Hello if you open the flap of cloth covering the speaker you will see a piece of aluminum you need to be very careful and lift the aluminum above the microphone that's in there it's rubbing on the plastic frame causing the distortion. Sound cancelling works by two microphones one on the inside of the ear, and one on the outside of the ear. Any type of rubbing on any microphone will cause distortion. Also you can have a contaminated speaker or ear wax and other mold and stuff has accumulated on the surface of that speaker,you need to take be able to take the whole thing apart and clean the speaker or replace it that's what took care of mine and my wife's, very strange problem it was just constantly crackling and snapping. Even with no input to the headphones.