Popping sound

@gdaddy1

That was a great idea. So, I had to do it. It asks at the end for a component list. 

Possible Causes:

1. Loose or Oxidized Connections:

   • Speaker cable connection at the amp or speaker might be loose or dirty.

   • Interconnect cable (RCA/XLR) between the source and the amp (or preamp) could be partially failing.

2. Faulty Component in the Signal Chain:

   • The left output stage of a preamp, DAC, or source device could be unstable.

   • If it's a tube amp or preamp, a tube in the left channel might be going noisy with heat cycling.

3. Dirty or Aging Potentiometer or Switches:

   • Balance knobs, input selectors, or volume controls (especially analog ones) sometimes arc or pop intermittently when oxidized.

4. Interference or Ground Loop (less likely if infrequent and only in one channel):

   • A nearby device or power fluctuation could be inducing noise—but these usually affect both channels or are more frequent.

5. Amplifier Issue (Left Channel Only):

   • The left power amp channel might have a capacitor or solder joint failing, causing momentary instability as things warm up.

🧪 Diagnostic Steps:

1. Swap the Left and Right Speaker Wires at the amp:

   • If the popping moves to the right speaker, the problem is upstream from the amp.

   • If it stays in the left speaker, the issue is likely in the speaker or amplifier.

2. Swap Interconnects (Left ↔ Right) from your source (DAC, CD player, etc.) to the amp or preamp.

   • Does the popping follow the cable?

   • This can isolate the problem to a particular input device or cable.

3. Try a Different Source or Bypass Components:

   • If you're using a preamp + power amp, try running a DAC directly to the amp if possible.

   • Or vice versa: bypass the DAC if using digital gear.

4. Monitor for Changes with Heat:

   • If it always happens after ~20 minutes, it could be a heat-related issue with a solder joint, tube, or aging component.

🛠 What to Do Next:

• Clean all connections (interconnects, speaker terminals) with contact cleaner like DeoxIT.

• Inspect tubes if you're using a tube system—try swapping left/right tubes to see if the issue follows.

• Check your cables—they can go intermittent internally without being visibly damaged.

• If it only occurs at long intervals, consider setting up a recorder or monitoring app to capture the pop and correlate it with system use or temperature.

Let me know the type of gear you're using (amp, preamp, DAC, etc.), and I can give you more targeted advice.

@gdaddy1 ...and +10 for the Chat GPT tip....
Can't think of a less biased info source for now... 👍😎

It could be a tube. In this case the problem would most likely manifest itself even if the music is not playing. Other problems could be as mentioned above capacitors. 
It might also be power or digital connection related. You have powered speakers - is the popping sound in the bass region or in higher frequencies?

I would rule lout tubes first. Swap tubes left to right and see if the problem moves with the tube to another channel and go from there.