Sudden System Volume Increase

[lvb1770]

Any ideas about what could cause a sudden (one day it wasn't there, the next it was), permanent, undistorted and significant volume increase in an audio system?
Simply, the system is much louder at the previous setting, though not distorted, and the previous reference level is now way too loud. Nothing was changed as far as components or settings, so this has me thinking of some internal change within one of the components.
The system is a Blu-ray player to AV preamp/processor to 5 channel power amplifier.

 

[SwedishChef]

I experienced something like this a few times. It always was due to a settings change, even what I thought it wasn't.

More than once I'd been playing with settings and forgotten to return them to what I wanted them to be (Dynamic Volume, Dynamic EQ, etc.). Once it was someone accidentally punching a button like the Movie or Music sound mode buttons on the AVR remote without realizing it, changing the mode (which I rarely otherwise ever changed). Oh, I think I've experienced different volume levels when I've told the BluRay player to output different signals.

So, I know you said the settings are the same, but it might be worth going through them with a fine toothed comb anyway. I suspect it even more if your power amp has no "settings," as most don't.

I've never had a "physical change" in a component cause a volume change, just volume loss (typically extreme, like loss of a whole channel, etc.).

The one test I can think of is trying other sources - at least FM radio, maybe?

 

[lovinthehd]

I much more suspect a human doing something with settings.

 

[lvb1770]

I have gone over the settings, and there has been no change, but I will go over them again with more detail. No one else uses the system.
So this doesn't sound like the result of an internal component, such as a resistor or capacitor, going out of spec.?
Thanks for the replies.

 

[lovinthehd]

I have gone over the settings, and there has been no change, but I will go over them again with more detail. No one else uses the system.
So this doesn't sound like the result of an internal component, such as a resistor or capacitor, going out of spec.?
Thanks for the replies.

Why, have you been reading about such? I would expect more a reduction in output from a failure generally, but I suppose something could spike. Is this old gear or something? What is it?

 

[mtrycrafts]

Ghosts?