Product Support

Audio Troubleshooting

Most ACTIV Audio issues clear up by unplugging the filter and plugging it back in. If that doesn't fix it, the steps below walk through the most common causes in order. Try them in order. Each step is something almost anyone can do.

Before You Troubleshoot

The ACTIV Audio only works with Ethernet, the kind of network signal your streamer uses to pull music from a server or a streaming service. It will not pass other signals that sometimes share the same kind of cable, like cable tester tones or older phone systems. The only real way to test the filter is to put it between two devices that you know speak Ethernet to each other (in other words, two devices you've used together over a regular network connection) and confirm they can still talk.

The ACTIV Audio is directional. The side labeled INPUT connects to your network. The side labeled OUTPUT connects to your audio device (your streamer, DAC, or whatever the filter is feeding). The OUTPUT side is the cleaner side. If the filter is installed backwards, audio will still pass, but you won't be getting the full benefit of the filter.

Troubleshooting

Step-by-step diagnosis

Try these in order. Most issues are resolved by Step 1 or Step 2.

Step 1

Unplug the filter and plug it back in.

This step solves most issues, and it confirms the filter is receiving power.

This solves most problems. Pull the small barrel plug out of the filter, wait about ten seconds, and plug it back in. The Power LED (red) should come on right away. The two Link LEDs (one for INPUT, one for OUTPUT) should light up within a few seconds as the filter reconnects to your network and your audio device.

If the Power LED does not come on after plugging the filter back in, the issue is on the power side. Check the power adapter: it should be a 12V / 2A adapter. Use only the adapter shipped with the filter. If you have a multimeter, verify the adapter output reads 12VDC or slightly higher. If the adapter is correct and the Power LED still doesn't come on, contact us; the filter may be faulty.

Step 2

Restart the filter and your audio device together.

This step clears any stuck network address on your audio device that the filter reset alone won't fix.

If just resetting the filter didn't help, your audio device may be confused about its connection to the network (technically, it may have given itself a temporary network address called an APIPA address, in the 169.254.x.x range, when the connection briefly dropped, and is now stuck on it). Unplug the filter and turn off your audio device. Wait ten seconds. Power the filter back on first, give it a few seconds to come up, then turn the audio device back on. The audio device will ask the network for a fresh address on startup and rejoin normally.

Step 3

Restart everything from the network side and working downward toward your audio device.

This step restarts the entire chain in the right boot order so each device connects to a healthy upstream connection.

If neither reset worked, restart the whole chain in order, starting from the network side and working downward toward your audio device. Power off your audio device, then unplug the filter, then power off your network switch or router (the box your home network plugs into). Wait ten seconds. Turn things back on starting from the switch or router, then the filter, then the audio device. Always start from the network side and work back toward your audio device, with each piece given a few seconds to come fully online before turning on the next.

Step 4

Check the cable connectors for bent or crushed pins.

This step rules out physical damage at the cable connectors before testing for cable or filter failure.

Look at both RJ-45 jacks on the filter and at the connectors on each cable (the square jacks the Ethernet cables plug into). Make sure the small metal pins inside are straight and even with no obstructions. If any look bent or crushed, either the cable plug or the filter jack may be damaged. Reseat both cables firmly. If you suspect a cable, swap it for one you know works.

Step 5

Bypass the filter to confirm everything else is working.

This step verifies the cables, your network, and your audio device are all working. If they all pass and the filter still doesn't, the filter is the cause.

Unplug both cables from the filter and connect them together with an RJ-45 coupler (a small plastic adapter that joins two Ethernet cables end to end; available at any hardware or electronics store for a few dollars). If your audio device now reaches the network and plays music normally, the cables and your network are fine and the filter is the problem. If music still doesn't play, the issue is somewhere other than the filter.

If you don't have a coupler, run a single Ethernet cable directly from the network to your audio device, bypassing the filter entirely. Same result: if it works, the filter is the cause. If it doesn't, the issue is elsewhere.

Step 6

Contact us.

If you've worked through Steps 1 through 5 and the filter is the cause, contact us. We'll arrange to get the filter back to us and take it from there. The ACTIV Audio carries a two-year warranty from the date of first sale. See the warranty page for details.

Common Questions

Common questions

Should I use shielded or unshielded Ethernet cable?

A.Either can work. CAT cable was originally designed to be unshielded, and unshielded cable is fine for most installations. That said, if you're hearing noise, humming, or any kind of artifact you suspect is coming through the network connection, swapping to shielded cable is worth trying. Some listeners feel shielded cable sounds better; others don't notice a difference. The most important thing is to keep the cable between the filter's OUTPUT and your audio device as short as you reasonably can, and to keep that cable away from power cords, signal cables, and other potential noise sources.

Will the ACTIV Audio work with CAT5e, CAT6, CAT6A, or CAT7 cable?

A.Yes, with any of those, as long as the cable is actually carrying Ethernet. The CAT rating describes the cable construction (wire gauge, twists per foot, shielding, and so on), not what's running through it. Most CAT cable in homes carries Ethernet, but the same kind of cable is sometimes used for proprietary signals (some smart home systems, some older intercoms, certain phone systems). The ACTIV Audio passes Ethernet (TCP/IP) only. If your audio device uses something other than standard Ethernet, the filter won't help.

I've installed the filter and now my streamer can't find my music server (or the streaming service stopped working).

A.Almost always, this is the address-stuck issue described in Step 2 of the troubleshooting steps above. Reset both the filter and the streamer together: unplug the filter, turn off the streamer, wait ten seconds, plug the filter back in, then turn the streamer on. The streamer will find the network and your music server during its startup.

Where should the filter sit physically? Does it matter?

A.Place the filter as close as you reasonably can to your audio device, and use a short cable between the filter's OUTPUT and the audio device. The shorter that cable is, the less chance there is for noise to find its way back onto it after the filter has cleaned the signal. The longer cable on the network side (between your router or switch and the filter's INPUT) doesn't matter as much because the filter cleans up whatever comes in.

Documentation

Datasheets and Drawings.

Data Sheet

ACTIV Audio
Data Sheet

Full technical specifications and performance curves.

Download →

Drawing

ACTIV Audio
Dimensional Drawing

Penetration, RJ-45 connector locations, and LED positions.