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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? 

 

roxy1927
ghdprentice's avatar
ghdprentice
9,441 posts
 

It’s really all about probabilities. The probabilities of failure get lower with higher quality of design and construction, they never go to zero... but come pretty close. They seldom get into double digits on the other end.

Then there is the probability that you get one that fails and the age of the unit.

Flying is unbelievably safe, but someone was on the modern plane that crashed. flying on a commercial airliner is safer than flying in an old single engine plane in the jungle somewhere.

stereo5's avatar
stereo5
6,717 posts
 

@corelli,

Doesnt look like an easy fix to me.  There is no way to fix it without removing the transport, something which I will not do. 

corelli
1,169 posts
 

@stereo5  

My apologies. My past experience with Philips transports made this an easy fix.  i did a quick search. Not sure if you saw this thread

(https://forum.audiogon.com/discussions/esoteric-p02-belt-replacments-proper-size-question-any-tips-or-sugges)

but it suggested an absolute nightmare of a job on this Esoteric transport.  So, so disappointing that a high end manufacturer would design a unit this poorly.  I mean, all CD players in time will need new belts. Belts usually go bad far before the laser does.  To shell out that kind of money and end up with a boat anchor vs. an absurd repair cost is inexcusable. Man, I share you frustration and I do not even own the piece!

Can you share the exact model number or info on the exact transport?  I am not ready to give up yet!

easystreamer
120 posts
 

Sometimes I am hoping my stuff fails so I have an excuse to upgrade! That is the glass-half-full perspective. Unlike my dad, who still uses his Adcom GFA and GFP with Snell Type D speakers, he bought all new in 1995.

Electronics are a 50-50 prospect and can fail at any time, whether in a USD 1,000 or 10,000 component. It is the warranty and customer service that differentiates companies. Also, better QA/QC can mitigate the mean time to failures, accounting for part of the higher cost of the higher-end components. I can think of a couple of Canadian companies that have 10 and 20-year warranties. Now they have confidence in their QA/QC in contrast to some ChiFi with 1-year warranties

This is why every time I consider a car-priced component, I think to myself, "It's just a bunch of PCBs, chips, and electronics packaged nicely".

So after 5 years of continual use, having a failure is not that surprising to me, especially with modern stuff. I refer back to my dad's Adcom stuff.

kymanor1
126 posts
 

Components should last a lifetime if maintained 

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