Vintage Solid-State Audio Reliability

My main power amplifier is now 41 years old. It is Krell KSA-100Mk2. It had been serviced in 2013, just after I bought it, by Krell authorised service centre in Sydney, Australia. They found no issues, no capacitors to be replaced, even bias was within the specification.  However,  they stated that Krell had an upgrade path for this particular model, which suggested replacement of  6 capacitors to a higher quality, which I opted for. Today, the amp is still going strong, playing beautifully with no sign of any "slowing down"... Even the fans inside are still inaudible from my 4 metres listening distance. Amazing piece of equipment, engineered to perfection. 

The rest of my gear is from around year 2000-2010, so not quite vintage yet, all playing very well without any signs of issues. 

So, I think with vintage audio, it all depends on quality of craftsmanship, manufacturer's philosophy of their purpose for existence etc... And of course - some brands are better than others. So, don't be scared, buy quality equipment and check its condition//functionality before buying. 

Enjoy music, no matter what equipment you use for playback. 

@jimbennet  While the design of contemporary CAPs is more reliable, both vintage or contemporary CAPS are subject to increased ESR and higher DC leakage due to dielectric breakdown, electrolytic leakage, or simply structural fatigue over time. As I posted, the through hole and design and manufacturing technology, and larger component size of vintage boards makes CAP replacement an easier task than the surface mount design and manufacturing technology, and small component size of contemporary boards.  Anyone investing in vintage equipment should have someone with experience and expertise in vintage equipment restoration perform a check and any necessary maintenance prior to normal use.  IMHO, all audiophiles should have CAPS replaced periodically regardless of vintage.  Because I suffer from OCD, when I previously owned big Krell separates that ran hot in Class A, even biased models, I had Krell service and replace CAPs as required every 5-7 years.  Conclusion, it is not just vintage equipment that is subject to CAP degradation over time and CAP replacement should be considered routine maintenance, not a reliability issue.  

This Sony boombox in my avatar is from 1981, I think. I had owned it for over 10 years before I sold it a couple of years ago. Never needed service in my 10 years of ownership, and had not been serviced by the previous owner either.

So, it depends probably on how much abuse it saw in its early years- and some luck.