Flubby and metallic sound in right channel with channel imbalance [resolved]

[Colonl_Charisma]

My Crack has had some minor right channel imbalance to it since the beginning. Nothing crazy, and just assumed it was a tube thing. Starting today, I have a distinct channel imbalance where the sound is dramatically lower in the right channel. Sound being produced is flubby and metallic in the right channel too. Sounds as if my right channel is about to go.

I initially thought this might be a headphones issue, but they are doing fine. I plugged them into my computer, and they sound great. When plugged into the computer, I experience no channel imbalance or distortion of sound.

[Paul Birkeland]

Solder joints.

[Colonl_Charisma]

Thanks PB. I’ll reflow my solder joints today and report back.

[Colonl_Charisma]

I apologize for the delayed update. I touched up the solder on my PEC pot, and I believe one of the joints was the issue. The bottom middle one looked like it was poorly soldered by me, and I believe that one was the culprit.

So far, I cannot detect any issues. My minor channel imbalance that I had before seems to have been fixed too! Everything is sounding VERY clear.

[Colonl_Charisma]

It seems as if my issue has returned after a few days of not noticing any channel imbalance or odd sounds being produced from the right channel. Right channel is back to sounding harsh, and there is a clear channel imbalance again (left channel much louder than right).

Is there a way to track down the issue by taking some measurements?

[Paul Birkeland]

You can do DC voltage measurements, but they are likely to be perfectly fine.  I would suggest reflowing every single solder joint in the Crack other than A3, A8, and the power switch. 

[Colonl_Charisma]

Will do! If I can get this done today, I will report back with an update. Thanks PB.

[Colonl_Charisma]

I was able to reflow my solder joints and connections. All the harshness that I was experiencing in the right channel has been alleviated, and I cannot detect any channel imbalance. There was a connection with a glob of solder on it. Upon removing the solder I discovered that my wires were not crimped, and a piece of a previous wire just fell off the connection (I had clipped a wire at the connection). I made sure to fix that connection after cleaning up the old solder.

I took some time switching headphones between the Crack, my solid-state, and just plugging headphones into my computer headphone jack (no amp). They all sound the same in terms of channel balance.