HiFi longevity/lifespan and reliability

Blackdawn

Well-known member
May 7, 2010
88
1
18,545
Visit site
Whats the average lifespan of HiFi products such as speakers? Am I likely to get 20-30+ years from them if taken care of ? Can anyone give examples of some old products which still work nicely?

Is there a standard warranty you might expect from equipment like speakers? e.g. 5 years or is 1 year more normal.
 

The_Lhc

Well-known member
Oct 16, 2008
1,176
1
19,195
Visit site
Blackdawn said:
Whats the average lifespan of HiFi products such as speakers? Am I likely to get 20-30+ years from them if taken care of ? Can anyone give examples of some old products which still work nicely?

I bought my amp and speakers about 15 years ago (Sony and KEF), all still working fine. They're used every day (AV amp and my TV has no speakers of its own).

Is there a standard warranty you might expect from equipment like speakers? e.g. 5 years or is 1 year more normal.

That'll depend entirely on the manufacturer and to a certain extent the retailer.
 
You might, however, 20-30 years is asking a lot from modern electronics. It doesn't matter how well looked after things still fail such as capacitors etc. I know of various amps, both solid state and valve, that are still going strong even though up to 40 years old.

Obviously servicing the items at intervals will help just like a car. Buying from well established manufacturers also helps as they tend to keep stocks of replacement parts for longer (with most electronics you can usually find an equivalent bit to fit, but not always.)

Speakers, perhaps, are a bit easier to keep for a long period but even bits in the crossovers can fail.

I had a pair of speakers for 20+ years although had to replace bass units as the rubber surround eventually perished. Luckily the manufacturer still made replacements available.

Firms like Wilmslow Audio keep good stocks or can access a vast number of drive units should you suffer a failure.
 

ID.

New member
Feb 22, 2010
207
1
0
Visit site
My dad has a Luxman amp that is nearly 40 years old. He does get it serviced every now and then these days and I think he replaced the capacitors.

His speakers (JBL) are probably only 20-25 years old and they seem to be ok too.
 

drummerman

New member
Jan 18, 2008
540
3
0
Visit site
Depends on many things including usage habits, environmental factors and if the item in question was built on a Friday afternoon.

Everything deteriorates from day one, contrary to what some may tell you but apart from Turntable parts wear and tear, CD players transport mechs and laser assemblies are the weakest link.

Anything can last a week or a few decades.

regards
 

lindsayt

New member
Apr 8, 2011
16
2
0
Visit site
I have two pairs of speakers that are 50 years old and 100% original. They sound more than fine.

I have a pair of speakers that are 40 years old that were used in the National Theatre. When I got them they needed a refoam of the bass cones and a tweeter diaphragm to be replaced. All of which I did myself for about 4 hours work and less than £50 in parts.

I have an amplifier that I bought new 30 years ago. It's still 100% original and unserviced. I used it at Scalford last week-end and continue using it most days in my A/V system.

I have 4 amplifers that are about 25 years old. They are all original and unserviced. One is showing signs of abuse. Has a bit of hum through the speakers when cold. Used it at Scalford last week. The other three sound and work fine.

I have a turntable that's 40 years old. It needed a service when I bought it which I did myself. Cost me £130 in parts plus 2 hours work.

I have a turntable that's 30 years old. The previous owner had it serviced by the manufacturer in 2008. It sounds and works more than fine.

I have another turntable that I bought new 30 years ago. It has had services / new parts every 3, 4 or 5 years.

I have a 30 year old pair of speakers. The foam on the mid-bass unit went when they were 20 years old. I recently refoamed them for £20 in parts and 3 hours work. They are 100% original apart from the foam. They were at Scalford too.
 

mikeparker59

New member
Apr 6, 2010
4
1
0
Visit site
My A&R A60, A&R T21, Heybrook speakers and Heybrook TT2 all bought new in early to mid 1980's and all going strong. TT2 has original drive belt A&R A60 has had a transistor and volume pot replaced, T21 has had nothing replaced.

