Right channel cuts out Please Help

You may want to check the power cord as well, especially on the amp where it attaches on the back. I had the same problem once and it was caused by the power cord being loose. It caused the right channel to periodically cut out (I don't know why it only effected the right and not the left).
Good Luck

Try switching your speaker cables from right to left and left to right. If the cut out moves to the left channel, then you have a short in the cables. If not, try switching the interconnects. This will prove if the cables are the culprit.
If you are still experiencing right channel cut out, then I would guess it's the capacitors in the amplifier.

Here is some more information that I wasnt able to fit in my first post. A few minutes later the same thing happened. But this time I did nothing and just pressed stop on the cd player. I pushed play a few seconds later and it was working fine again.

WHAT IS THE DEAL?? The only thing that might be different is that today was one of the first hotter days this amp and cd player have seen. I had to keep the door closed to the room because of some work going on in the house. But I touched the amp and it was fine enough to not have move my hand off the heatsinks.

Last night I listened to the amp for about 40 minutes and an hour and a half using my headphones. The amp never cut out and worked perfectly fine.

Today I am going to change the interconnect cables to my new cardas.

So it has happened 2 times all together. I am hoping it may be because of a heat problem, or a cable. It seems strange for such a new amp to have capacitor problems. Since there are 4 caps per channel, wouldnt it be rare for all to fail? Maybe it is because I leave the amp on 24/7. One thing that is strange is that I had turned the amp of the night before this happened for the second time within the last 4 months...

I suggest to inspect the ground path throughout all components interconnects and speaker wires for quality connection.

Also if you have three-prong powercord try using a cheater plug (from RadioShack) as your right channel shut-
down may be caused by the ground noise believe it or not.

Follow up with us.

I have unplugged all cables, re-plugged them in. I have changed my interconnect cables to some Cardas. It has done it 5 times since. It doesn't stay cut out for long enough it seems to get my headphones, plug them in and check to see if they are doing the same. But I was able to check different sources, a cd player and a DVD player. The right channel still was cut out no matter what source.

What is the deal!!

I've had the same problem, but with the left channel of my Creek amp. The next time you get the same cut-out in the right channel, try connecting headphones and changing the music source. If the right headphone channel is still out, it's certainly not the speaker cables and probably not the ICs. Try pushing the power cable into the amp as hard as you can, hold it for a few seconds and see if the channel comes back. I tried it and my left channel came back to life, so I then tried using the stock power cable that came with the amp and it worked perfectly. The problem may be that the female IEC connector in the power cable is not tightly gripping the prongs of the amp. When the amp draws lots of current, the prongs heat up and the connection may be loosening. I live in NYC and all electrical wiring is already grounded under Code requirements, so I don't think it's a ground loop problem for me. I'm going to try disassembling the IEC connector assembly of my "high end" cable myself and tightening the connection. (Perversely, it's usually the "high end" component that causes the problems.) I hope it works. In any event, try using a basic power cord, like Radio Shack or your stock cord, and see if you still have a problem.

Rtilbury,

It's not any of the caps, as a shorted one would burst, or tax the power supply section enough to blow the AC input fuse. Not the power cord because the other chnl works fine, which is connected internally to the same AC input connection. If you have conventional speaker cables, and the speaker does work without intermitent static from loose connections, then it's not at fault either.

Nothing during playback indicated any differences in speaker sound, giving suspect to network or driver shorts?
When you swapped speaker cabling, the now "left" speaker chnl quit as well?

Have you crossed (not swapped) the interconnect cables into the Portal, thus identifying a suspect CD player chnl.? Try this as well, with all the original cabling configuration.

If applicable within your amp, there might be a protection relay being switched for several reasons. One application would be from a faulty or incorrect thermal sensor located internally on right heatsink. Next time the Rt chnl cuts out, rush over to the chassis and listen/feel for mechanical relay actuation. Again, this won't reveal the problem, but confirms issues with the amp.

Keep us posted...

Rtilbury,

Forgive the stupidity in my previous response. I read later that you DID swap your source component. Whoopsy!

Have you considered checking the "quiescent current" of the amp or put another way the voltgage of the amp when not driven by any source? I've tried setting to to specifications and it worked. A final thought: CLEAN EVERYTHING! Make sure all connections are clean. (This may sound crazy, but I've found fibers and other material in the female IEC end of a power cord that I cleaned by a blast of air from a simple computer keyboard cleaner I bought at Staples. So make sure all oxidation is removed from the contacts and shoot a blast of air at all places that might accumulate the same kind of material that always winds up in one's navel.)

I have similar problem . I opened up the amp and realise that the input is connected to teh amp board via a short signal wire which have plugs on both ends. By applying some force on the wire and the connection, i can simulate the problems. Later, i decide to tighten the plug by pushing it in snugly and the problems never return.
I think this is a "poor" design as most amp will have the input directly soldered point-to point to the amp stage.

By the way, I do have a buzz problems. I tried many ways and i am convinced that ground loop is the culprit though i cant really totally eliminate it. The key thing is to float your CD powercord; remove the ground and see what happen.

Hope this helps !