amplifier longevity

Ideally in theory…
But I have had both varieties fail on me.

carver crimson 350 monos.

amazing longevity and reliability!

Bryson has issues, not often!

odyssey audio has been reliable.

McIntosh is reliable !

Not counting my first tube amp, a VTL.....I have had excellent reliability with tube gear.  My current amps are 8 years old , look and work perfect still

Assuming high quality like those 2 makers, no difference would be my answer.

Good Tube stuff is designed to handle heat, so there isn’t a lifespan issue that I have experienced. My quality SS equipment has been very reliable, it can get hot also.

My reliability issues have been with the weakest link, usually a moving part, look for them: a speaker terminal or push button breaks, a jack panel loosens, ground connection screw strips, loosens some how.

When I buy cameras, it’s also the weakest link. I try to anticipate, avoid problems, a cheap plastic battery door, waiting for me to break it. If I buy cheap stuff, or good stuff with cheap parts, I treat it’s cheap moving parts more carefully,

If one had ceramic tube sockets, the other plastic tube sockets, that's a clue.

And, modern equipment, too much complexity, too much software, i.e. for some reasons, an HDMI jack stops working, a ...

In my experiences over the decades, I have had some of both, SS and tube equipment fail. Most have been reliable. I had an instance or two of bad design that eventually led to failure, and bad parts or assembly. 
Some manufacturers are known for reliability and great sound. I won’t buy from a certain manufacturer that has good sound,  but has proven unreliable and problematic.. 

Tube amps can be very reliable as much of the hardworking parts are the tubes themselves. SS has come a long way and I don’t have to have tubes anymore .. 

The product is durable or not, largely  depends on the company, and also depends on the right usage. 

Tube amp could last very long time, and SS amp could fail in short period of time.It is all case by case,and  decided by the points I memtioned above.

I am not sure if OP worry about the complex of usage of tube amp in daily life. If that is you intend to tell,I agree. Tube amp usually ask you to take care more than SS amp in the time being.

I decided on SS 45 years ago and have not gone back to tubes, too much maintenance. Love the V-fet amps by Yamaha and Sony in particular. I haven't tried any of the new tube amplifiers, but tube preamps are pretty nice. Yamaha, Phase Linear, Sony, SAE power amps are all over 43 years old with original output devices. Capacitors and pre-driver transistors have been changed over the years. Of course, the death diodes in the Sony amplifiers were the first to get replaced.

Modern caps are a lot better than what was out in the 1980s.  If you are buying new right now I'd expect either to last you a liftetime (minus tube life).

If you have vintage gear and can afford to get them recapped today, go ahead and you'll be done. :)

I think they are about the same.  Alot depends on how hot the amplifier runs I think.  I have heard that really hot amps cook the capacitors and make them age faster.

Too many factors involved. The design, the operating mode (Class A vs AB), parts quality. That also doesn't assume catastrophic tube failure, or shorting the speaker terminals of your SS amps.

 Under normal use, no reason either can't be completely reliable.

The exception to all of this is Class D. I am seeing an up tick in Class D failures of amps that are only 3-5 years old. Some have even become non-repairable due to obsolete parts or boards.

Depends on build quality does not matter tubes or ss..

Because I am a compulsive spender I tend not to keep equipment as long as I should. 

That being said the oldest amp I owned was a set of Manley Neo Classic 250s. I bought them used when they were 7 years old. 

I traded them in for a set of Class D monoblocks 3 years later because I couldn't stand the heat and the tube maintenance. 

At 10 years old they ran like champions and had not one issue.  

I have a Rogue Audio Sphinx in use for the last year with no reliability issues.  But you would expect that after a year.

I have two Prima Luna tube amps in use, a Prologue Two Integrated and a Prologue Five Power Amp, with absolutely zero issues since 2005.  These amps are so over built I don't expect issues ever.  

I have two Musical Fidelity SS CD players, CD PRE 24 and A3.2, with zero issues since 2003.  MF has changed ownership and places of manufacture since, so no idea about current products.

I have an Outlaw RR2150 receiver with zero issues since 2005.

I attribute that run of good luck to not overdriving the equipment and choosing good companies in the first place.

I had a NAD C320BEE integrated that gave up the ghost after a 10 year run.  Also, a Class D Audio power amp that kept breaking down and I gave up on after a year.

I would expect Luxman to last a good long while, given what they charge.  I put them in the same league as McIntosh.

Rich 

I’m a die hard Mac guy, but Luxman is a super nice all in one unit. Tubes Vs SS it’s alway maintenance. More on a valve unit, but not much more. I was raised on valves, SS was added not the other way around. I like everything pretty much.

