[fahadkhan]

Didn't think of that, haven't tested it but strongly doubt it. I'd expect a faulty wire to crackle predictably when moved which isn't what I experience.

[fooker]

There can be many kinds of faulty. Some faulty wires crackle when there is something broken that comes into (and goes out of) contact when moved.

For example, having uneven thickness will noticeably reduce audio quality like you mention.