The sound of your favorite music reverberating in your home can be breathtaking when you hook up your good-quality Bluetooth speaker to your phone, tablet, or laptop and jam out to your favorite tunes. But, sometimes the sound quality of your music isn’t up to par — it’s just a little bit crackly. Why is that?
Here are some of the most common reasons your Bluetooth speaker is crackling and how you can fix it.
- Blown Bluetooth speakers
- Interference from nearby devices
- Your Bluetooth device is too far from the source
- Low battery life
- Outdated Bluetooth drivers
- Too many applications running on the connected device
- You have a faulty speaker
This article guides you through some of the probable causes of crackling in Bluetooth speakers and tips on how to fix them.
1. Blown Bluetooth Speakers
Blown Bluetooth speakers can cause crackling noise even at low volumes, especially with non-portable Bluetooth speakers.
One of the most common reasons your Bluetooth speaker is crackling is because it’s blown.
If you’re not one to blast their music volume on the highest setting, then this shouldn’t be an issue for you. But, if you enjoy blasting your tunes, it could mean that your speakers are blown and need to be replaced.
To determine if this is the cause, you’ll need to disassemble your speaker and check if there are any damaged parts. Check if the speaker has a tear on the cone or if its voice coil is damaged.
If you are dealing with a blown Bluetooth speaker, you need to replace the broken parts.
Replacement and repair are not common skills. So, don’t be shy to seek professional assistance if you cannot disassemble the speaker and do the repairs yourself.
In some cases, a more convenient option would be to just buy a new one.
Check out some of the most popular Bluetooth speakers on Amazon!
2. Interference From Nearby Devices
If you have a Bluetooth speaker and have issues with crackling noises, there may be some sort of interference from nearby devices.
Many things in your home use Bluetooth technology, such as your TV remote control or cell phone.
Placing your Bluetooth speaker near devices that operate on a similar radio frequency can also cause crackling noise.
These can be electronic gadgets such as your wifi router, devices connected to Bluetooth, or even nearby microwaves.
You can easily eliminate the noise by turning off any electrical devices that are not in use or moving your speakers away from the range of electronic gadgets that operate on a similar radiofrequency.
3. Your Bluetooth Device Is Too Far From the Source
If you have a Bluetooth speaker, you don’t have to worry about wires getting in your way. You can take your music with you and bring the sound of your favorite tunes with you wherever you go.
But, it’s important not to get too far away from your Bluetooth speaker, or the audio quality will suffer.
If the distance between your Bluetooth speaker and the device playing the music is too great, then it will start to sound crackly.
The same can happen if walls are blocking the signal between the two devices.
Bluetooth works up to approximately 30 feet (10 meters).
Whatever you do, avoid placing the speaker too far from the audio source.
4. Low Battery Life
Check the battery level of your Bluetooth speaker. If it’s running low, it is a potential cause of the crackling noise.
A low battery charge weakens the power delivered to the Bluetooth chip, affecting the entire connection. Therefore, ensure that your batteries are well charged before playing audio through the device.
Besides, faulty batteries are another cause of the crackling noise. If your speaker’s battery is draining quickly, then it’s time to replace the battery.
If your device has an unmountable battery and is directly connected to a power source, connect the speaker to a different power source since there could be an issue with the power source you are using.
5. Outdated Bluetooth Drivers
Are your drivers or music apps up to date? Using an old version of the Bluetooth driver software can lead to poor connection between the speakers and the devices.
If you are using an app to control the Bluetooth speaker, ensure that you use the latest version available to prevent experiencing such noise.
If you use a computer to play audio via Bluetooth, ensure that your drivers are updated.
You can update them manually using the device manager or a driver scan and an update tool.
6. Too Many Applications Running on the Connected Device
Too many apps running in the background simultaneously can tamper with the quality of the Bluetooth connection.
For a smooth experience, avoid running many apps simultaneously on the audio source.
It’s best to pair the speakers to a device you don’t use frequently to avoid such interruptions.
7. You Have a Faulty Speaker
One of the most common causes of a crackling sound is a faulty speaker. If you’ve been using your speaker for an extended period of time, it’s possible that the speaker can become damaged.
A faulty speaker may make crackling noises because there is something obstructing the speakers from making a full range of sound — for example, food debris or dust which may have collected inside the speaker.
If this sounds like what’s happening to your Bluetooth speaker, then you just need to clean out the obstruction so you can get back to enjoying your music without any interference.
Other minor issues include:
- Your Bluetooth speaker isn’t powerful enough. If you’re using a small Bluetooth speaker, then you may want to consider upgrading to a more powerful model.
- Your Bluetooth speaker is too hot. If you just used your Bluetooth speaker and it’s still too hot, turn it off and wait for it to cool down before you use it again.
- Your music is playing too loud. One of the most common reasons why your Bluetooth speaker is crackling is that your music is playing too loud. If you crank up the volume on your Bluetooth speaker, the driver takes on too much stress and demands too much power from the battery. Eventually, it will produce a crackling, clipped, and distorted output.