My HB2 speakers originally had foam grilles which disintegrate over time. I've replaced them with an MDF frame covered with speaker cloth, and that's it. Not bad for over 30 years use.
 

matthewpiano

Well-known member
The way I see it, if my amplifier lasts 10 years that work out at a yearly cost of £44.90 I think 10 years is a reasonable time to expect something like that to last without needing any additional attention, and Exposure clearly have confidence in it to give it a 3 year warranty.
 

eggontoast

Well-known member
Feb 23, 2011
453
12
18,895
Visit site
I have a Pioneer SA-7800 from 1979. It has been recapped, not because it failed just as a preventative measure. Upon measuring the caps which were removed, they were all still within spec. It works perfectly and looks great too.
 

JZC

Well-known member
Jun 28, 2009
3
0
18,520
Visit site
My Spendor BC1's that I bought in 1979 still sound wonderful as does my Pioneer A616 Amp that I bought in 1990.

I've also got a Yamaha CR600 receiver and a Pioneer PL12D turntable bought circa 1974 in the loft but I haven't used these since 1990 so I'm not sure if they still work or not.

I not yet disposed of a Pioneer CD player and Tuner also bought in 1990 and an even older Sony cassette player which no longer work.
 

csq2

New member
Mar 28, 2010
24
0
0
Visit site
Hard to say with the vast amounts Chinese made parts on the market today. Electronics are mass produced and not as of high quality than they were 20 years ago. I find modern amps and speakers degrade in sound quality over time, causing people to change or upgrade equipment often. Reliablity is also an issue, so be careful when buying used amps/speakers. I have witnessed noisy transformers, loose connections, and broken motorized volume knob in modern amps. I find Japanese amps are more reliable than European amps, but I still prefer the sound of European amps. I think this is the reason people with vintage equipment have been satisfied for a long time, while you see a lot of 2nd hand modern stuff on the market. have an 17 year old old Sony stereo receiver that sounded better than most budget integrated amps on the market. If you want good quality electronics, expect to spend a lot these days.
 
A

Anonymous

Guest
I think what's interesting is to ask "how long will a new piece of Hifi Last" ?

Speakers made in a traditional high quality way will probably last as long as older ones -20 years +

But how long will a new DAC last, or a "digital" preamp ?

The more "digital" things become the shorter is seems their lifespan seems to be. Well particulaily laptops !

The main problem seems to be that Digital Circuits don't like getting hot, so whilst a power amp might be quite happy to get hot enough to fry an egg on it, a streaming style device will absoltely not want to. Its best to keep your digital circuits below 35 Degrees C at all times.

Audiophiles don't like fans (quite rightly) so some electronics designers moving into the digital domain didn't pay enough attention to this. But I think that designers are getting better at dealing with this issue. Just don't close you lovely Streamer or Dac - or surround sound amp - into an unventilated cupboard !

Then they seem to last well over 10 years without much trouble.
 
I have only recently replaced my 40 year old Tandberg amplifier as I am disabled and needed a remote control . My amplifier is used all day and night . I got an Onkyo a9010 . It sounds fantastic with my Dali Zenzor 3s and Rotel rt11 tuner . I have a Denon av receiver in my lounge that's 11 years old , it still sounds fine and is used for TV and radio regularly . I think amplifiers are extremely reliable if not abused . I know some hifi collectors who regularly buy 40+ year old amplifiers that still work fine and sound good too . I think people should buy what they need and enjoy it to its full potential, by the time anything breaks down its usually time for a technological upgrade anyway .
 

NSA_watch_my_toilet

New member
Aug 24, 2013
7
0
0
Visit site
It really depend of the gear we are speaking about. Some recent gears could be failing in their third year of life. Electronic from serious builders like Accuphase/Restek/T+A/Putthenameofyourgoodbrand... are lasting around 20-30 years without problem, with exception of CD players, that will have, sometimes, unexpected age issues, generally on their moving parts. After 20-30 years, you should inspect them and make sure they are always working properly.

For speaker, generally, it's the same. Good speakers will last around 30 years, or more, without great problems. BUT... it depends from the builder and the material that is used, some are more difficult to maintain in the old days. For example, I know peoples that bough very old ATC speakers from Radio France. They simply reconed them, received new tweeters from ATC matching the old specs, some little recap and solding of the electronic and the fellow is ready for the next 30 years. But, some other technologies are not so "service friendly", foam suspended loudspeakers are reknowned to fail in their old age and the repair is difficult to impossible. Ferrofluid tweeters are prone to work less well in their old age and will be to change in shorter range of time, so make sure to go with a serious brand with serious service.
 

