Click or a pop when decoding Dolby Digital

Recently I got a new stand for my A/V system so I tore it all down and reconnected everything from scratch. I have a HD-DVR from DirecTV connected via optical and DD is enabled. When I flip through the channels I get a click or a pop from the speakers each time I switch to a channel that broadcasts a DD signal. This pop is heard just before the sound is audible and is not heard again until I change to another DD channel. The pop is not heard when switching to a stereo channel. I don’t remember this before because it would have drove me nuts just like it does now. If I disable DD in the HD-DVR the problem goes away. The only difference from before is that I’m using balanced cables between my 990 and 7500 but I reconnected the un-balanced cables to see if the problem went away and it did not. I have reset the 990 and unplugged it from power for 20 hours or so and nothing changed. I also tried a different optical cable.

Has anyone else noticed this behavior?

Do you only get it from the HD DVR, or do you also get it from the DVD player? I'm wondering if it is part of the actual Dolby Digital bitstream or if it's being generated by the 990 or 7500.

From the moment I put the 7500 in my system, I've noticed a soft click from the speakers when the 990 acquires any signal - but I was also looking for it because I'd heard a couple reports of such behavior. It's not what I would consider noticeable enough to be equal to what you mention, but it is independent of the incoming signal format (PCM, DD, or DTS) and it did not occur with my old 750.

My 990 is completele popfree, Daryl.

How did you solve the pop problem? please explain... so others can benefit from your experience.

I reported the same problem not too long ago. I'd like to know how you solved it because I tried everything I could, short of replacing the cable box.

Barend - Is your 7700 up and running yet, or are you using a different amp? I never encountered any pop either with either my Model 750 or my 200's.

I also have this pop - from both my Comcast HD DVR and my DVD player...

I'm using a Monster 3250 amp.

Would love to know if this is normal behavior or if there is a way to get rid of this.

@gonk
Not yet, couldn't manage to get the 230V conversion exactly as I wanted, because the transformers aren't alike, the 230V doesn't distribute in twice 115V...
Wish they made them identical, like on the Arcam P7, which divides the 7th double secundary between transformer 1 and 2...
Now I'm going to split the PSU into a different cabinet for ease of handling...oh my poor back...

No, there was no pop from the 7700 when I switched it on with the ballast transformer; when operating on 115V the transformers are switched one after the other, in 4 stages.
What normally causes the pops (the smoothing electrolytic) is not very high in value, it doesn't have to be because every module has its own, including a rectifying bridge.
It's difficult to see what could cause the pop, because the amp switches on after several seconds, enough to leave the pops behind you...

Also, there is an elaborate error sensing circuit for each module AND the transformers.
The 7700 was also dead quiet.

In fact, the modules look better than those in the Arcam P7.

I do hear the pop once in a while when using the DVD player. Sounds like others have this same behavior. Maybe it is "normal". One thing I did notice when I tried the un-balanced cables is that the pop was a little more faint then when using the balanced cables. Maybe switching to balanced cables made it more noticable for me. The balanced cables did get rid of the 60 Hz hum though. My old un-balanced cables would pick up noise very easily. I had to position them just right. Thanks for the replies.

I have the same problem and have posted on it before if you want to do a search. I get it from a H20 HDTV Directv box and Pioneer DVD player. The problem goes away if you set them to output PCM. Do we have faulty units? I've had the problem since day one.

Is it possible to force the 990 to holdon to the dolby digital without letting it go between channel changing?

I don't think these are faulty units - my best guess is still that it's due to some difference in the design of the 7700 and 7500 (since it only affects 990's connected to one of those).

When the 990 drops the DD signal, it's because the cable box interrupts the signal - so the 990 must re-acquire the signal to make sure it's still DD afterward (especially since it could be PCM or DD with a different number of channels).

Add me to the list. I'd love it to stop.

The more I watch TV and flip through the channels the more this pop irritates me. It shouldn’t do this. If it is not a defect then it is a design flaw. The 990 should mute the audio until it has locked onto the digital signal and can cleanly decode it. I really think the balanced cables that I recently upgraded to made the pop more pronounced. If this pop would have been this bad when I first got the 990 I would have sent it back. Are others that have this problem with the pop using balanced cables?

