Speakers whining/crackling

[dejavudoo220]

I'm not sure if I'm posting in the right section, the problem I am having is with my Klipsch ProMedia 5.1 sound system hooked up to my computer. The problem started about two months ago and has persisted intermittently ever since. My speakers will emit a very high-pitched whine when I first power up the system. This lasts for about 2-3 minutes usually, then becomes a very static-y white noise, then it usually stops for about 30 minutes or so. After that, it goes on the same static/whine cycle and just keeps doing that until I either power down the system or switch to the headphone mode, where I have no problems with sound.

The system itself is quite old now, I got it in 2007. It has survived numerous moves, and I was hoping that the problem was EMI or some such and that my latest move would fix it, but alas the problem persists. I've tried every troubleshooting step I can think of, including disconnecting speakers one at a time, changing the audio plugs that are plugged into my system (the green/black/orange jacks), trying different speaker pairings, different outlets in my home, updating and replacing the sound card drivers for my computer, using the onboard audio instead of my sound card, and trying the system plugged into no system and a different system. As long as the system is powered on and in speaker mode, this problem recurs and persists.

I am at a total loss as to what to do now about it, I've worked with computers all my life but I have very little experience with audio systems. I'm worried that the problem is not fixable since the system is out of warranty and I don't think the system is even worth the cost of repairs any more. Any help that can be provided would be amazing, and I'm happy to submit more information on my system/setup if necessary, but I don't think it's related to my computer. Thanks in advance for any help or advice!

 

[soundguruman]

A defective component or defective solder connection on the circuit board.
Sometimes these things can be located with a can of freeze spray, freezing one component at a time...
sometimes just re-soldering the entire board. It's hard to say unless the tech is looking at it. Tapping on the board to see if it starts or stops, wiggling components with a wooden chopstick...
Broken solder connections are found at the input/ output jack, a lot of times, because the weight of the connector, plugged into the board mounted jack, can snap the soldered connections or plastic parts. try wiggling the connectors one at a time...
Sometimes you have a thermal intermittent part, that makes noise when it's cold, and stops when it heats up a bit.

 

[dejavudoo220]

Thanks for the reply, I'll take a look at the subwoofer and connections (since it's out of warranty anyway) and see if I can see anything out of place or loose.