Hi-Fi Reliability

[admin_exported]

Just wondering whether anyone had ever thought of using this forum for a reliability survey. It's one thing for electronics to get five-star ratings, but what's the point if you're investment is only going to last a year or so? I was thinking of something like the JD Power survey they do for cars.

- In the interests of objectivity I've got to confess my current set up consists of a NAD CD player (C 525BEE) that decides for itself how long to open the tray before zipping shut again and a NAD amp (C 355BEE) that won't turn on. Both got 4/5 stars.

 

[Anonymous]

my vintage gear still works fine ... amp is 30 years old, speakers are also approx 25-30 years old and cdp is old ... I use my setup daily so suppose I have been lucky so far

 

[the record spot]

NAD3020A bought in 1986, never been serviced, still plays fine and was my main amp for a little while up to getting the Sansui I'm currently using (itself about 32 years old or so). Both sound great.

Speakers are 15 years old and the CDP is the new kid on the block - just about 12 months old and no issues to date.

 

[matthewpiano]

I've got a NAD C521BEE buried away in the spare room which is an excellent CD player but it has been flaky operationally from the day it was new. If you ever disconnect the power you can bet it will take half an hour or os of being plugged in again before it will read a disc.

Many years ago I had a Sony CDP-110 which failed on me after many hours of hard use and I've got a Marantz CD52MkII SE packed away that occasionally takes a mad turn during playback.

Generally speaking though I've never had any real issues and find most equipment to be very reliable.

 

[Craig M.]

for you chaps with the vintage kit, don't your amps get, for want of a better word, a bit tired?

or don't solid state amps age like that?

 

[matthewpiano]

Older amps do, of course, benefit from a service to ensure that there is no voltage leakage, and the replacement of capacitors as appropriate. That is why I purchased my A400 from a dealer who has serviced it fully and why, IIRC, dim_span is getting his SA-9800 serviced. A bit of TLC every few years keeps these things sounding fresh as a daisy.

 

[Anonymous]

I'm thrilled so many people have trouble free hi-fi but I just think that before people invest their cash in equipment that sounds great for a few hours in the test rooms, they might be interested to know about how long they can expect that sound to keep coming.

 

[plastic penguin]

reliability has never been an issue (probably a kiss of death saying this

), my current system is a fe years old and never even had a sniff of a problem. My Marantz tuner I bought in 1979, still connected to my current set-up, and apart from two bulbs blown on the dial, its been trouble-free.

My Wharfedale E20's I purchased in 1981 (now in the loft) still work fine and with the original cones, too.

 

[Anonymous]

Craig M.:

for you chaps with the vintage kit, don't your amps get, for want of a better word, a bit tired?

or don't solid state amps age like that?

no ... only the wife gets tired when I dont turn the volume down late at night ... suppose there will be a time when it will start playing up, then will cost me less than £100 to get it serviced and recapped and hopefully will last another 30 years

 

[nads]

No probs with mine

the old Nad from '86 still works and would be in use when i have the volume pot cleaned. Old hose was a tad damp.

Current Nads working fine with no probs for the last few years.

 

[Anonymous]

Through 35 years I've had a few experiences with hi-fi and A/V equipment:

In general, NAD seems to be everlasting. Some exeptions though -- typically the CD players.

My Sansui amp failed after a couple of years, and it was too expensive to fix it.

Onkyo needs to be nursed to work.

Cyrus seems to be solid and expensive cases filled with cheap rubbish. One failure starts a domino effect. Once it needs repair, you're better off dumping it and buy something else.

Sony and Philips lasts for a lifetime, while Samsung lasts for the weekend at the most.

A Snell loudspeaker is something you might pass on to your grandchildren. Same thing probably goes for a Rega Planar -- if they can find a plastic belt that fits.

 

[the record spot]

Craig M.:
for you chaps with the vintage kit, don't your amps get, for want of a better word, a bit tired?

or don't solid state amps age like that?