It does make it more pronounced... Search on my user name. To outlaw's credit, they have really helped me in other areas. Really helped.

can you get a different cable box from your cable company? I have Comcast cable. and i don't get that problem at all.

Now I have my sub set up properly and reaching down to 30 Hz, I do hear an occasional double thump when switching inputs.
In fact, my thump has nothing to do with DD but has to do with switching to a digital level (coax or optical) which is three times as load as the analog inputs.
Does any of you know a way of reducing the output levels of both my set top box (optical) and my DVD player (coaxial)?
I don't think you guys' popping issue has anything to do with the 7700, I would say it's inside the 990.
Many processors have a built-in delay when switching inputs, I guess for depopping...

Are you using balanced cables with the Outlaw 7500 or 7700 and is your cable box sending a Dolby Digital signal?

me? I don't have any Outlaw amps...

and yes my cable box is sending a DD signal, hook up to the 990 with a optical cable.

Just wanted to clarify for the nay sayers. I've tried EVERYTHING to remove the pop or tick that occurs. Even so far as on speaker, connected by one balanced, to a DVD player, no cable attached. You'll still get the tick.

http://ubb.outlawaudio.com/ubb/ultimatebb.php?/ubb/get_topic/f/34/t/000761.html#000002

jester, how loud is this pop sound? and this happens when you change the channel on the cable box? Is there a delay when the cable box switches channels?

In my system, (when the 990 is recieving a sound signal) if the sound goes off , there is a "tick" noise that comes throught he speakers. It specifically happens only when recieving a signal, and then the sound is turned off, not on the process of coming on.

You can also hear it, if recieving a signal and volume is on (-75), then turn off the sound to (-76) it ticks. It's loud enough to notice. Seriously it's hard to ignore.

It happens when commercials come and go. It happens when changing channels. It happens when listening to CDs and changing tracks(so it's not the cable box, it's whenever recieving a signal).

I could go into all the things I have tested. Let's just say I'd be severely shocked if you came up with a different thing to test. Even had a volt meter to the AMP and 990.

If Outlaw's customer service were not as good as it is, I would not be here.

What jester7677 is describing is a little different than what I am experiencing. The pop I hear is not when the sound goes away but only when the 990 starts to receive a Dolby Digital signal from any device. I hear a pronounced pop just before the DD audio is audible. It doesn’t matter where the volume control is set either. The pop sounds the same no matter where the volume is set. I don’t get the pop with any 2 channel PCM digital audio signal from any device. I do hear a very faint tick with PCM but that faint tick doesn’t bother me at all. Also, I do not get this pop when changing inputs on the 990. Even when changing the input to a device that is sending a DD signal. Only the faint tick.

Sorry to put a damper in the issue...but I'm not experiencing the pops. I'm running the 990/7700, un-balance outlaw interconnects, w/the Pioneer DV79, DirectTv HD Rcvr and no pops.

ML Aeon i
ML Cinema
ML Descent
Monitor Audio BX
Neim Audio Spkr Cable
Outlaw Un-balanced Interconnects
BetterCables Sub cable (not impressed)

Daryl,

My issue is the exact same as you've described. I've changed cables, and amps and outlets and it won't stop. I assumed that because no one else had reported the problem, that it was something in my system. However, now that there are more of us reporting pretty much the same thing...maybe there is a problem with some of the 990's...

All I seem to hear is a small 'tick' with my 990/7700 combo. I would love to see what the final results come out to be as to what is causing it.

Is your DirecTV HD DVR set to output Dolby Digital or PCM?

Haven't done the detailed troubleshooting that some of you have, but this is what I am hearing.

DD 5.1:

L / C / R + L Side and R Side = Balanced to amp

One RCA pre-out ---> splitter ---> two powered subs

No pops – everything worked perfectly


Added second amp and two Rear speakers…

DD 7.1:

L / C / R + L Side and R Side = Balanced to amp (same)

One RCA pre-out ---> splitter ---> two powered subs (same)

L Rear and R Rear RCA outputs on 990 ---> 2-channel amp

Pops are heard ONLY from the Rear speakers when changing satellite channels (DISH 622), or simply pausing and resuming the playback.

