You are clearly a legend and have a lot of knowledge. I also have issues, but would like to hear you live in the UK, so I can pay you to fix my unit!

Here is hoping?!

shame shame!

It can handle the soldering, but I feel out of my depth working out what is wrong i.e. on a visual inspection all looks good (although maybe one questionable diode).

So what happened? Firstly I had that blinking green light issue, where there are enough internet posts saying use a hairdryer to heat it up (which is what I did). Afterwards when turned on the small box power (after a steady green light of 24 hrs or so), there was a pop and now the sound is all distorted/crackly. I am not sure how to diagnose or on what board the problem would be.

If you have ideas, I can test and also post photos, but where to start.

thanks in advance.