I am not quite sure if this is coming from my trition or supersat.

On the left side of the room, in ATMOS mode, I get a crackle at low tone. Example, rocket engine noise from The Expanse. The rolling ball in Raiders of the Lost Art. That sort of thing.

How bad is the problem and how can I, if at all, fix it?

I have a Yamaha RX-A780. Left and right channel sound boasted via a Emotiva BasX A2 Stereo Pre Amp.

Thanks

One additional point, music sounds wonderful, no change. Same with good ole TV i.e. Blue Bloods.

Did happen with Star Trek Discovery season two, last episode, I think #10.

Hi, tleuders

Have you played The Expanse and The Raiders of the Lost Ark before without the crackle? If it's of a low frequency, it probably isn't coming from your SuperSat if it's crossed at 120 HZ or higher. And since music still sounds wonderful it doesn't appear any of your speakers are malfunctioning. Some tracks do have flaws in them and will play as such on any system. Do you you also hear this crackle on other movies with similar tonal ranges? Also, how loudly were you playing when the problem appeared? Amps, or speakers, can be over stressed at high loads.

A bit more about your set-up would help, including what speakers are where in your system, and how new is the problem? Room reflections and interactions can also play a part in creating distracting sounds. I had a higher pitched , annoying sound with some Blue-ray recordings that I eventually traced to a reflection off a mirror on a piece of furniture, and adjusted the position of a speaker to eliminate the mirror as a first reflection. And another rattling from some bass that I traced to an overhead track for a window vertical blind that vibrated at specific resonant frequencies. So worth looking for several causes.

Rick

Also, can you describe how you you are using the Yamaha receiver, Emotiva pre amp combo, or is the Emotiva an amp? Are you using the Emotiva to power the fronts via pre outs from the Yamaha receiver, and what are your front speakers?

Rick, thanks for your response.

The crackle does appear on other movies as well, for example when the ground is vibrating in a movie I get the crackle. It does not last long but occures. It happened again last evening while watching The Expanse last few moments in Episode 1 of Season 4.

I do play loud as I wear hearing aids. Volume is inconsitent between movies, streaming services, etc. Happens to all of us. Example, Raiders I was almost at +2 DB's, which would equal -20DB's on network T.V. Star Trek Discovery Seasaon 2 also requires a high volume, so I think you maybe onto someting.
Even though the actual sound level to me ears is equal, perhaps at the -10 and above range I am getting distortion.

I am using the Emotiva to power the right and left fronts via pre outs from the Yamaha receiver. My main towers/front speaker are 2013 Triton 3's. I have a SuperSat 60 for center channel. Supersat is not recieving power from the Emotiva.

Afer watching some Prime, I played music from Fleetwood Mac, to John Williams, and The Moody Blues ( yes, a child for the 70's). All sounded perfect.

Tonight I may by pass the Emotiva, hook the towers directly into my Yamaha, and see what happens.

I will keep you advised and thanks for your thoughtful response

It might be worth also trying those same discs at lower sound levels to see if that fixes the problem, or not. At least it would confirm whether there is or isn’t an overload in a speaker or amp.

In theory, the Emotiva should have a lot more power than the receiver’s amps, but amps, external or otherwise, can malfunction, so trying the receiver driving the fronts is worth a try also.

Good luck, and happy listening

Rick