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Lifespan of amps and preamps?

Hello.  I have been listening to the same NAD 1240, Adcom GFA 535, and B&W dm 620s since I was 20 in 1990 (it was a big deal to buy all that as a 20 year old kid...).  Other than doing a thorough cleaning on the adcom a few years back when it stopped working, I have literally done nothing to these components. 

Are they totally dated, meaning past their intended lifespan from an internal component perspective?  I have to say it all still sounds really good to me.  But I never really listen to other systems.
Thank you for any input!
Scott.
cruxarche
larryi
4,302 posts
 
Tube technology is very mature and even very old stuff in good condition will be competitive with modern versions.  Also, most classic tube gear can be easily repaired and replacement parts are not hard to find.  

Solid state is a bit different.  That technology is less mature so there are technological changes (e.g., Class D operation) that have come to the fore in the last twenty years.  Also, it can be harder to repair solid state gear because certain parts can become hard to find, such as transistors and integrated circuits.  
williewonka
3,126 posts
 
Scott - I have a 20 year old Denon and a friend still has a 30 year old Yamaha I gave here and they are still sounding fine.

I just sold my NAIM amp that had to have the power supply caps replaced after 10 years - apparently it’s "a thing" with NAIM amps - nice of them to design in "future maintenance"

So I replaced it with a Bryston that comes with a 20 years warranty.

If your gear is still working and you are happy with it - stop worrying and enjoy the music - it will let you know when its "had enough"

Regards - Steve
helomech
1,830 posts
 
I've encountered many 40 to 50-year-old electrolytic caps that test within spec and perform their intended function. Any half-way decent cap will last 20+ years if the associated circuit and its heat dissipation are competent. 

People like to believe they hear dramatic differences when they swap power cables and it's most likely the same phenomenon that occurs when they have gear recapped, i.e. placebo.

If your gear sounds good, it's good. 
danvignau's avatar
danvignau
935 posts
 
If you decide to go digital, keep your old system.  My 39 year old B&W's and old  Adcom amp sound fine with my television.  My "new" system sounds better, but it has 1980's Audire electronics and 1990'd B&W's. Recently, I auditioned some really expensive integrated amps on current B&W speakers, because I know their qualities.  I did not hear anything digital that I would be at all happy with, but that doe snot keep me from listening to my jazz channel on XM radio. 
cruxarche OP
3 posts
 
I am going to have an interesting experience.  I am super busy right now and don't have a lot of time to devote to a new system.  But I really wanted sound in my office.  So...  I ordered a Peachtree Nova65Se and a pair of Focal 906 speakers for my office.  It will be interesting to compare the sound of this setup with my older equipment. 

Maybe the old stuff will not sound so great after all. 

Scott.
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