Audio problem with IC amp

[KB8DNS]

Repairing a short wave receiver I have run into a problem with the audio.

A little background.... The receiver is a SONY SW77 and uses a NEC C1316 power amp. It is capable of stereo in this application. The task at hand was to replace leaky and possible shorted SMD electrolytic capacitors, a job I have done many times with good success.
One repair with the same audio IC, a bad cap had shorted the audio chip and in turn took out a B+ transistor, A SOT device. Replacing both, the radio was a success.
I am thinking the same is here but the damage is slightly less but enough to cause a dysfunction. On the SW77 the audio is not bad at a higher setting but as it is lowered. the tone slightly changes and the volume never goes to zero. BTW the volume control is a slide potentiometer.
Discrete parts are getting hard to find!

What do the Gurus think?

Thanks in advance! Rod KB8DNS

[sakis]

ground is missing from some point

[KB8DNS]

σας ευχαριστώ Sakis!

Makes perfect sense and it could be in the IC amp it self! I will dig deeper into this and look with a magnifier.

Atios! 73 Rod KB8DNS

[KB8DNS]

This is a bit late but I found the problem in a most curious way.... As I was examining the circuit board as it was in the cabinet, I spotted a small tan rectangle shaped object stuck to the speaker magnet.... Turned out to be a SMD capacitor and then the Aha! moment.... A search of the circuit board and I found the spot where it belonged, re-soldering it and the sealing it down the stereo was fully restored!
Goes to show one must keep your eyes open! I am not sure of what happened but it may go back to when the radio was new as someone had tried to boost the signal to the CX chip for AM / FM by soldering a wire directly from the antenna terminal.
Back it went to the owner in Belgium!

Rod KB8DNS