Class A, A/B. SS or valve. Class Ds with buffer boards and rollable OpAmps, without buffer boards, ZERO feed back, a ton of feed back, adjustable feed back.

Just make it work. I’ll make my part work.. I won’t hook it up backwards. :-)

Merry Christmas

Regards

Comes down to design, parts quality, and heat.  Many amplifiers that we have repaired just were not that well designed and or did not have the proper design to remove the heat.  Think Counterpoint - mosfets back then were not that great and they were covered with a cap.  Against all understanding of how to remove the heat so they failed.  Also lasing long and producing good sound have nothing to do with each other.

Much has to do with the quality of the gear, the capacitors are the ones to fail first .

the better ones usually last much  longer as well as the coupling caps sound far better when name brand but cost much more $$ .

I had Metaxis monos one of which literally went up in flames and also one of the first Musical Fidelity Nu Vista preamps which went incendiary, less spectacularly, because of the dumb double decker design, in a small cabinet with no heat sinks. The designer should have been shot.

blackdoghifi, true.

I don't know what to say except thank-you to each and everyone of you!

This is my first  post, in my life(!) here on Audiogon or any forum, amazing!

Thank-you for the thoughtfulness, and sincerity, of the responses, its great!

Reviews from actual users are worth their weight in gold.

I will have to take more seriously the issue of heat and tube replacement that comes with valve amps, but the hands on that come with tube amps has its appeal.

Happy Holidays to everyone here and thanks again

Tube amps can last a long time because they are fairly easy to repair. Solid state amps, on the other hand, can have their lifespan limited by parts becoming obsolete. Lot of amps made in the 90's used transistors (very good ones by Toshiba and Motorola) that are now no longer made. As long as parts are available, solid state amps can last forever. (Some would say the capacitors go bad, which they can, but for the most part if they are good quality they will last years. The power supply caps in my vintage 70's Marantz receiver test like new to this day).

My ARC SP9mkll is from the mid eighties and is 100% stock except the tubes. My Acoustat model x amps are also from the mid eighties. I replaced some tubes and  caps and did some updates, but they are basically the same and still get used at least once week.

JD

I have my Ayre stuff for about 12 yers or so.....never a problem.   I sent the amp back to Ayre for a look-see........they sent it back without needing any repair

I think if it has pcbs that can be an issue to ultimate longevity.  Point to point wired amps will probably live forever as repairs are always much easier.

good answers… 1961 and going strong with a refresh and some modifications….

i wouldn’t worry about generalities but instead focus on a particular model that trusted audiophiles or service people have seen for years….when doing buying homework…..

What I have found as a general rule is that if you can afford it, it pays to buy quality. One characteristic of equipment that sells for premium prices is that it will have quality parts. Or rather, bargain products need to compromise on the quality of the parts. And when you really get into the high end, your dealing with equipment that's made by hand. 

I agree with quality setting you up for service time. I have a Cary Rocket 88 heating my man cave in Winter, and I’ll go to my Marantz 2226B in the warmer months. So far, my Klipsch Forte efficiency likes em both. Ears are happy!

ARC D400MKII going on 29yrs and still kickin azz!

One never hears one ask what the amp sounds Like

I’ve gone  through five amps this month

class d

class ab

class A

tube and SS

v v hard to tell difference 

major conclusion- it’s the quality of the recording!

that a mess

Typically, the most reliable amplifiers are class AB or D SS devices, which are kept ON all the time and which has UNREGULATED big iron SIMPLE power supplies. The reasons are:

- Heat is the number one enemy of any electronics. Class AB and/or class D generates very little heat when there is no input. Minimal quiescent bias currents. Valve amps lose out in this area.

- Keeping it on continuously ensures that the amp does not experience inrush currents, which MAY reduce the reliability of power supply capacitors.

- Unregulated simple power supplies are the MOST reliable power supplies. When SMPS comes into play, reliability will be less.

All the above are more easily achievable in an SS amplifier. So, all things being equal, SS amplifiers are likely to be more reliable.

I've had my Quad 405 power amp for 44 years. Other than having it recapped 3 years ago, it's been 100% reliable. . 

I have a 46 year old GAS Ampzilla and a 41 year old Conrad Johnson MV75A-1 amplifier, and both work and sound great after heavy usage over the years. Both amps have been recapped only once, and the Ampzilla has had all of its driver and power transistors replaced.

Good stuff lasts. The new power transistors in the Ampzilla are 20 amp rented Toshibas vs the original 15 amp Motorola’s. Parts in most, but not all cases can be swapped out. I also have a 30 year old, never been repaired Adcom GFA-535 II in my bedroom stereo that still sounds great.

PASS LABS  !!

