Question How to eliminate violently loud pop/crack from speakers when I turn off system?

[ally0007]

Hi all.
I'm using a Windows desktop PC connected to an audio interface via USB, which is in turn connected to a hi-fi power amplifier, via twin RCA cables, which is connected to my twin studio monitors and a subwoofer, via normal speaker cables.

Every time I switch off the PC, I hear a very loud crack/pop and tearing sound from my studio monitors. The only way to avoid this, is to turn off the hi-fi amp first, which is a bit of a pain, as it's done via the volume knob, which is slow to turn, hard to reach, and I often forget. What causes the loud noise? Is it harmful? Is there an easy way to eliminate it? It disturbs people in the vicinity and I'm worried that it could damage my speakers. Is there, for example, some cheap and convenient component that I can add to the RCA cables going from the audio interface to the power amp?

Thank you for any advice!

System:
Operating System
Windows 10 Pro 64-bit
CPU
Intel Xeon E5 v3 @ 3.20GHz 30 °C
Haswell-E/EP 22nm Technology
RAM
64.0GB DDR4 @ 1064MHz (15-15-15-36)
Motherboard
Hewlett-Packard 212B (CPU0)
Graphics
XB253Q (1920x1080@60Hz)
4095MB NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 (ASUStek Computer Inc) 54 °C

Audio:
Audio Interface: BEHRINGER UMC 202HD 192k
Stereo power amplifier: Hacbop -TB21 TPA3116D2 Bluetooth 5.0 amplifier, (50W x2, plus 100W x1 subwoofer amp).

 

[kanewolf]

Hi all.
I'm using a Windows desktop PC connected to an audio interface via USB, which is in turn connected to a hi-fi power amplifier, via twin RCA cables, which is connected to my twin studio monitors and a subwoofer, via normal speaker cables.

Every time I switch off the PC, I hear a very loud crack/pop and tearing sound from my studio monitors. The only way to avoid this, is to turn off the hi-fi amp first, which is a bit of a pain, as it's done via the volume knob, which is slow to turn, hard to reach, and I often forget. What causes the loud noise? Is it harmful? Is there an easy way to eliminate it? It disturbs people in the vicinity and I'm worried that it could damage my speakers. Is there, for example, some cheap and convenient component that I can add to the RCA cables going from the audio interface to the power amp?

Thank you for any advice!

System:
Operating System
Windows 10 Pro 64-bit
CPU
Intel Xeon E5 v3 @ 3.20GHz 30 °C
Haswell-E/EP 22nm Technology
RAM
64.0GB DDR4 @ 1064MHz (15-15-15-36)
Motherboard
Hewlett-Packard 212B (CPU0)
Graphics
XB253Q (1920x1080@60Hz)
4095MB NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 (ASUStek Computer Inc) 54 °C

Audio:
Audio Interface: BEHRINGER UMC 202HD 192k
Stereo power amplifier: Hacbop -TB21 TPA3116D2 Bluetooth 5.0 amplifier, (50W x2, plus 100W x1 subwoofer amp).

The way to eliminate that is to turn off the power amp before the PC. There is no other way.

 

[hotaru.hino]

If there was something drilled into me in my AV tech days: amplifier powered on last, amplifier powered off first.

There's nothing to prevent the speakers from popping if you don't do it in this order.

 

[kanewolf]

If there was something drilled into me in my AV tech days: amplifier powered on last, amplifier powered off first.

There's nothing to prevent the speakers from popping if you don't do it in this order.

Many amps have a remote turn on circuit. Provide 12V on the remote turn on port and you have remote control.

 

[ally0007]

Thanks for the replies. I'm a bit puzzled, because my previous audio amp (built into a pair of active PC speakers) didn't make any such ear-splitting racket when I turned my PC off. Unfortunately, those active speakers were not adequate for the music production work I'm doing now. The wattage was probably 1/10 of that of my current amplifier.

Is that loud noise harmful to speakers (or other components)? If not, I will just put up with it.

 

[stonecarver]

you could get a Niles speaker A/B box to sit on your desk and just push a button on the box to disconnect speakers before you shut down computer.

Speaker Selectors | Niles Audio

nilesaudio.com

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If there was something drilled into me in my AV tech days: amplifier powered on last, amplifier powered off first.

😎

 

[ally0007]

you could get a Niles speaker A/B box to sit on your desk and just push a button on the box to disconnect speakers before you shut down computer.

That's a very helpful suggestion; thanks, Stonecarver! I might look for something like that, not least, because I can use it to select alternative pairs of speakers, which would be a bonus. I found something on Amazon:

Amazon.co.uk