MajorFubar

New member
Mar 3, 2010
690
6
0
Visit site
My 25-26 y/o Cyrus kit is almost youthful compared to others here. Last year when I bought the amp, it needed the ALPS switches de-ox'ing and I opted for a full service including replacement and upgrade of various parts and components. But much of that (other than the switch rebuild) was my self indulgance rather than strictly necessary.

But a question that's currently difficult to answer is whether anything bought new today will have the same longevity. Feel free to blame my cynicism and pessimism, but I'm not sure they will. Perhaps megabuck hifi components will
 

Edbo2

New member
Mar 6, 2016
15
0
0
Visit site
Bought my Cyrus One amp in 1986 and it is still going. I am thinking of returning it to Cyrus for a service. Also my tuner Denon Tuner bought in the 90s still OK!
 
K

keeper of the quays

Guest
My wind up 78 player still going strong after 80years! Gracie fields sounds authentic! Just playing a "nice cup of tea" mmm? Good thinking Gracie..im off to mash a brew! Loose leaf of course..
 

Gazzip

Well-known member
Jan 15, 2011
88
2
18,540
Visit site
Having recently purchased a Devialet at great expense this topic has been nagging away at the back of my mind for some weeks.

I have never owned a laptop that didn't fail within five or so years. I worry that the Dev may share more in common with a laptop than an amplifier that will last 20 years.
 

tino

Well-known member
Sep 29, 2011
135
10
18,595
Visit site
There's no reason why electronics can't last 10,20,30 or more years. But when something fails how economic would it be to repair? It's easier to repair simple discrete electronics, but what about something that's stuffed full of hundreds or thousands of surface mount components? And what about modern hifi components that have inbuilt software services like Spotify Connect etc. then there is no guarantee that the service will continue to function for as long as the life of the hifi. It's already happening to products that are only couple of years old!
 

Infiniteloop

Well-known member
Jul 23, 2010
51
6
18,545
Visit site
Gazzip said:
Having recently purchased a Devialet at great expense this topic has been nagging away at the back of my mind for some weeks.

I have never owned a laptop that didn't fail within five or so years. I worry that the Dev may share more in common with a laptop than an amplifier that will last 20 years.

I wouldn't worry too much. Laptops fail because their hard drives pack in or the screen craps out. They're usually made to lowest price specs etc. Devialet have built a brand based on quality and if you look inside a Devialet everything is modular and should therefore be easily replaced/upgraded. The only area of concern for me is the oled display. That's why I turn mine off when I'm not using it rather than having it in sleep mode.
 

drummerman

New member
Jan 18, 2008
540
3
0
Visit site
The implementation of ROHS with regards to hazardous substances in 2006 led to some problems in solder but I haven't heard to many stories of faults arising because of it. Still, the 'new' type solder has disadvantages compared to pre-legislation times so perhaps it is still to early to be sure.

More of an issue come repair times are surface mount, multi layer boards and associated components. Whilst they have real advantages they are also almost certainly more difficult to repair (it can be more economic to just replace the board) and with it, more expensive.

A far cry from a point to point wired valve amplifier.

The upshot is that certain components had to be made more heat resistant in order to cope with the higher melting point of ROHS compliant solder. This should, in theory aid longevity.

Only time will tell.
 

Jota180

Well-known member
May 14, 2010
27
3
18,545
Visit site
Any piece of HiFi equipment, like any other equipment, will deteriorate and go out of spec at some point or another. You may not hear this or be aware since the rate at which it deteriorates will be so slow you'll never pick up on it. However, if you were to listen to your decades old bit of kit alongside one that had been serviced so it was in spec, you may well notice a difference then.

Different companies offer different warranties. 20 years on Bryston electronics. 6 years for ATC speakers. Maybe 2 years for other stuff. The important thing is whether the company will offer support after you've had the gear for a couple of decades or more. Some will, some wont.
 

TRENDING THREADS

Latest posts