From: @noway.com   
      
   This is a great piece with one little problem. Often, when switching the   
   unit on, the left channel is out, no sound. Turning the volume up always   
   kicks it in. Often the volume has to be turned up severely to accomplish   
   this so I tried doing it with the speakers switched off. Switch off   
   speakers, turn volume up to max, turn volume down to min, switch   
   speakers on, turn volume up a bit and the sound is back in both channels.   
      
   In addition, after getting both channels to work, after 10 to 20 minutes   
   give or take 5, the left channel goes out again.   
      
   This behavior lead me to suspect the volume switch, so I flooded it when   
   switch cleaner, but to no avail. Problem persisted. Next I checked all   
   the cold solder joints and found one that was loose. I hot soldered ALL   
   the cold solder joints. Problem continued. Today I used some cables to   
   switch the PRE OUT channels into the POWER IN channels, left to right   
   and right to left. The next time the problem cropped up it was the RIGHT   
   channel that went out. I interpret this as the problem being is in the   
   left main amp section. Given the behavior described above I can only   
   surmise that a rise in voltage in the main amp produced by turning up   
   the volume with the speakers turned off somehow corrects the condition   
   causing this problem, but at the moment I don't know what this condition   
   might be. I assume that with the speakers turned off there is not a lot   
   of current flowing in the main amp when the volume is turned up, but   
   that the voltage is increased. As I write this a dawning suspicion   
   presents itself and that is the problem might be with a transistor. At   
   any rate it is an interesting problem and I am about to dig out the   
   schematics to see what I can see. My knowledge of electronics is not   
   that deep, mostly stuff I picked up as a kid and built upon when needed.   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)