Hard luck. CD drives are prone to fail sooner then most other items.
I have vintage gear 50+ years old that still works fine, granted they have had service over the years.
How long should components last?
About 7 or 8 years ago I bought two tube components. A cd transport and DAC.
About $4,500 each back then so who knows how much they would cost today.
After 5 years ago they started breaking down. The transformer failed in the DAC and as the european manufacturer had discontinued the component it had to be made from scratch in Italy. Of course it took months to get it made and sent to the US where the component had to be repaired. The Dac had to be repaired twice since then. I finally said enough and bought another brand.
Same with the transport. After 5 years continuous problems.
They sounded great and certainly looked the cost. But I had the impression that they were like German luxury cars with a perfectly timed obsolescence. After which you have to buy another one or they turn into a money pit.
Unfortunate because when they worked they were wonderful.
I can't name the brand because I'm sure the thread will be removed.
Has anybody else had this problem? For such expensive components I thought they would last longer and would not turn into such a problem when they needed to be repaired. Is this normal?
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Pretty much forever if well maintained. For example I have Hammond organs and Leslie tone cabinets from the mid-50s that are in like new condition. Same with consumer electronics from the 50s, 60s and 70s; all also like new. I guess it helps that I'm an old school bench tech with all the proper tools and a perfectionist nature. Small, flavor of the month, audiophile brands, especially outside the US, are very risky. Stick with well established brands with great track records for reliability and service. For established brands outside the US, make sure the US distributor also has a long, positive track record with in house service techs. Good examples would be Lone Mountain (Las Vegas) for ATC and The Sound Organisation (Dallas) for Rega. |
@ghdprentice "I think that about $5K put you in kind of middle ground. Above consumer audio, but in the mid-fi range. So the build quality can be good by typically not great... they use off the shelf subcomponents and stock replacements." While your statement can be true it can also not be. Purchasing direct from small quality boutique companies e.g. Finale Audio, Aric Audio and like others you get the build quality, the parts, the circuitry , and the sound to go along with them. For illustration the build list on my Finale Audio 7189Mk2 integrated amp has Hashimoto output transformers, Hammonds power transformer, DHL Labs Gold RCA terminal, CMC binding posts, Mundorf silver in oil coupling caps, Furutec IEC, QQQ rectifier tube socket, Alps Japan Blue volume control. The direct to customer price at the time I purchased it was less than $4K. Eight years running zero problems. Just one example but it’s not always as your generalization portrays.
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The Transformer failing in a DAC is pretty rare. DACs do not use much electricity. Of course transports being mechanical fail more often, but, if it was also an electrical failure, I would look at the electricity coming into your home. You might want to invest in surge protection and maybe a power conditioner. What about the voltage ? Does the voltage coming from the wall vary a lot during different times of the day ? Clean, consistent power will facilitate your components lasting longer. |
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