Is this likely?

Phil_aka_Pip

This is more HiFi than anything else but the Amps dept seemed the best place

I have a stereo setup which in which occasionally the left channel goes quiet and distorted. At one time I thought the fault was in the o/p stage of the amplifier or maybe even in the o/p sockets: if you powered it off, swopped the speaker leads over and powered it up both channels would work OK, so power down and swop back again, everything is OK so I assumed the LH o/p socket was a bit dirty and having the plug pulled and put back in again cleaned it up. yesterday the symptom occurred again, and was not cured by the aforementioned procedure. So instead of listening to the tuner, I found a CD and whacked it in the player. No problem at all. Ergo the fault is not in the o/p stage of the amplifier. So this time I swopped the L & R channels of the tuner on their way into the amplifier. problem gone away. Swopped back, still gone.

The interconnects between the sources and the amplifier are old, and cheap "string", willing to get some better ones with gold plated phono plugs if doing so solves the problem. Or invest in an aerosol of switch cleaner ...

Do cheap phono plugs corrode and can the corrosion degrade the signal in the described manner?

Maybe one for @ICBM ?

ICBM

Phil_aka_Pip said:

Do cheap phono plugs corrode and can the corrosion degrade the signal in the described manner?

Yes.

It's also possible you're disturbing something else inside the amp when you swap the connections, but half-decent interconnects are probably a good idea anyway.

By 'half-decent' I don't mean something that costs more than about £20 .

Keefy

I occasionally get this issue in my fairly aged hi-fi amp, and what cures it is is rotating the source selector (rotary switch) back and forth. I also had the top off and sprayed some contact cleaner inside the switch, and it now seems to happen less often.

Phil_aka_Pip

ICBM said:

Phil_aka_Pip said:

Do cheap phono plugs corrode and can the corrosion degrade the signal in the described manner?

Yes.

It's also possible you're disturbing something else inside the amp when you swap the connections, but half-decent interconnects are probably a good idea anyway.

By 'half-decent' I don't mean something that costs more than about £20 .

I bought these last time. They seem OK.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B003PTVLQK/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Those on the system in question must be a few tens of years old!

EDIT: Must remember manners and say Thank you!