Crackle and distortion

Hi all,

On the latest software I’m still experiencing issues with the sound crackling and distorting sometimes. I don’t use DIRAC. It does it when I stream via tidal and when I use chromecast to stream for instance from the bandcamp app. It also does it in MM phono. Sometimes I can go days without it, but usually now pops up every hour or so.
It’s like weird noise coming through that can turning glitchy cutting music in and out and distort. It can be in either one or both L/R channels. Turning the amp on and off temporarily resolves it.
It sounds very much like the issue many others had with earlier software versions. I’ve tried re installing the latest software via usb which seemed to work for a few days but the issue is back again. Anyone else has had any any issues with this on the latest software?

Cheers

No trouble at all since the last firmware. You may have a hardware issue. I would get it to an Arcam repair center.

Same symptoms. There is a ticking sound when playing on Google Chrome with the Dirac setting.It seems to disappear if the Dirac setting is not set.

I use DIRAC with Roon, but only then and I have not had any kind of crackling.

If you press the Audio button and turn Dirac off does the problem go away?

The symptom of distortion even in MM phono suggests the problem is downstream in the analog domain and not necessarily a firmware/digital issue. I agree that you may want to have the amp checked out by a technician.

Hi tarik, could you share your result? Did you go to a technician? What did he say?

It’s been a very longwinded process and story. Eventually went back to Arcam, but their technicians did not pick up on anything wrong with it, even though I had video evidence of erros. Helpful staff at Sevenoaks then set the amp in store to listen if the crackle/distortion would occur there as well. First day it played with no issue and then the second day they heard the problem as well. It just indicates how weird and irregular this fault is.
Sent back to Arcam again and they changed some digital board. Got the amp back, played fine for some weeks and then the issue came back again. Arcam has now agreed to a new amp, but waiting for one as there is no stock at the moment in Arcam’s warehouse, but been offered a b stock amp as a temporary solution…