When intending to use old cables, have a closer inspection if they are still intact.
Quite often the shield (that serves as ground link too) has many or all wire strands broken, specifically near the connectors where the stress is higher. This might cause all types of problems like noise and crackling.
The best check is resistance measurement with an Ohm meter on all conductors and shield.
The results should be reasonable and uniform (considering length and gauge) and most important, resistance should not change when the cable is moved / shaken.