Yes, it does. There is a difference between "working" and "sounding like it did when it was new". Generally the passive components like capacitors will age and change value over time. This is why alot of people who buy older equipment have it "re-capped". Anything over 10 years old is a candidate for this, although the severity of this aging may vary with the conditions the equipment was subjected to. High heat is the worst, and Class A amps that generate alot of heat, will "cook" themselves alot sooner than amps that run cool.
Does equipment get old?
I ask this question not in the metaphysical sense (that we get tired of it) or in the sense of equipment becoming technologically obsolete. Instead, I ask whether amplifiers and preamps (SS or tube but my particular case is tube) get so "old" that they no longer work the way they were meant to. This may sound silly (the other side of "breaking in" cables?) but can the physical implementation of circuits (solder joints, internal wire insulation, capacitors, etc - but not counting the fact that tubes ear out) get "too old"?
My gut says I'm fine (thinking about purchasing a 15yr old tube preamp) but I thought I'd check. Thanks, Travis
My gut says I'm fine (thinking about purchasing a 15yr old tube preamp) but I thought I'd check. Thanks, Travis