Panasonic TX-39GS352B strange headphone socket sound issue

[YorkshireMidge]

When a set of standard headphones is plugged into the headphone socket of a relative's TV, voices are all chopped up and garbled to the point they are completely unintelligible. What's odd is if there happens to be music on the channel that is selected at the time (instead or as well as voices), the music isn't perfect but much much clearer to the point you can tell what it is. Don't really know what to make of it, as the normal sound quality out the speakers is fine. Tried twizzling the headphone plug around in case it's mucky socket contacts but it makes no difference (I might try this again with a bit of contact cleaner). The headphones work fine on other devices, and a second pair of known working headphones have been used as a test, and also have the same problem in this TV.

I've had a look at the main PCB in the back of the TV where the headphone socket is, but it's one of those complex multi-layer boards so you can't actually see the solder joints on the back to even check for dry joints on the socket or anything like that. It's a Vestel built TV (bit of a shame as the Panasonic name used to be good) and the main board is a Vestel 17MB211S. It's possible to get S/H boards for around £30 but I was hoping for a more positive steer on the fault before spending that sort of money.

Thanks.

 

[YorkshireMidge]

Just to close the loop for the benefit of anyone else with a similar product and problem, the fault has now been proven onto the main board using a S/H one. Not sure whether it's linked but when you plug a headset extension cord (i.e. no headset) into the socket on the faulty board, it doesn't silence the sound on the speakers - until you plug the headset into the extension cord. On a working board, the speakers are silenced as soon as the extension cord is plugged in, without the need for the headset.