topic Re: Nest Audio Crackling in Speakers and Displays

Nest Audio Crackling

abellaj — Thu, 26 Aug 2021 00:26:50 GMT

Disclaimer: This thread was migrated from our previous version of the Google Nest Community. You can continue to receive updates on your thread issue here or simply ask, browse or more in the new Google Nest Community.

Original Poster: Facey

Hi, took delivery of the Nest Audio speaker last week. I've noticed the audio is crackling while playing music (tested Spotify and YouTube Music). Also tried both apps via the cast feature and while connected via Bluethooth. Same result in all conditions - random audio crackling / popping.

Cast to group of speakers around the house, the Nest Audio is the only device to have audio issues.

I've performed a factory reset, no resolution. Any advice?

Re: Nest Audio Crackling

abellaj — Thu, 26 Aug 2021 00:27:22 GMT

Hey folks,

Sorry this has taken this long and I understand how you feel about these unwanted crackling noises when you're listening to your music of choice.

Our team would want to check on this further. Please send feedback on your Nest Audio by using the keywords "GHT3 Nest Audio Crackling and Popping". To know more about sending feedback, please refer to this link.

We'll keep everyone posted on this thread as soon as we have something to share — we appreciate your patience.

Best,

Melba

(Community Specialist)

Re: Nest Audio Crackling

JHerbY2K — Sun, 03 Oct 2021 04:08:40 GMT

An update on this would be really great. I submitted troubleshooting data as requested, months ago. There is no workaround on the Nest Audio - turning off ultrasound is only an option for some reason on the mini. We have a speaker for listening to music we haven't been able to listen to music on for probably 6 months now. I feel like Google stole my money.

Re: Nest Audio Crackling

ccaunca — Fri, 15 Oct 2021 09:29:28 GMT

You try plugging it in directly to the wall and not into a power strip?! Was just having this issue with a new Mini Home I got a few days ago. Was plugged into a power strip and had the crackling, unplugged and plugged directly into the wall and it went away for me.

Re: Nest Audio Crackling

frances — Thu, 21 Oct 2021 19:29:58 GMT

Hi All,

First, thank you @ccaunca for sharing a solution! I appreciate it.

Hello @JHerbY2K

Thanks for your patience and apologies for just getting back to you. I'm sorry for the inconvenience caused by your devices making a crackling noise and for this long resolution time, I definitely understand your frustration.

This is still an ongoing issue the team is looking into and we're asking customers to send feedback after reproducing the issue so the team can continue to investigate. I understand this process can be frustrating but having these fresh reports will be super helpful for the team. When sending feedback, you can use the keywords, "Nest Audio crackling" and you check out these steps on sending feedback.

Once again, I appreciate your patience. I will keep this thread open to post updates as they occur.

Re: Nest Audio Crackling

jll — Thu, 28 Oct 2021 23:32:48 GMT

I have the same issue on a brand new google home (large one). Have been using minis for years with no issue.

super disappointed in this large google home unit. It’s unusable for the only task i use it for…. Being a half decent speaker.

Re: Nest Audio Crackling

jll — Thu, 28 Oct 2021 23:33:36 GMT

Does not solve it for me.

Re: Nest Audio Crackling

jll — Thu, 28 Oct 2021 23:34:40 GMT

Same symptoms as you. Have not found resolution online.
super bummed by this new addition to my current minis!

Re: Nest Audio Crackling

Apollyon — Mon, 01 Nov 2021 09:49:51 GMT

Same here. I have 2 nest audio units. One crackles and the other doesn't. Irrespective of volume. The same piece of music will cause crackling on one but often not during the same parts. Can we get a firmware update or something? Can't think that it is a physical problem. Super annoying as I had trouble with Google "support" in getting these in the first place.

Re: Nest Audio Crackling

Charles — Sat, 06 Nov 2021 11:00:20 GMT

I've been having the same issues described above. We have 7 minis (2nd gen) and cast to them all at once from Spotify and all of them crackle at different times. It's very distracting. Doesn't matter how close or far they are from the router, which band they are on (2.4 or 5g), which channel they are on or how loud they are playing. The only thing we have noticed is that they don't crackle straight away... It usually takes a couple of hours before it happens.

We have turned off the ultra sonic options in the settings and it has made no difference.

We are wanting our money back as we have been waiting for a solution for 6 months!

Re: Nest Audio Crackling

ccaunca — Sat, 06 Nov 2021 14:24:05 GMT

Yeah so a few days after doing this, the crackling started happening again and hasn't really stopped since.

I have another mini, but a previous model and a Nest Audio and I do not have this issue with either of them.

I hope they resolve this!

Re: Nest Audio Crackling

AlexanderForbes — Sat, 06 Nov 2021 22:54:03 GMT

Same issue here, Intermittent crackling at any volume. Like someone is wiggling a faulty audio cable. Speakers are useless until this is fixed.

Re: Nest Audio Crackling

Perrsyl — Mon, 08 Nov 2021 07:43:44 GMT

What I have found and try is to turn off the ultrasound sensing. For about 5 or 6 hours the popping and crackling disappear completely. Then slowly the crackling were audible but not the popping and not all the time. Consequently, the situation improved but still it’s annoying to ear.

Re: Nest Audio Crackling

AlexanderForbes — Mon, 08 Nov 2021 12:00:44 GMT

The bigger nest audio speakers don’t have that setting unfortunately, so it’s crackling all the time.

Re: Nest Audio Crackling

Perrsyl — Tue, 09 Nov 2021 03:23:13 GMT

That is true, I have two google nest mini but even after turning the ultrasound sensing off the crackling and popping sound came back after about 5 hours. Why it took so long to come back, I don’t know. I realized though that the annoying sounds were mainly coming from the left speaker when settled and playing stereo mode. Consequently, I decided to uncouple the two speakers and play music with both of them independently. Well, the music is playing for more than 10 hours and there are no popping and scratching sound heard since…

Re: Nest Audio Crackling

Perrsyl — Tue, 09 Nov 2021 03:26:36 GMT

It appears that the scratching and popping sounds are related to the stereo mode of the google home application…

Re: Nest Audio Crackling

Perrsyl — Tue, 09 Nov 2021 03:39:13 GMT

Are your speaker playing in stereo mode? Is the speaker that make the sound, the left speaker? Try to play music with both speakers independently. In my case, it worked, no more crackling or popping but no more stereo sound… To me, the problem comes from the stereo mode of the google home application.

Re: Nest Audio Crackling

Perrsyl — Tue, 09 Nov 2021 03:44:25 GMT

Just a question. Do you use 2 speakers in stereo mode or one speaker alone produce the scratching and popping sounds??

Re: Nest Audio Crackling

Charles — Tue, 09 Nov 2021 04:02:02 GMT

We have been using 6 nest minis in 5 rooms (2 speakers in one room and the rest in their own rooms). I will look into the stereo options and see if that changes anything. It's definitely not something we have turned on as we just connected all minis to the wifi and then used them. Since the crackling noises started the first day of use, we have disabled the ultrasonic sensing setting but that is the only option we have disabled.

Re: Nest Audio Crackling

AlexanderForbes — Tue, 09 Nov 2021 12:25:50 GMT

Going to test this again. I tried a single one the other day after unpairing to test exactly this also and it crackled. I'll try again though with the other unplugged and also test both (I only tested one)