Quicksilver preamp 1 channel noise


Background and Issue:

I purchased a used Quicksilver Line Stage preamp from Audiogon last year, it’s an older 6DJ8/6922 design. Everything is fine, it was using the tubes the fellow who sold it to me had in it (my fault for not getting new tubes). Sometime a month or so later the wife and I are watching TV listening through the stereo system and a sudden enormous low frequency bang erupts from the left channel and then that channel goes dead. I immediately turned off the amp and preamp and then powered everything back up and still left channel is dead. So I powered back down got some spare tubes put them in the preamp and it comes back to life (so I had a catastrophic tube failure)… except there is now a very strange low frequency hiss unlike any normal ambient tube preamp hiss, and it is not volume dependent. Again the hiss does not increase or decrease in amplitude when the volume control knob is adjusted. It is not tube related as I can swap tubes channel to channel and the problem stays put, and not change in any discernable way. So now the fun part. I have replaced 70% of the components in this god damn preamp (all told it’s actually an amazing preamp! It’s simple, sounds great and is designed to be serviced! Which is unheard of today, I have great respect for QuickSilver) with high quality same or better spec components (higher voltge/temp) and I still have the exact same damn issue!!!!! I am going out of my friggin mind!!!!! Also as stated earlier the hiss or distortion is very strange its kind of like coarse burlap being rubbed against coarse burlap. I have replaced all of the electrolytic caps with same value caps all Vishay or Nichon 105C (they were 85C) I replaced all of the diodes and rectifiers, even a small op amp and I have the exact same issue. There are a few more resistors to change out but damn! Also I have no schematic so sometimes I just have to pull components test the values verify the resistor bands vs the test and then order new ones and install them…it’s a lot of fun…(no its not!) If anyone can help me to isolate the issue, or has experience with a similar issue and could help me isolate the exact component(s) it would be greatly appreciated. Another clue, the noise/hiss is not present until the relays (tube warm up) kick in so I assume that it is in the high voltage side. PLEASE HELP, I am becoming manic.

Thanks
Jeff
jffyg

Showing 4 responses by jffyg

Thanks ghosthouse, i guess i will be contacting quicksilver. I will need to take a detailed pic of the unit and detail all of the components i have changed out. 

Everyone thanks for the suggestions! I have 7 more resistors to replace and then I will have replaced all resistors. I will replace those in the next week or two and then the socket on that channel. The thing that gets me is that I have already replaced all resistors that exist in pairs. I would have thought that with one channel having the issue that the damaged component would have been a component that existed in a pair. This leads me to believe it is in the socket, though there are also two relays. Oh well in the end I will replace everything, and I am sure the very last thing I replace will be the component with the issue. Yeah I was also kinda worried about the whole premadonna engineer issue, that will not fly with me, I am also an engineer, but I am a plant electrical engineer, not small circuit stuff, 480 at lots of amps, big motors encoders, solenoids, starters, relays and such. To me components meet/exceed spec or don't, I don't have much time for whiny engineers, I deal with enough of them professionally.
Please keep any suggestions coming and thanks again! 
Czarivey, I dont know if they are bad? Because i dont have a schematic i have to remove each resistor and test then cross refrence as they are 6 band precision type. I wish i had a tracker tester. I then order the same value 1% at highest dissipation usually 1 to 2 watt depending on availability. There are no trim pots, all electrolytics have been replaced except 1 and its on order (but it visually looks good). 
Czarivey, thanks for the advice! Have done a limited search for schematic snd found none. I did replace diodes even though they tested good on my meter. If its not the the remaining resistors maybe its the damn socket itself, but resistance wise it measues like the good channel.