I'm voting for tube issues too. I've had power tubes go bad very quickly, leading to popping, crackling and the like.
The good thing about my pre coming with crappy Chinese tubes was that I replaced them immediately, leaving me a spare set (of inferior quality..) to diagnose problems with as to use while I wait for good replacements.
The good thing about my pre coming with crappy Chinese tubes was that I replaced them immediately, leaving me a spare set (of inferior quality..) to diagnose problems with as to use while I wait for good replacements.