transistors on amp

Why does the left side gets so hot? I know there is somehting wrong but whats the best guess?
 
Why does the left side gets so hot? I know there is somehting wrong but whats the best guess?
Indicates that both transistors are on at the same time. Think of a sine wave, normally one transistor handles the positive half and the other transistor handles the negative swing. The only time both transistors are on (barely) at the same time is when you have no signal. This is called quiescent bias and reduces "zero crossing" distortion. If you've got heat without any signal and no speaker load, you've got real problems.
 
Unbalanced input pairs are usually the main cause of high levels of distortion. Incorrectly matched transistors, transistors with damaged BE junctions, or very old transistors that have just drifted apart over many years of use usually just need replacement with new ones.
 
Unbalanced input pairs are usually the main cause of high levels of distortion. Incorrectly matched transistors, transistors with damaged BE junctions, or very old transistors that have just drifted apart over many years of use usually just need replacement with new ones.
According to the original post, the amp was just left on and developed these symptoms. Something went south, and it wasn't gradual. Could be anything from a bad/burned out cap, resistor, or trim pot. Transistors rarely fail without provocation; you can bet something around it has gone bad which caused it to fail.
 
Hey Chi, have you contacted Odyssey? They warranty their equipment for 20 years, parts and labor. You should ask if their warranty is transferrable, worth a shot...
 
Something went south, and it wasn't gradual
The OP issue could be considered gradual. The OP mentioned in the first post that everything was fine until one day left channel started to sound distorted. "Started" (to me) sounds like the beginning of a problem which will worsen over time.

As you indicated, a bad cap, resistor or trim pot are all things which can cause the symptoms noted, and I would bet on those first.
 
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Unfortunately I am the third owner so its not covered by any warranty that is why I am trying to fix the problem myself but it would require more than just my good looks I suppose.
 
No I have not but I have an odyssey amp that I bought new from them and it has a trnsferrable warranty but only for second owner. It was stated in the manual.
 
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