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Searching for reason why one channel is too loud

Mr. Cassette

Mr. Cassette

New Member
Hello,
I’m new here so apologies if I have just posted in the wrong section or missed an existing thread on this topic. This is the first problem I haven’t been able to find the answer to somewhere on line.
does anyone know why one channel of a stereo would be too loud? not only is the right side louder than the left but it can still be heard when the volume is turned all the way down.
I just finished cleaning and changing the belt and idler tire on a Hitachi boombox, model TRK-7000H. This is a machine I never used previously but had quickly tested it and it seemed to function fine, other than eating tapes, before I started on the repairs. The tape mechanism is working fine now but the balance is off. I was using an old mono Spanish vocabulary tape to test it while I was working on it and didn’t notice any issues with the balance previously but as soon as I had reassembled the housing and tested the machine I noticed the right channel was significantly louder than the left, it’s possible this was always the case but I can’t be sure. The balance issue is the same if the audio source is the radio or the tape deck, and when I turn the volume knob to zero the left channel is silent but the right channel is still very audible. The loudness of both the channels seem properly effected by the volume knob, also this machine has no balance control. There doesn’t seem to be any distortion or noise on either the right or the left channels.
I’ve looked over the circuit board for a variable pot for the balance or volume but didn’t see anything I felt was worth fiddling with.

thanks for any help
 
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yeah usually something with the volume control is funky, could be bad but cleaning is an easy first step that might get it done. A broken ground connection on the volume pot would do the same, so would an actually bad volume pot if it was broken on the grounded end. I have one in a preamp with that issue, just haven't gotten around to putting in a parts order to replace it.
 
Thanks,
I’ll take a look at the volume pot connections on the board to see if there is a ground short.
I’m not currently at home and don’t have access to me workbench otherwise I would have automatically cleaned all the pots. Guess I should always be traveling with a can of contact cleaner, hopefully that solves it.
 
Be careful on which contact cleaner is used, especially if any plastics are involved as certain cleaners will melt plastic. DeoxIT D5 or D100 are generally safe to use on plastics. Sprayon EL2020 contact cleaner is plastics safe.
 
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