Parasound Hint - right channel distortion

I've already emailed Parasound, but I don't expect to hear from them until Monday, considering the holiday weekend.

I've randomly started getting distortion and audio cut outs in the right channel of my original Hint. It sounds like it's struggling to push sound, if that makes sense...the quiet parts kinda disappear and the loud parts crackle. This comes through all analog inputs. Shutting the amp down for a few seconds and turning back on solves the problem and all sounds normal after. This has happened twice in the last week, prompting me to worry a little. What on earth could cause this that a "reboot" would solve? Seems odd for an analog circuit to need restarting, unless there's some microchip in the signal path for some odd reason.

 

It's the Alps potentiometer. They had a batch of bad ones. When I owned this amp, the repair was about 1 week turnaround.

 

The next time it happens try jiggling the right RCA cable at the RCA jack.

 

It happens simultaneously on two different inputs from two different sources and sets of cables. I don't think it's a cable.

 

So, the main volume pot? I've had motor noise from day one, but I heard that was the norm for these units. No noise when turning manually.

 

Motor noise is normal, scratchy distortion is not.

 

In that case I agree with the others, volume pot.

 

Regardless of the actual culprit, I have no doubt Parasound will figure it out and get it running like new. Shoot them an email. Their CS is excellent.

 

@DyersEve726 what was the outcome here?

 

FYI I had this happen to a newer amp and it turned out to be the source selector switch adding random noise and drop outs to the right channel. Some deoxit and rapid cycling and it was as good as new.

 

So I've been dealing with this on and off for a while now. I think I tracked it down to the binding posts on that side. A while back, I sprayed the banana plugs with deoxit and exercised them in the binding posts. Problem disappeared for months, so I forgot about it. It eventually started up again, so I'm doing some troubleshooting. I moved banana plugs, swapping left and right channels. Issue followed the right channel binding posts, so it's not my speakers or cables.

I then dug out some old lamp cord and just hooked up that side bare wire. Not only is the problem gone, but my whole system feels a little more cohesive than before, even though one side has lamp wire and the other is using banana plugs, different wire lengths, etc. I always panned my system to the right assuming it was a room issue. Now my pan is dead center and sounds perfect.

WTF could be causing this?! The binding posts are clean and my plugs feel tight and like they are making good contact. Pushed in as far as they can go. I'm thinking of just hacking the ends off my good cables and running them bare wire. I certainly don't want to deal with a repair right now.

 

I don't understand, why not send it back to Parasound for a fix. The warranty is 5yrs, unless that has passed.......even still Richard Schram would still fix it and maybe for little to no cost.
Let Parasound go thru it and return it to good as new condition.

 

Are you unaware of what's going on in the world? I'm not about to send this out for warranty service right now if taking the plugs off one of my cables keeps me going until this blows over. I didn't send it in before because the problem went away after a pretty rudimentary cleaning, so I figured it was good to go. Didn't start happening again until the last couple weeks. I definitely plan to send it in when life starts resembling normalcy.

 

When this happened to my Hint, they sent me a shipping label and it was returned fixed within the same week. The problem is the volume pot.

 

They are based out of San Francisco, which is one of the worst areas in the country right now. Police are enforcing the shelter in place orders there and stereo equipment manufacturers probably aren't on the list of essential jobs. Something tells me it wouldn't be a couple day turn around if I sent it in right now. So far so good with the bare wire though. It doesn't feel like it's an issue with the pot, but I can't be sure.

 

Never assume anything. Call Parasound to get an idea how long a turn around it would be and then go from there.

 

I live under a rock, I only come out to spin records then I go back. I would at least get on the radar with Parasound with an email, they can at least send you an RA# and when life resembles normalcy it will get fixed.

 

Mine has a crackly sound in the right channel when I first adjust the volume during a listening session. Especially when using the remote. I’ve found if I manually spin the volume dial up and down, kinda quickly, it dissipates and is then good for a while.

 

Mine had the static sound when adjusting volume.....contacted Parasound and they had me ship it in and had it back to me fixed in less than two weeks. Great customer service.