Lifespan of Power amps


What is a reasonable amount of time a power amp should perform without trouble, or need replaced? If kept in good, clean condition I'm guessing 20-25 years, is this correct? I have an 18 year old power amp and am just trying to figure how long it will be until I will need a new one. Does anyone think the technology is the same today as it would have been 18 years ago for amplifiers?
fruff1976

Showing 1 response by shadorne

It's the capacitors. Caps last around 20 years. If you replace them BEFORE they die/break/explode, you'll have another 20 years.

Agree 100%.

Electrolytic Capacitors are a fact of life in amplifiers, tube or solid state. They last about 20-25 years, which is a sort of half-life, IOW about half of them will be bad in about 20-25 years.

I would add that if you buy an amp that has not been in use for several years then it can increase the risk that a cap will blow up when you first turn it on. If you store expensive gear then I'd suggest plugging it in once every six months to a year.