This is what I have...A PrimaLuna Dialog II,a Rotel CD player as transport, and a Benchmark DAC1...

Now the problem. It began with a general crackling noise. I figured something dirty and clean the laser and all connectors. The noise persisted. My next guess was a tube BUT, the sound, intermittent and rare, seems to be centered, not isolated to one side or another. If it is a tube, I would think one side or the other would give me the problem...the next step in the problem is the entire sound goes off for a couple of seconds at a time, rarely..As it comes back on I write off a fuse.

Never had this sort of problem before. Can the amp do anything like this? If so, it is indicative of what. If not the amp, which is more likely malfunctioning, the CD player or the DAC?

My next idea is to remove the DAC from the signal path and see if the problem goes away. If not that indicates the CD player or the AMP and I cannot figure a way the amp might be at fault unless I had two tubes go at the same time.

Any suggestions???