I just spent an hour trying to fault find a board I made only to discover that the problem was the LM386N-3 chip I was using. It turns out that 2 of the 3 I bought don't work. Well, they do output, but very very quietly (almost inaudible) compared to the one that does work.

They are being powered by 9v which is within the limitations of the chip, feeding an 8 ohm speaker.

They all look brand new and I have contacted the supplier. Has anyone else had any problems with these chips before?

 

If you are using a 9 volt battery it may not be able to supply enough current to drive an 8 Ohm speaker.

 

Counterfeits exist...and so do mistakes. I don't think anybody with a hundred posts has not turned up with a fried chip.