Lifespan of a quality solid state amplifier?

I attended Harvard...it was a Thursday.

You graduated in one day? Damn!

Had a PS Audio 200C amp years ago and it began sounding lifeless with a cracking sound audible. Called PS Audio and the tech said that after about 20 years the caps are pretty much shot. Which led to my purchase of a Belles 350A.

...I will not be responding further since you clearly have no intention of accepting the overwhelming body of evidence that contradicts what you say...

No, caps age. The thread was how LONG and how WELL and amp can sound as it gets older. To go to some of the extremes in this thread would be to toss out an amp as soon as time changes. The discussion was NEVER that caps don't age (you seem to be hell bent on thinking I don't know that), it was how gracefully they age. Nothing contardicts what I say. A fifteen year or older amp can sound pretty darn good. Remember too, that caps are selected to provide the best service and sound where they are used. SS is a wonderful thing...for a long time.

I too will post my last comment. Even though I know squat about electronics, I repeat what I posted before. I own 2 vintage Crown "back-up" amps from the 70s. The darn things are bomb proof. Even though I have sent them to the Crown factory every once in a while for a check-up, the factory always winds up replacing a few out of spec electrolytics or resisters. The parts cost a buck or two a piece, but the point is they GET replaced. Like US, they AGE. My point is that I love my old Crown amps. I don't care how they sound compared to current stuff. They are 100% USA built, top build quality, and I'm proud to own them. The fact that a couple crappy little passives needs to be replaced every couple years to keeps the amps working at barely measurable distortion levels is AMAZING. That's why I own all ARC gear. It's 100% USA built with probably 100% USA built passives. Even though I pay a heck of lot more that if I bought some foreign built stuff, I'm proud to own it, proud that I can support American CRAFTSMEN/WOMEN. And so far, I can say that other than an occassional bad tube or bias resister, the stuff is bomb proof just like my back-up Crown gear. So THERE!! HUH!! G-d Bless America!!!!!!!