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I just got to thinking about this, as my newest piece of audio electronics is from 2004, and everything else is older. My Onkyo TX870 receiver dates from 1989, so it's already 26 years old, as is my T-4087 tuner. The oldest is a Sony ST-J75 tuner from around 1980; but it still works very well. My primary set of gear dates from 1999-2002.
I just went through my power amps and reset the output offsets and bias. It did seem to improve the sound; but fairly subtly.
I just looked through the inventory on several used sites, and most everything is 15 years old or more.
I just recently converted two pair of speakers to new SEAS woofers and tweeters, so no more foam rot to deal with and better sound; but now I'm worrying about my electronics.
Jerry
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Except for phono cartridges and cross-overs, all my equipment is at least 35 years old. My amps and pre-amp date back to the 1960s. Of course, there has been some maintenance along the way, but I can hardly complain about that.
Jeremy
My Thorens 125-II is 44 years old and doing fine, and VTL pre from the early 80's also good.In the studio where I assisted, lots of old gear, all sounding like new, recapped as needed, most from the 70's:
Pultec EQP-1 EQ (early 60's)
Mac MC250 which had about 100 hrs/week for decades (no hate mail please, it's just for talk-back)
Urei LA-2A, Teletronix LA-3A, dbx 160, 160A, 902 compressors
MCI 636 console (1979) with API mix bus (80's) and Neve Flying Faders (early 80's, driven by an early 80's PC running Windows 3.1) - console has run 24/7 since new.
Studer B67 (1/4") and A80 Mk III 1/2" both half-track
Studer A800 2" 24-track, sold a few years ago, which never had a hiccup
EMT 140 plate (60's) with Martindale mods (70's) (runs 24/7)
EMT 250 digital reverb (70's)
BGW 250 & 750B
SAE 2200, 2300, P250 (P250 has persistent gremlins; others rock solid)
Neve 1064 and Trident Series A mic pre's (70's)
Neumann U47, U67, KM56, U149 tube mics (50's - 60's) all with original capsules and power supplies
Hammond B-3 and Leslie 147, both so complex they shouldn't have *ever* worked, but they do; also Wurly, Fender Rhodes 73Maintenance for this gear is minimal. The most common problems are push-button mechanical switches on the console that flake out (solution: exercise it for a few dozen hits) and the brass bantam plugs in the patch bay that need to be polished every so often.
WW
"A man need merely light the filaments of his receiving set and the world's greatest artists will perform for him." Alfred N. Goldsmith, RCA, 1922
Edits: 12/06/15
i ask because i still have one pair of ROR that i have hooked up for computer audio with a tripath amp and and arcam dac ,still amazing those sealed fr guys
nt
"A man need merely light the filaments of his receiving set and the world's greatest artists will perform for him." Alfred N. Goldsmith, RCA, 1922
In my experience, electrolytics last 30-35 years in both tube and SS equipment.
Yes, that's my experience with capacitors made after 1971-72 when the Japanese figured out better seals. Electrolytic capacitors on 60's gear were good for maybe 20-25 years.
If I figure 30 years, I'll probably have failures before I'm 90. I'm 77 now and really don't have a good idea of my life expectancy; but most of my ancestors made it to their late 80's. On the other hand, I'm not sure I'll still care about fine quality audio by then.
Jerry
it uses quality and easily replaced components, the answer is essentially forever.
I really like the fact that companies like Audio Research can maintain any of its products from 1972 forward.
True, but at some point I'm going to not want to keep replacing parts. I've already gotten to the point where I don't want to replace foam surrounds anymore. For myself, and others, I'm up around 20 pairs now. I'll still do my son's and son-in-law's Advents; but that's it.
More and more electronics have a digital processor of some kind at the core. Even my 1989 Onkyo receiver has one. If that goes I'm out of my league for diagnostics, and we're well beyond the point where Onkyo will stock parts. Most everything has some digital functions and control logic these days. My old desktop PC's motherboard failed after 7.5 years, and I don't trust digital based stuff after 7-8 years.
Jerry
Agree. In 1972 McIntosh had 23 years under it's belt and they're still making great gear.
Meat; It's the right thing to do. Romans 14:2
of visiting the Binghamton facility while on a business trip years ago. They, too, offer great support for their older products. I was given the impression that the people there are truly devoted to their gear.While I'm not a particular fan of the brand and the over the top focus on gee whiz cosmetics, they do offer great support. During my tour, they showed me the water jet glass cutting equipment used for all the faceplates. That day, they had also produced two vintage plates for replacement purposes.
Edits: 12/06/15
If parts exist why can't they be kept alive until long after I'm gone. I never subscribed to the it's time to upgrade philosophy. If you bought it right from the start and don't suffer from audio nervosa play it, repair it if it needs it and by all means just enjoy it!! Happy Holidays!!
Edits: 12/06/15
As long as you're not stressing their circuits, Jerry, quality electronic gear should outlive all of us. Look at all that great vintage ham-n-hi-fi gear approaching, or comfortably over, the half-century mark that's still going strong. Using surge protection doesn't hurt in maintaining longevity, either. Happy Holidaze para Sactown
I am guessing the OP is only concerned with ss gear; but you are very right about very vintage tube gear still satisfying.
As with all and any electronics, the age enemy is capacitors; both signal coupling caps and power supply caps. While many folks believe that all caps will eventually fail so they replace them all "periodically" is a lot of work; "periodically" speaking. 1980 is now 35 years ago; well past the "useful life" of many caps; right ? Yet, many ss units are still going very strong today; with their original parts. If it still sounds very good, why replace anything; yet ?
I guess I am a bit jaded. While specializing with tube gear for forty years now, analyzing, repairing and upgrading is simply a way of life. With the usual tube amp gear, if the unit stays on after slow warmup with a Variac, the first parts to replace are the coupling caps connected to the final stage output tubes. After those, if the voltages are still wrong, power supply caps or bypass caps need to be checked or replaced. Maybe some resistors that have "drifted" in value need replacement as well. It is rare for a tranny to go; but they can. My main amps use some 1939 trannies, including their power trannies; still singing nicely with 111 VAC applied from a Variac...
With ss gear, analyzing is not as forgiving. Transistors are not as easy to replace and they are very easy to damage. This may be why folks tend to replace many or all of the old caps in an ss unit. Research can be the key. Service manuals, old magazines and online forums are very helpful "tools" for extending life, restoring and upgrading. When my early 1970s HK Citation 12 goes bad, a service manual will be priceless. My Advent receiver just turned into a silent ghost; worked and sounded very fine last month so it must be power supply related. I will check the power supply first; then find the manual and repair as needed. My Marantz 1060 still satisfies; all stock. It has some rubbing noise inside the volume control at times, especially at low volume; no big deal...
The old adage "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" still applies; like an old car. If the parts are 50 years old and still spinning nicely, why replace ? When your receivers are not as sensitive or the sound gets fuzzy; that is the time to research, maybe repair and restore...Until then, enjoy the vintage gear...but keep the service manuals around...
...I call BS on that! That kind of advice can get you killed!
Certainly with regard to brakes and suspension ...
Dave
Thanks guys,
I've been doing this for several decades for my own gear, and for friends and collegues. But I'm getting up in years at 77, and my next home probably won't have the space for my electronics bench. Plus, I'm not sure I'll want to keep at it.
My oldest piece right now is a Sony ST-J75 FM tuner. It works just fine with excellent sensitivity and quieting after 35 years.
I also have an Allied 395 receiver form around 1970. It still works; although it's probably going to get refurbished one of these days. But that's hobby stuff, and at this point, I just want my "listening" system to be stable and reliable.
Jerry
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