating from the front baffle.  The connectors could be just loose enough to make a scratchy sound when the right frequency note is played.  Just an idea.

[kirch]

I'll give that a try - thanks.

[Mike D]

This problem came up with a pair of my brother's Snell Type D speakers.  The problem was internal wiring and/or bracing being lose and buzzing against the interior of the cabinet. 

[kirch]

And now for the latest - I pulled the woofer out again to check to see if I had push on connectors that I might tighten - Nope (but thanks Blackmore).

I'm 100% sure it's not from the cabinet vibrating, because the sound is coming directly, and I've held my ear very close, from the speaker cone, not the cabinet (thanks Mike D).  I've had the vibration issue with this speaker before and that sound is totally different from this, more of a buzzing sound.  That's not what I have here.

So today I played a CD that I am used to hearing the crackling or scratching from with the speaker, but while the speaker was OUT of the cabinet enclosure.  Strangely enough, there was NO mystery scratchy crackling.  Upon returning it to its position in the cabinet, and fully tightened, I could hear the noise.  Less noisy than yesterday, but it was still there every now and then.  I was even able to recreate it over and over at the exact same point in the CD.  I did that about 15 times.  The scratchy-crackly sound was almost identical each time.  I then took out all but one of the fastening screws on the speaker and the freakin' sound went away, even where I was able to recreate it consistently, every time, over and over.

Now I'm listening with the speaker not screwed tightly into its enclosure, but about a turn or so from being fully tightened and the sound is gone.  What the . . .

I'm not convinced the sound is permanently gone, but the scratchy-cracklies are gone for now.  So one last question; it's not a problem that the speaker isn't fastened tightly, is it?  Sure sounds as good as always.

Thanks everyone for your input/ideas.

Kirch

[Bob in St. Louis]

I think you've got it.
I had a VERY similar problem, threw me a fit for several days. Recreateable at exact same spot on CD (FR range/resonance was "just right"). I'd snug the mounting bolts down, but the noise would come back after a day or two. As it turns out the nuts/bolts were crushing the wood.
(Ok, it was cheap MDF on a test baffle )
But your description of the noise sounds a lot like the one I had.

Try a gasket maybe, or some single sided foam tape?
Also check that your wood isn't crushed?

Bob

[Scott F.]

Hey Kirch,

If I remember correctly, those are bi-wirable. Again if I remember right there was a single strand of solid silver wire that acted as a jumper between the woofer and tweeter binding posts. Try taking the jumper out, straighten it and reinstall it making sure that the binding posts are good and tight. It might just be the electrical connection being slightly loose.

Boy, if it isn't that then ...... they're haunted. Get out of the house QUICK!

[kirch]

think I may have to make a run for it then - 'cause I already did that!!!!!!   

[electricbear]

Try pulling the identical driver out on the other speaker and swap them over to see what happens. This would help discern if it is the driver itself or something else in the equation. You might have a driver with a slight bow or twist in the spider , it's fine when not tightened down but distorts when it is.
The solution is easy . Buy my B&W 803s, they sound ok.

[kirch]

Thanks for the info EB - I'll give that a try.  Sorry, but these AZ-Two's sound just fine to me.  Not looking for a new pair.  Even you say your B&W's only sound "ok".

[kirch]

Bob - the wood in the cabinet is fine and the screws still easily tighten - no stripping or crushing of any kind.  I've been very, very careful about that.  I'm 100% confident that this is a speaker issue somehow and not cabinet related due to the specific location of where the sound eminates, which is dead center of the cone.

EB - these things are soldered.  I'm not swapping anything out since I'm not comfortable with my soldering abilities.

[Bob in St. Louis]

Bob - the wood in the cabinet is fine

Hmm.. I'll second Tims idea of swapping from left to right.
Just to be sure is the driver and not something else.

Bob