Doc,
Out to the bench for a visual, re-flowed 22 & 23 just in case. Both channels are now scratchy, almost continuous at first then tapering off to the point of silence for 2-30 seconds then one side, the other, both volume independent of the volume pot setting. Totally random, which side (or both) and the duration of either the noise or the silence in between. Swapped tubes with spares and no change.
Left it running for the better part of an hour and silence dominates with only intermittent noise. It would definitely be termed crackling in character, of varying volume and independent of source, program sound is clear and accurate with the noise layered on to it.