Amplifier Longevity Question

I had a very good experience with MD last year when I inquired about fixing my MD102. We spent about a week trying to figure out the cause of the problem via email.

I live in Goleta, CA near the ocean and surrounded by mountains. I was using the MD ST-2 antenna indoors/outdoors and my MD 102 reception was not very good. Not as good as when I was in the Bay Area, CA.

We decided to send my unit in for a tune up and then I got the bright idea of upgrading. The person I contacted and worked with was

Jim Richards

jrichards@magnumdynalab.com

I think he is a VP at MD.

BTW - I have 4 tuners and the MD108T is the best one but I also have an Accuphase T-101 modified by someone who seems like a tuner savant from Los Angeles. That tuner at $1200 is almost as good as the MD108T. It has better reception and is slightly drier than the tube based MD108T,

The Accuphase modder is this guy. Though I do not see a tuner listed at the moment

ACCUPHASE C-200 Preamp! (Elegant Sound)! | Solid state | Audiogon

I’ll have to do some more research on the receiver…. At first blush it sounds like a really weak link in the system. But if you are OK with it and are not looking to upgrade.

Decreases in sound quality happen at glacial rates. So, it is unlikely you would notice unless you dropped in a new component.

But… the MAc. Heavy is good! While it may be a bit inconvenient… this has always been a really good sign for me in the lady 50 years of pursuing the high end. I have found the relationship between sound and weight virtually perfect. I don’t think I own a component less then 35 lbs. Don’t move it a lot. Get help. It is worth it.

Definitely 20 years or more are appropriate on an audiophile component… and a refresh from the manufacturer will replace capacitors and fading components.

Sonus Faber speakers are very natural an musical… not surprising you guys like the sound. Order a new remote.

In 1972 my wife and I bought a McIntosh MC2105 power amp.  Now fifty years later it is still playing in the basement party room at my son's house.  I imagine it is terribly in need of recapping, but for half a century it has played music every time it is turned on.

This is a tough question.  Solid state gear is quite reliable and rarely have problems, but, when some transistors go, they cannot be replaced and the amp is toast.  Tube gear is more prone to failure, but older classic tube gear can be repaired and returned to service for a very long time.  Some ultra high quality tube gear can operate without any repairs or parts replacement for many decades.  A friend has a Western Electric 124 amp that sounds great that has all original parts that is probably 70 years old.  My amp is a Western Electric 133 re-build with almost all of the parts being vintage (all except the power transformer and choke, input jacks and binding posts), and it has operated with no issues for about 12 years (no tube changes, and the tubes were old when I got the amp).

Everyone has given good advice thus far, and I agree that with proper maintenance they should last for many years. You said that your wife was a classical musician. I I were you; I would explore a tube preamplifier. I think that you will both discover more realistic timbre and decay from instruments as well as better flow.