Crackling in right channel, what do I do? Help, please.


Sadly, I am experiencing crackling in the right channel of my system. The crackling happens intermittently and has happened on different sources, including my FM tuner, and from my DAC. It seems like the crackling is not related to the source. 

I have a monster of a system, including a Gryphon Colosseum amplifier, and a pair of Gryphon Cantata speakers. 

My system is described in the link below. How should I go about debugging this problem? Do I dare play the system? Should I buy a cheap amp and swap that in to see if the problem persists? Do I buy a cheap preamp as well? Do I start by swapping the speaker cables to the opposite speaker cables to see if the crackle moves to the other speaker? 

My system has been performing flawlessly for a number of years now. I did have to get cheap part replaced on the amplifier about three or four years ago, and used Soundsmith in Peekskill, NY.

I'm pretty brokenhearted about the possibility of having to get my system repaired. I had total hip replacement surgery two months ago and I can't lift anything. Moving the beast of an amp or the heavy speakers is out of the question. I suppose I could find somebody to help me if it comes to that. 

Sigh. 

Larry
 

 

larrykell

Hmmm, so, my preamp allows me to switch LR channels without switching cables. What if I swap the channels there and see if the noise persists in the Left channel, where it has moved to?

Do another swop L-R of cables from the preamp to the amp.  If it moves the problem is the preamp, if it stays put it's the amp.  You're already ruled out the source units and the speakers.  One more to go.

@larrykell 

How do I figure out if the problem is in the amplifier, preamp, or interconnects? 

See my third paragraph on in my post above.

Ok, I swapped the inputs to the amp and the crackle stayed in the same channel as before, so, I guess it is the amp. Sigh. I really wanted an excuse to upgrade the preamp. 
 

I’ve shut down the power to the amp and will see about getting it repaired. I hope Soundsmith is still repairing Gryphon gear. 
 

Now, I need some kind of amp to stand in for the Gryphon

Colosseum. I hate those Class D amps but may have to get one.