How To Fix a Crackling Sound on a Bluetooth Speaker?
The crackling can get quite annoying – and scary too. Some people might feel it’s a defect, while others may think it’s a sign of something wrong.
No matter where you stand, the crackling sound is actually something you can fix. Luckily, this process is pretty easy and doesn’t take too much time.
Here’s how you can fix that annoying crackling sound on a Bluetooth speaker.
- Inspect your speaker
- Unpair your source device and pair it again
- Pair with another device or speaker
- Check the distance
- Switch to a wired connection
- Uninstall the music app and reinstall it
- Call for professional support
1. Inspect Your Speaker
A thorough inspection of the speakers reveals the issues that cause crackling noises. However, if you’re new to tech, you might not know where to start.
Here are a few questions that can guide you in the right direction:
- What changed? Before any problem arises, there must have been a change in the environment, the source device, or maybe, the positioning. Find out what you may have changed in the recent time, and you may have well found the problem.
- Is there dust inside the speaker? If you are experiencing some crackling on your speaker, there is a chance that dust may have collected inside it. So before you do anything else, make sure to clean the dust out of the speaker with a vacuum cleaner and wipe off whatever’s left with a clean, soft cloth.
- Is there water damage? This may seem out of the odd, but sometimes the problems are more far-fetched than you could imagine. Water and electronics never mix. Check for any signs of water damage, e.g., rusty electrical components.
2. Unpair Your Source Device and Pair it Again
Sometimes, the easiest solution is right in front of your eyes. Your Bluetooth speakers may not be syncing properly with a new device.
This can also happen if you have recently paired your Bluetooth speaker to a new device and are trying to switch back to the original one.
To fix this:
- Unpair your source device from your speaker by tapping the “Unpair” button on the Bluetooth settings on your phone.
- Then, set your audio source to forget the connection to the BT speaker.
- Turn off your Bluetooth speaker, and turn it on after a few minutes.
- Re-pair the Bluetooth speaker to the source device.
Unpairing and refreshing the connection between your devices gives your devices a fresh start, solving the syncing issue and eliminating the annoying crackling sound.
3. Pair With Another Device or Speaker
If you have tried the unpair and repair hack and your Bluetooth speaker still produces the crackling sound, the issue could be inside your speaker or the connected device.
Pairing the speaker to a different device should help you identify which device has a problem.
For instance, if you used an Android device to pair to your Bluetooth speaker, switch to your Windows laptop or try an iOS device.
This should rule out the issue you’re dealing with.
4. Check the Distance
As mentioned before, Bluetooth won’t transmit well beyond 30 feet (10 meters). Placing your device beyond the specified range weakens the connection.
Bringing your audio source closer to the Bluetooth speaker is an easy way to fix the crackling noise.
Bluetooth speakers rely on a wireless signal to emit sound. If you’ve noticed that the sound quality of your devices has diminished, this may be because the Bluetooth signal is also being interfered with by an object in between.
It could be as simple as having your device too close to something else, like a thick wall.
The best way to fix this is to remove the obstruction and place your device in another space where it can receive a better signal.
5. Switch to a Wired Connection
Most Bluetooth speakers support both wired and wireless connections. Trying out the wired connection helps determine if the connected device or speaker has an issue.
Use a stereo audio cable to connect the two devices. If the music plays without any crackling noise, the Bluetooth connection is most likely the issue.
If the crackling noise persists, your device or Bluetooth speaker may have a hardware issue that needs to be fixed.
Leave your speaker to rest. If they are being constantly pushed, then that could be the cause of the crackling.
So, what can you do? Just let them rest! Turn off your speakers and unplug them from power to give them some time to recover. Be sure to unplug all wires and devices, as well.
6. Uninstall the Music App and Reinstall It
If you have tried updating the music app, but that still doesn’t work, consider uninstalling the music app. This way, you get rid of bugs that might be hidden inside the app’s code.
Once you’ve done that, restart your phone and ensure it’s paired with the speakers.
Next, try playing a song or video through your Bluetooth speaker.
Be sure to clean the source device memory to remove any remaining junk files and install an updated app version.
7. Call for Professional Support
If you have tried all the solutions mentioned and the crackling noise is persistent, perhaps it’s time to seek professional assistance. You can contact the manufacturer or a qualified professional for assistance.
Last but not least, you could always replace your old speakers with new ones.
If you’ve had your speaker for a few years, the sound quality might not be as good as it once was. This can happen for several reasons. Over time, speakers tend to wear out, and the sound quality decreases.
Additionally, dust and other particles may accumulate on the speaker, leading to crackling sounds. If your speakers are still in good shape despite being old, try dusting them off to see if that helps.
If they aren’t in good shape anymore, you may need to buy new ones to get better sound quality.
Check out some of the most popular Bluetooth speakers on Amazon!
Final Thoughts
Try to troubleshoot the cause before requesting professional help. You may be surprised to find out that the crackling is being caused by a small problem with a simple solution.
You might be able to fix minor issues that may cause the crackling noise and avoid the need to visit the repair shop.