@tomic601  @bigkidz @audioman58 

+1

Heat cooks caps. Select specific models. Amps sound different, are built to different standards - choose one within your budget that.also sounds good.

Good luck!

I have and use 3 Adcom amps - GFA 5802, 555, 2535 that still work great. No problems or recaps. Only had one amp ever go bad, a Carver cube amp .

Re: the comment on Counterpoint Mosfets and heat It’s common practice for TO3 devices, mosfet or bipolar, to be covered by plastic covers.  They are there to prevent law suits when people get zapped by the + - rails voltages.  The heat of these devices are dissipated by conduction to the aluminum chassis via the silicone pad.  There’s absolutely no issues with that approach to mounting and using QCovers. 

Terry 9:is corr3ct heat is a destroyer that’s why good electronics have them well ventilated,they only thing that don’t mind heat all digital clocks .

@johnsonwu  as you know, like you I have been repairing Counterpoint components for some time now.  While it was a common practice and there for a reason, I have also seen many covers with holes so the heat does not get trapped.

While it may not be the single cause of failure, IMO and from repairing about 50 Counterpoint power amplifiers, I would suggest that the covers while providing a benefit, are not optimal for heat dissipation.

YMMV

Happy Listening.

32 year old NAK PA-7A MKII & CA-7A pre here.

Both checked out by ex NAK tech early this year. They're in A+ condition.

Caps are in great shape, and tech says you couldn't buy better ones even now no matter what you spent.

      Here’s my 2 cents , based on my experience.   First heat is the enemy, all amplifiers need proper ventilation. I’ve added fans to setups that generate high heat. Tubes are a wear item , especially power tubes and degrade over time. So you WILL be replacing tubes over time. I’ve had a tube failure that caused the glass envelope to crack, but no additional damage. I’ve had a new power tube fail that resulted in internal damage and required Dennis Had to rebuild the power supply section. I also own Rogue and have seen LCD screens fail and circuit boards fail. Also consider some tube amps are point to point and some use printed circuits. Overall SS is more reliable and significantly less effort to maintain.  However I personally enjoy the TUBE sound and I’m willing to deal with the maintenance issues. In my opinion comparing tube to SS, but s like comparing Ducati to Yamaha. I believe that audio, like motorcycles is most appreciated when we experience as many different styles as possible. And FWIW I just sold my Buell and my HD due to age. Happy Listening, Mike B.

The best valve amps with point to point wiring are more reliable and long-lived than anything solid state. Except every once in a while over time one of the valves can spring a leak.

Yep, heat is the biggest enemy. Point to point wiring and greater spaciousness a good thing, best quality parts with higher heat ratings and cooling with fans helpful. Inrush current is in fact a concern with tube amps, my 845 SET with nearly 1000V has huge caps to charge up, this is major wear and tear. Point is be judicious with turning tube amps on and off.

@buellrider97 Sorry to hear having to give up the bike. Purchased my first Ducati this past summer, both tubes and Ducati have character!

I hate when my valve springs a leak.. :-) It just "Depends" LOL. Not yet, though. When I get there I might look to the great beyond for a eternal solution. When it’s time it’s time.. :-) I say, SCREAM at heaven, "And American Irishman is coming". Time to dance, Amigo!! Where’s my Moma she coulds really cut a rug.. Right after the Good Lord I’m lookin’ for her next.

I’m listening to Willie Nelson right now.. Merle is up next..

Merry Christmas everyone whether you like it or not.. :-)

Regards

Guessing you have not ridden the R1 with the Cross Plain Crank. Like riding a twin with the red line of a IL4.  Selling my Duc to get the R1 and will keep my RSV4R kills the Duc.

My BMW S 1000 RR is killer also. I only do track days and will not ride on the street. 9It's like the new Class D stuff from AGD and Bel Canto.

I am a high speed MOTOGP Bot.

There are Sugden A21's still going strong over 30 years later, so much for the Bogus heat issue.....

Depends where the heat goes. If the chassis is built to isolate other components from the heat, no problem. 

My Sansui 7070 receiver that is ss has been running in my wife's salon for over 25 years never shut off (except power outages). It still works like a champ. This was purchased new in 1978. I think it was the quality of components the used. These old receivers were way over engineered and when said and done were great value. 

The only piece of electronics I ever had fail was a HK receiver. No other amp, SS or tube,

I built my Hafler 500 at my desk in my shop in 1974.  Recent trip to my engineer showed it slightly out of bias.  Other than that, measured as if brand new and still sounds great on my Maggies (bottom end).

Cheers!

The one longevity issue that is universal is that you need to keep the heat as low as you can with plenty of circulation and a fan. Heat is the destroyer of electronics.