Aged components / service!?

roadwhorerecords

Depends on the manufacturer. Companies like Dynaco and Hafler seem timeless.

I built a Halfer DH-101 and DH-200 in college almost 40 years ago and they still work great. Built like a tank. I've since moved up the food chain, but did use them for many years as my main system, and have kept them for sentimental reasons.

Bought my Carver in the 80s. I sent in to the Carver repair & they vastly improved it. Better than new.

Would it be absurd to send an amp that I don’t have any particular complaints about back to the factory for a refresh? My CODA-built amp is from the late 90’s/early 2000’s and I’ve been toying with the idea, wondering if maybe I couldn’t be getting more out of it.

I have a Denon integrated amp in my second system from the mid-80s (still working) but some of the lights were burned out and I had some static noise on the volume control. I found a certified Denon service shop about 2 hours away from my home. I started with searching on the Denon website and they listed certified service shops in my state. It was pretty easy for me.

if its a quality piece,and in good condition, it can go for 40-50- years! The one exception is electrolytic capacitors which can be replaced,and ought to at about 30 years (for top notch high end stuff, sooner for cheaper stuff). Maybe some switches, but again most high end stuff ought to be sealed.  Over 40 years the pots etc may NOT be sealed tho - now we're in the realm of obsolete.  Tubes may be a different story both for the tubes themselves, the voltages inside and the results of both.


A preamp is typically both lower n cost and parts to re-cap.


BTW i am an EE, consulting/research engineer in my real field, and sideline audio designer with 100s of products out there, most 25-35 years old. So i have far more data points than most opinions are backed by.

Does old stuff break?  Sure.  Lightning, overheating, poor care, bad luck, under-specified part.


At 10 it's still young if well cared for.

G