Think the Sansui I bought recently had been serviced prior to sale, and I'm planning to have the NAD serviced when there's some free cash available...!

 

[Anonymous]

Craig M.:

for you chaps with the vintage kit, don't your amps get, for want of a better word, a bit tired?

or don't solid state amps age like that?

Craig, the problem is that many of us would like to own a brand new £30 000+ stereo system, but unfortunately, we cannot afford it ... so what I have done, is look for older gear that was really good in it's day, and try and match that with other older components that were also very good and highly regarded.

The difficult part is that in many instances, items are bought off ebay and you cannot audition them in your listening room with your existing components, so you are buying blind.

By using google and asking many questions on the forums that are specifically geared to people who collect vintage gear, you can get a very good idea of what sounds good with what, then make a shortlist, research thoroughly, and patiently wait for those to be listed on ebay or elsewhere

so far, I have been very lucky and my main system (including cables and a good hifi rack) has cost me just over £700 ... and can say that if I had to buy a new system that compares to the current, I would be paying several times more ...

all items are working well.I am really pleased with my amp, which is working fine, waited a long time for that, but will send it in for recapping and a service which will cost me less than £100 and hopefully will last another 30 years

My current speakers are good, but have my mind set on a pair of IMF TLS80's aswell as a pair of Celestion Ditton 66's ... so am saving up ... will also hook up spotify to my hifi (hopefully around christmas time)

I dont have a cinema system yet, but will use either the IMF or B&W speakers (or both) as cinema speakers and will hook up the dittons to my current hifi ... If the IMF's are better than the dittons, then I will use the IMF's on my hifi system and use the dittons on the cinema system

Once I have done that, I will (hopefully) have no need to upgrade anymore (except possibly a cd player)

Best cheapest system I have bought so far (for my bedroom) consists of a Pioneer SX-700L amp/receiver, Pioneer PD-S703 cd player, Leak sandwich 200 speakers and a silver high breed interconnect (which I got for free) ... total cost of this sytem was £28 and can say I am impressed (for the £28 I paid)

I also have been setting up some systems for my son's college mates and have set up several systems that cost between £120-£150 ... everyone seems happy and have set up some really good systtems so far with no glitches

 

[Craig M.]

no worries, was just curious really.

 

[matthewpiano]

I'd say the same as dim_span.

There are a couple of set-ups I would love if I had the money:

Sugden Mystro CD/Sugden Mystro Amp/Focal 806v (about £2800 total)

Unison Research Unico CDE/Unison Research Performance/Opera Grand Callas (goodness knows how much!)

However, like dim_span, I don't have the finances. There are some superb newer components out there at lower prices but the bargains to be had with older kit are so tempting and you do get much more performance per pound.

I do still aspire to the Sugden set-up (or an equivalently priced Audio Analogue/Opera one), but its going to take several years of hard work.

 

[Anonymous]

well Matthew, there is an old Sugden A48 amp on ebay at the moment (know its not the model you are after) ... untested (dont think the seller has other components to test it with) ... I was keen, but wife will slap me as it will just be stored in the loft

standing on £9.99 with no bids and 3 days to go ... ebay item 290364479625

could be in good working order and you could be the only bidder? (nice for a bedroom system) ... if not working, could be sold (sell it Internationally) for much more, or could repaired? ... item is in cambridge (collection only) ... if you are keen, I could pay/collect and keep it till you pass this way as I live in cambridge

 

[Anonymous]

I guess this was the wrong place to bring up reliability. Doubtless you guys got lucky with your gear and have had a merry time obsessing over it since. Those not so fortunate probably gave up on sites like this about the same time they went out and bought a reliable Sony setup.

Have fun.

 

[idc]

The only hifi I have owned that broke down was an Arcam Alpha7 CDP. Mt Rega Mira amp had build quality issues such as a wonky chassis and failed LED.

There is a potentially big reliability cloud on the horizon for many electrical goods with the banning of lead solder. Apparently lead stops 'tin whiskers' forming which I believe risk shorts and failure of soldered joints.