# B&O Crackling Issues



## KingoftheWok (Jul 30, 2014)

Hi all,

I picked up my 2015 Audi S3 about 3 weeks ago and noticed recently there is some crackling sounds coming from the speakers in the front on certain tracks at volume above 20-25. I'm fairly certain it was there when I picked up my car but I thought it was simply that track and have been listening to music at a lower volume this whole time.

I frequent the audi-sport.net forums as well and noticed that quite a few others there have experienced this issue.

http://www.audi-sport.net/xf/threads/b-o-crackling-noises.210006/

http://www.audi-sport.net/xf/threads/b-o-crackling-how-common.222664/#post-2218214

I will be taking the car to the dealer to get it checked out soon but was wondering if anyone here has experienced this issue and what they have done to resolve it.

Thanks.


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## TurboZach (Oct 20, 2014)

*Yes I am experiencing this same issue in my A3 - I don't think it is the speakers themselves as the radio on all bands is crystal clear - bluetooth and other media sources are crackling. What about for you? Are you hearing the crackling at all times or just certain media sources?*


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## KingoftheWok (Jul 30, 2014)

For me it is happening on specific tracks and only really above volume 20+ where the crackling is noticeable. The radio doesn't have this problem, only when I stream through bluetooth, using the SD card and the internal HD. I haven't tried the Audi cable, I have the Iphone 5s and the wire that came with my car is the old adaptor for the previous gen.


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## TurboZach (Oct 20, 2014)

KingoftheWok said:


> For me it is happening on specific tracks and only really above volume 20+ where the crackling is noticeable. The radio doesn't have this problem, only when I stream through bluetooth, using the SD card and the internal HD. I haven't tried the Audi cable, I have the Iphone 5s and the wire that came with my car is the old adaptor for the previous gen.


*UPDATE*

So I've gotten word from the dealer (Audi of Beverly Hills) that (after originally confirming hearing the issue) are now saying they don't hear the issue and the crackling is normal. 

I find this unacceptable. I would expect buying a $45,000 car the car would work as designed and I as the customer should NOT be expected to accept sub-par quality. 

The crackling in my car through bluetooth (over both music and telephone) is so invasive that it effectively renders the media functions unusable...

Gonna write a letter.


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## AMD IS THE BEST (Mar 15, 2004)

The fact that it's only certain tracks is what leads me to believe it's actually the content on your device and not your system...possibly.

With the B&O, maybe the high quality tweeters and processing now lets you hear noises in the tracks that were not audible on previous systems/headphones/etc. I've had it happen several times when comparing different quality headphones or stereos. 

Just something to think about.


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## misaka (Feb 8, 2013)

AMD IS THE BEST said:


> The fact that it's only certain tracks is what leads me to believe it's actually the content on your device and not your system...possibly.
> 
> With the B&O, maybe the high quality tweeters and processing now lets you hear noises in the tracks that were not audible on previous systems/headphones/etc. I've had it happen several times when comparing different quality headphones or stereos.
> 
> Just something to think about.


This. On my headphones, I can pick up all the distortions/noise on any lower quality audio tracks. (Given what they cost they should). The B&O system is pretty decent with audio clarity. Some tracks I can hear that they are on a sound stage and some of the background noises. 

This reminds me of my first aluminum macbook pro. You would get all these hisses and pops when the computer turned off the audio out. Which would come across super loud on my headphones. When I took it in for service, they plugged in a pair of apple earbuds... and surprise... nothing. Not that you could hear any crap out of those anyways. I had them swap the macbook, but in the end, it was a design issue vs higher end low impedance headphones.

Also just to note, the bluetooth streaming on this car is pretty damn ****ty quality. No aptX codec, it uses a much lousier one. Then again if the radio didn't sound like crap to you to begin with, and 128kbit mp3 sounds clear, or you use apple earbuds... you might not notice. But if it's predominantly bluetooth, it could be the bluetooth reciever itself, or the device itself. I would probably see what another phone sounds like.

If you are convinced of this issue, you could consider an audio calibration CD to diagnose where the issue is actually coming from, or if it does exist.

http://www.jlaudio.com/cleansweep-cd-car-audio-oem-interface-accessories-97018


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## KingoftheWok (Jul 30, 2014)

The crackling issue is starting to get worse. I now hear it even on certain songs on the radio. I don't have the problem with bluetooth with the telephone... yet. 

I understand the logic of playing lower quality tracks and hearing the imperfections of it on a higher quality system but its not hissing but crackling. It almost sounds like static electricity. 

I haven't tried to download a higher quality version of the songs I hear the issues on but if you reference the links I posted, it seems to be a problem with the MMI unit.

I haven't had time to go to the dealer with this issue, might just wait till my first service to let them know so they can deal with it all at once.

Currently the crackling happens when I play songs on the HD, SD, BT and radio.


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## Chimera (Jul 6, 2002)

I haven't detected any crackling but either my audio sources are junk or the B&O system is way overrated. I'm hoping it's the former but I'm still in the discovery phase.


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## perseus123 (Nov 3, 2014)

*The answer to this problem!!!*

Hey everyone. I got my A3 2.0 Quattro back in July, and being a musician with a really good ear, I noticed this bluetooth crackling on certain tracks problem almost immediately. I took it into my dealer (Prestige Imports in North Miami) and they are fantastic. I played them a number of songs on which the crackling sound was most prevalent, and they immediately recognized that this was not right. The service manager Grant Johnson spearheaded a huge investigation into the issue. I was told shortly after they took my car in that product support recreated and documented this problem. I even got a letter directly from product support regarding it with an explanation. This was a few months ago. They said that what is causing it is that the decompression algorithm in the bluetooth module is causing "white noise" present in certain audio recordings to become amplified and distorted. They also told me that solving this problem is very complicated because it basically requires a complete redesign of the output decompression setting on the module they use. Therefore, it all has to go back through quality control in Germany and be approved, which takes time. My dealer was very upfront with me and told me that this was not going to be something they would have a quick fix for, and that it would take several months. However, once it is fixed, he thinks it will be implemented into our cars via a software update, with no need for new hardware. 

