Pass XA 160 review:life span is 6 years?

I have one of those Monster Krells (Ksa-250), 20 years? Mine went in at 11 years. Krells response after rebuild:

It should sound better than new and last another 10 years or so.

None of the amps that run hot will last as long as cooler running amps under normal/heavy use. Of course there could always be reports of exceptions to the norm.

Dave

The XA series is class A which means they are always charged up. This probably means they are "used up" faster than other designs. But still, 50,000 hours is a long time!

Dave & Budrew pointed out an important issue, heat.

All Pass runs in high class A or full class A, class A means lots of heat and transistor is always on. Unlike your computer CPU which is based on CMOS, transistors used in power amp are either BJT or MOS and will draw current (and create heat) when they are on. Heat kills unless you have active cooling, but you don't see Pass amps with coolant running around or forced cold air into the amp. Therefore, you have transistor life expectancy on top of cap life.

Buy tubes, just replace the tubes and you are as good as new.

Your post made me remember a passage out of Pass Labs labs owner manual that I read a little while back, (when I was researching the Aleph 1.2 monoblocks). I too was concerned about the equipment life span, due to the extensive hear of these amps, and obviously Pass Labs had anticipated that, so they wrote this passage in their owners manual:

"In fifteen yeats, the electrolytic power supply capacitors will get old. Depending on usage, you will begin to have semiconductor and other failure between 10 and 50 years after date of manufacture. Later, the sun will cool to a white dwarf, and after that the universe will experience Heat Death".

I always liked that particular paragraph. Kind of puts things in perspective.

If I could afford the XA amp, I certainly would consider them, (and will if I ever see a pair show up used on Audiogon!)

PS I currently use a Levinson No. 23 amp, and I have never owned a piece of Pass Labs equipment, (So, I have no ask to grind either way), but based on their reputation for both quality of sound and quality of manufacturing, I would not hesitate to try one out.

Again, good luck in your search.

The Sun actually comes with a lifetime Warranty against manufacturer's defects, misuse, accedental breakage, gravitational collapse, supernova events, and Acts Of God. In case of Sun core failure, the star will either be serviced and fixed on site, or replaced entirely at the manufacturer's discression. Expected lifetime is 10B (billion) years of uninterrupted class G operation--which is even a little hotter than class A used in the Pass XA series. Eat your little heart out, Nelson Pass!!