How do I eliminate occasional loud pops from my studio monitors?

Question

The background:

I just purchased and installed my first studio monitors and connected them to my audio interface. I had to buy separate RCA(f)–1/4”(m) adapters, since the cable included with my monitors is RCA-to-3.5 mm and my interface has 1/4” outputs.

The problem:

Every now and again (anywhere from ten minutes to half an hour apart), my studio monitors will emit a loud pop, regardless of what audio is playing or what application is running. The sound is jarring enough to distract and irritate, so I want it gone. The audio itself is fine otherwise – good quality and clarity, no persistent clicking, etc. I’ve already tried some obvious things, such as ensuring the cables are properly plugged in, jiggling them to see whether one might have a faulty connection, playing with the various volume dials and internal settings, etc. That said, I’m new and untrained in audio equipment, so I don’t really know what I’m doing.

Before I bought the aforementioned RCA–1/4” adapters, I had plugged the monitors the other way around, with the two RCA cable ends into the monitors and the 3.5 mm end into the audio interface’s “Phones” output via a 1/4” adapter. The audio quality seemed decent, and I never noticed any popping for the roughly 24 hours it remained connected that way. (Secondary question: If I cannot fix the pops, is there anything wrong with this particular setup, or would it be acceptable for recording/mixing?)

This is a new problem that never occurred prior to the current setup. Nothing has changed in the computer settings or in how the audio interface is connected to the PC.

The gear:

» Computer: Asus G750JZ-DB73-CA (Windows 8.1 Pro x64), all drives (incl. audio drivers) up-to-date
» Audio interface: PreSonus AudioBox USB (with 1/4” (6.5 mm) main outputs)
» Studio monitors: IK Multimedia iLoud Micro (with RCA cables)
» Audio interface software: PreSonus Universal Control (v2.2.0.44119)
– Settings:
— Sample Rate: 48.0 kHz
— Clock Source: Internal
— Block Size: Auto
— Safe Mode: Standard
— Input Format: 2 ch, 24 bit
— Output Format: 2 ch, 24 bit

Answer 1

The comments to my question helped me troubleshoot until I found the culprit. I forget to mention in the OP that I also used a 6-foot 3.5 mm extension cable, since the monitors’ RCA cable didn’t reach on its own. I just did some testing, and trying the RCA cable without the extension eliminated the background hum, and presumably the pops as well.

I’m now browsing Amazon for a shorter and higher-quality 3.5 mm extension that’ll hopefully eliminate the buzzing and popping. (I do need one, unfortunately, since the monitors’ cable won’t reach my audio interface otherwise.)

So basically, it’s my bad because I have no idea what I’m doing. Sorry.