Anyway, I am still waiting for a solution to this. I send Grant a regular email just about every few weeks, and he gives me an update that they are making progress, but still no fix. And yes, every A3 2.0 and S3 out there has this problem! The basic radio on the A3 1.8 does not, as it uses and older bluetooth module with a different decompression algorithm. Grant has also forwarded me emails from product support regarding how to minimize the static sounds based on different settings. However, I haven't even been trying that stuff. Honestly, I prefer to listen to wired music, so it hasn't been a huge issue for me. But, when I do stream from Spotify, I just put up with it on the tracks that crackle, and have faith in the fact that at least Audi knows about the problem and is working on it.


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## KingoftheWok (Jul 30, 2014)

perseus123 said:


> Hey everyone. I got my A3 2.0 Quattro back in July, and being a musician with a really good ear, I noticed this bluetooth crackling on certain tracks problem almost immediately. I took it into my dealer (Prestige Imports in North Miami) and they are fantastic. I played them a number of songs on which the crackling sound was most prevalent, and they immediately recognized that this was not right. The service manager Grant Johnson spearheaded a huge investigation into the issue. I was told shortly after they took my car in that product support recreated and documented this problem. I even got a letter directly from product support regarding it with an explanation. This was a few months ago. They said that what is causing it is that the decompression algorithm in the bluetooth module is causing "white noise" present in certain audio recordings to become amplified and distorted. They also told me that solving this problem is very complicated because it basically requires a complete redesign of the output decompression setting on the module they use. Therefore, it all has to go back through quality control in Germany and be approved, which takes time. My dealer was very upfront with me and told me that this was not going to be something they would have a quick fix for, and that it would take several months. However, once it is fixed, he thinks it will be implemented into our cars via a software update, with no need for new hardware.
> 
> Anyway, I am still waiting for a solution to this. I send Grant a regular email just about every few weeks, and he gives me an update that they are making progress, but still no fix. And yes, every A3 2.0 and S3 out there has this problem! The basic radio on the A3 1.8 does not, as it uses and older bluetooth module with a different decompression algorithm. Grant has also forwarded me emails from product support regarding how to minimize the static sounds based on different settings. However, I haven't even been trying that stuff. Honestly, I prefer to listen to wired music, so it hasn't been a huge issue for me. But, when I do stream from Spotify, I just put up with it on the tracks that crackle, and have faith in the fact that at least Audi knows about the problem and is working on it.


Do you have the issue with wired music? I have it even with tracks on the SD card and HD. The crackling is minimized through those sources but it is still there. As I mentioned before, it is mainly when the volume is level 20-25+.


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## perseus123 (Nov 3, 2014)

*Static on other channels...*

It's funny you ask that. I actually had another totally unrelated problem with this car that I didn't mention above that might be related you your issue. I was getting a weird staticy sound that would come and go occasionally across all the channels (iPod, radio, bluetooth). It would usually only come after 10-20 minutes of the MMI running, and then would come and go. It was most noticeable on bluetooth calls and talk radio, where there is enough empty space that you could clearly hear it. Anyway, it wound up being the master control module for the MMI in the glovebox. We replaced it with another one from the floor model and I have never noticed that issue again. The service manager thinks it was due to some bad soldering on some of the tiny connections in there causing some kind of bleed when it got hot. But, he didn't really know for sure. He sent the whole module off to Germany with a report regarding the issue though. Again, I have never noticed this issue since. But, it sounds like your issue might be different because mine did not depend on the volume in any way, and was a different static sound than the bluetooth one I was talking about above. The bluetooth static sound just sounds like crackling "white noise," almost like an old record player would. The sound I was getting from the bad master module was different, more like if someone asked you what sound the letter "F" makes. Anyway, make your service provider drive it for a couple days, and if they hear it, maybe have them try swapping out the master module in the glovebox.


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## Rearviewevo (Nov 19, 2014)

perseus123 said:


> It's funny you ask that. I actually had another totally unrelated problem with this car that I didn't mention above that might be related you your issue. I was getting a weird staticy sound that would come and go occasionally across all the channels (iPod, radio, bluetooth). It would usually only come after 10-20 minutes of the MMI running, and then would come and go. It was most noticeable on bluetooth calls and talk radio, where there is enough empty space that you could clearly hear it. Anyway, it wound up being the master control module for the MMI in the glovebox. We replaced it with another one from the floor model and I have never noticed that issue again. The service manager thinks it was due to some bad soldering on some of the tiny connections in there causing some kind of bleed when it got hot. But, he didn't really know for sure. He sent the whole module off to Germany with a report regarding the issue though. Again, I have never noticed this issue since. But, it sounds like your issue might be different because mine did not depend on the volume in any way, and was a different static sound than the bluetooth one I was talking about above. The bluetooth static sound just sounds like crackling "white noise," almost like an old record player would. The sound I was getting from the bad master module was different, more like if someone asked you what sound the letter "F" makes. Anyway, make your service provider drive it for a couple days, and if they hear it, maybe have them try swapping out the master module in the glovebox.


Any updates on a potential fix? I find myself just listening to talk radio because i can't handle the crackling noise on the music.


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