Will take a closer look at DVD playback and see if there is also popping that may be related to acquiring a DD signal as mentioned above.

What amp did you get for the rear channels?

Dolby Digital

Hi gonk,

It's an ADCOM GFA-535. I've had it for a hundred years, but it's a good little (65 w/ch?) unit that was just sitting around, unused.

Cheers!

Cool, thanks! I was curious because most of the click/pop reports seem to have been associated with Outlaw's 7500 or 7700 amps.

The pop is gone! I replaced the balanced cables with some un-balanced cables I had in my pile and the irritating pop is gone. Once in a while I hear a very faint tick when changing Dolby Digital channels on the DirecTV receiver. This is very tolerable compared to the pop I had before that sounded like a popgun. Now I have problems with hum and buzz that the un-balanced cables pick up but if I position them just right the buzz goes away. Now I need to order some better quality cables and try to sell my balanced cables.

well congrats on solving the problem Daryl. what cable brand were you using?

Not to downplay your buzz or hum problem.. but there may be something in your house that is causing that problem.

Ceiling fans are notorious for adding hum to audio. As are light dimmers.

try and seperate as best you can your audio cables from any power cords. esp power cords that are on the ground that may be next to any audio cables or speaker wires.

Daryl, i see you have a light dimmer with a remote next to your flat planel tv. i'd remove that for the time being and see if that is what is causing the buzz in your audio now. worth a try.

Don't just turn it off.. unplug is from the outlet and check for buzziness again.

I got the balanced cables from Blue Jeans Cable. I tried unplugging that dimmer and I still had the buzz. Right now I’ve got the audio cables away from the power cables enough that I don’t get the noise. The cables I’m using now are some old ones that came from Radio Shack. I’m going to get some from Blue Jeans and I think that will help as well.

After rereading the above posts and also the June 3rd thread started by Bri1270, it appears that the pop heard on acquiring or reacquiring a DD signal is probably unrelated to the DD source.

In my case, the pop in the rear speakers is quite noticeable at the instant my DISH 622 satellite receiver or Denon 1920 DVD player first receives a DD signal. And it always happens when resuming play from a pause on the DISH 622 DVR. It only happens when the Denon DVD player first sees a DD signal; i.e. it doesn’t pop when resuming play after pausing with this unit. It would seem that the DISH 622 receiver loses the DD signal during a pause and the Denon DVD player does not.

I did not hear this pop with the 990, using Outlaw balanced interconnects, when running DD 5.1. It first appeared on the rear speakers after adding a 2-channel Adcom amp, via unbalanced interconnects, to enable DD 7.1 playback.

There has been a significant amount of very good troubleshooting performed by Daryl, Jester7677 and Bri1270, and others. And, as usual, there has also been excellent input from gonk. But the popping sure seems to be directly related to some 990’s acquiring a DD signal from any source.

I really don’t like the popping from the rear speakers, but the 990 is such an excellent pre / pro otherwise, I will live with it. Hopefully, a future firmware upgrade will eliminate this one irritating condition.

By the way, for those that are experiencing this popping noise through your speakers, are you hearing it on all five channels on DD 5.1 and all seven channels on DD 7.1 (if running that configuration)?

Thanks!

I was getting the pop from all 5 speakers with the balanced cables.

Yes, I hear the pop/tick through all speakers.

Personally since I have tried other Outlaw amps and other Outlaw 990's with no effect on the problem, I've come to the conclusion that it's most likely a result of the power in the house having noise of some sort. Also, some times it's worse than others...

At one point the power was so dirty that the 990 stopped decoding DD properly, but since putting it through a Monster power center, that problem is 100% gone. Seriously, no power filter, DD decoding problems, with power filter, no issues.

Go figure.

If someone finds the same issue and a power filter that solves the pop/tick (or any other solution), please send me a note.