Axiom Home Page Forums General Discussion Technical Questions Digital Receivers

I was KIDDING about the life expectancy.
OH, waitaminute, i see what threw you boys for a loop.
I forgot the smiley laughy faces.
Here ya go kids

Hmmm, 33 years for the Pioneer receiver and a woofer dying at 32 years.
I would say my earlier estimate of a lifetime for a receiver was pretty darn close.

Now Bren, get back to work on that arena. We need to hurry to get the Jets back in the Peg and you are holding us up.

Hi,

If you keep the switches, pots (potentiometers) and other controls clean and prevent oxidation over time, solid-state electronics are an incredible bargain. I'd estimate at least 15 to 20 years. I talk to customers who have 20-year-old stereo receivers and integrated amps that still work fine, and I've got older solid-state amps that work perfectly but I do clean the switches and pots every five years or so or whenever they get noisy or intermittent.

In theory, a "digital" amp might sound audibly cleaner, but I'd want to do blind instantaneous comparisons with tone-control circuits switched out before I'd make a judgment.

Eventually heat gets to everything--the values of resistors and capacitors may drift over many years--but it's hard to estimate long-term reliability of ICs. Sometimes stray voltage or static electricity can knock those out. But by comparison to tube gear, which begins to deteriorate from the moment you turn it on (and the tubes themselves change with use), solid-state designs are very long-lived.

Regards,

Any tips on cleaning the things? I've got an old Marantz 2220B and I'm pretty sure all it needs is a new fuse for the lights and a good cleaning, but I can't even figure out what to clean after I get in the thing. And RS didn't have the spray on cleaner the last time I checked, just a stupid pen that's only good for cleaning Atari cartridges.

If you have many components in a closed-front entertainment console, I strongly suggest putting a small cooling fan in the back. It's very easy to cut a circular hole in the thin rear panel and mount a small, quiet ball bearing muffin fan. It makes a big improvement in component life and safety. Before I did this my digital cable box got so hot I couldn't put my hand on it; afterwards it was barely warm. Just one small fan mounted almost anywhere will be a huge improvement in a closed-front console.

Joe, that's why Axiom should hook up with the folks at Flying Mole Digital Amplifiers. 160 watt monoblocks which weigh 1.4 lbs each, about 8"x5"x2", digital - cool running, and as sweet as a Single End Triode Tube amp.

I tell you friends, I have a feeling, that whoever comes out with a digitally amped speaker will own the market.

Just look for contact cleaner (the spray type, ether based - NOT silicone based!) and don't use it on live equipment - it's a conductor and flammable.

Bren R.

Anything people recommend? I'm sure it's really all the same, but still...

Hello kcarlile

I personally stay away from ether based cleaners. I prefer Caig Labs products. You can find them here:

http://www.caig.com/

Polyphenyl ether (?) is just a basic surfactant (ie: cleaner)... no brand preference here... whatever's on the workbench is what I/we use. Just shoot it on ICs, connectors, switches, pots and anything else that needs some cleaning (stay away from manual tuners though). Generally speaking the stuff is pretty inert, just let it thoroughly evaporate before putting power back in.

Bren R.