Your Longest Lasting Component?

[MartinT]

What hi-fi component has lasted the longest in your system, surviving upgrades elsewhere and still holding its own?

My nomination is my Chord SPM-1200E power amp which I bought in 2001 and has seen every single other component in my system changed. I still haven't found its performance ceiling, it just keeps getting better after nine years of ownership.

Before that I had a Chord SPM-1200C which lasted three years, so 12 years of Chord usage and still going strong.

[Ammonite Audio]

Mine would be the Lyngdorf TDA2200 digital amplifier, which I bought in 2005, or thereabouts. Not only does it sound good (good enough to see off the Leben CS600 that I tried earlier this year), it demands nothing of me in terms of ergonomics, hissy fits etc; and to top it all it's reasonably compact and smart to look at.

I was a valve man before, and had no idea that (true) digital would be the way to go.

[DSJR]

Currently my CD player, made in 1988 and in my various lashups since 1994.

Oh, I forgot "thee Decca," which I've owned since 1989 or so

[The Grand Wazoo]

I've been using Koetsu Blacks since 1989/90 (ish). Not the same one - I'm on my third, but I have one in standby for when this one's done it's dash! I've had a very old one (probably one of the first) thrown in for luck on an arm purchase, a Black K which got a vdh retip, and now the version which is current.

[Beobloke]

Garrard 301. Given to me by my uncle in 1989 or thereabouts and in constant use ever since.

[Techno Commander]

My custom built speakers. Coming on for 18 years of service.

[Alex_UK]

My creaky old Garrard 401 - inherited in around 1986 - probably is overdue a service...

[MartinT]

Servicing is important, it's probably the best way to separate the men from the boys as far as manufacturer support is concerned and directly impacts longevity. I sent my Chord in for a service about 18 months ago and they did a nice job of replacing the protection relays which were getting a bit noisy and changing the distortion resistors for new values.

The best overall service I have ever experienced was from SME.

[Thermionic]

Ah let me see, well I bought the Quad IIs second hand in 1969 and they are still in service. They have had the odd bit of restoration but half the valves are original. Another item bought a couple of years later is an Ampex tape recorder currently awaiting new belts, but otherwise ok. Oh and the Tannoy Monitor Gold (just the one - all I could afford) that I made Lancaster enclosure for just after I bought the Quads, and I still use that every couple of days for background music.

[The Vinyl Adventure]

I have had my dynaudio a42's for about 10 years ... They are not currently in service, but they have never been out of service for more than a couple of months since I had them... They are very tatty now, but they are very very good still, especially for how small they are!

[Rare Bird]

A&R Cambridge 'A60' bought new in 1984, only just given to my mate a couple years ago...I used it on & off over the years..I later bought an 'A60AP' to use with 'SA60'.

[Tarzan]

SME V,Harbeth Compact 7ES2:)

[DSJR]

I suppose I could add my Spendors, as I sold them to my mate's dad in 1974, got to know so many new LP's with them and then later inherited them. The BC2's are in daily use still..

[Reid Malenfant]

In my main system i guess it would be my Classe Audio DR5 pre amp bought in early 00s, in my second system it'd be a Panasonic DVD-RA71 (used as a CD player) which i really have no idea how old it is :scratch:

[Barry]

My SME 3009/II, bought in 1970, and my Thorens TD124/II, bought in 1971 are both still in use. Most of my audio equipment purchases (with the exception of a few cartridges) are still with me - kept as 'back up'.

One of the oldest items are my speakers, the original Quad ESLs, bought in 1974. I can't imagine I will ever want to change these; so expect them to be with me to the end of my days.

Regards

[MartinT]

Nice one, Barry. Those are seriously long lived components and deserve our respect and admiration. Have you had any of them serviced, I'm thinking especially of the Quads?

[Welder]

Okay, I’ll add to this; reluctant to do so before believing I was the only idiot that hung on to Hi Fi through the years in the belief that “new” doesn’t necessarily mean “better”.

My Volts; purchased 11/07/81
Not quite the same beasts now but…….
The Quantum Electronics 102 & 207DA bought the same month and year.

Decca London Gold; bought second hand in 1982 which I still have despite not having a deck or even an LP. Just can’t bear to let it go.

Sugden A21. Unfortunately not working but nothing too serious just haven’t got around to sorting it out. They were built by hand I believe and component matched :eyebrows:

2 X Thorens TD160S sold a few months ago. I’ve had a Linn LP12 Valhalla and a Systemdeck in between but for my kit and ears a properly modded TD160S did everything the Linn did and cost considerably less. I struggled with the Linn for a few months and sold it for more than I paid for it :ner:
My mate bought my No1 Thorens which I spent many happy hours tinkering with when I still had access to an engineering workshop. The other went on ebay.
While I was in full modding fever a number of my friends took the Linn route; you couldn’t walk into a Hi Fi shop in those days without someone trying to sell you a Linn in preference to any other deck :steam: All bar one that I know of have since got rid of their Linns and gone for alternatives.

Looks like I may be as daft as the rest of you after all :scratch:

[Reid Malenfant]

Damn, i guess the bit of kit that i purchased in the dim & distant past that i still own is a JVC QL-Y5F turntable that i still own, this will be pulled out of the loft & installed in system 2. Must have been bought by me pre September 1988 :eyebrows:

Oldest kit fully working i guess would be 3 pairs of NS1000M speakers, now all without enclosures (except the one pair i'm using) but ready to do battle again in the dim & distant future when the bench saw is rediscovered :lol:

Good old stuff never dies, it just gets better ;)

[Welder]

Those NS1000M’s were great sounding speakers Mark. My mate had Sugden Master Class kit driving them and they sounded fantastic. He and I were forever “matching” the Volts and Yams :mental:
He went electrostatic in the end :eek: :lolsign:

[Reid Malenfant]

Yes, the Volt bass units are quite similar to the 12" Yamaha in a few respects. I agree that they are great speakers, they just needed a better enclosure :eyebrows:

I certainly wouldn't turn down any Volt drivers that were offered to me though, i just wish someone didn't want a pair or more of the RV4504 :lol: I wouldn't sneeze at the 3" soft dome midrange either.... Stuff it, make it just about any Volts :doh:

:eyebrows:

[Barry]

Okay, I’ll add to this; reluctant to do so before believing I was the only idiot that hung on to Hi Fi through the years in the belief that “new” doesn’t necessarily mean “better”.

My Volts; purchased 11/07/81
Not quite the same beasts now but…….
The Quantum Electronics 102 & 207DA bought the same month and year.

Decca London Gold; bought second hand in 1982 which I still have despite not having a deck or even an LP. Just can’t bear to let it go.
Sugden A21. Unfortunately not working but nothing too serious just haven’t got around to sorting it out. They were built by hand I believe and component matched :eyebrows:

2 X Thorens TD160S sold a few months ago. I’ve had a Linn LP12 Valhalla and a Systemdeck in between but for my kit and ears a properly modded TD160S did everything the Linn did and cost considerably less. I struggled with the Linn for a few months and sold it for more than I paid for it :ner:
My mate bought my No1 Thorens which I spent many happy hours tinkering with when I still had access to an engineering workshop. The other went on ebay.
While I was in full modding fever a number of my friends took the Linn route; you couldn’t walk into a Hi Fi shop in those days without someone trying to sell you a Linn in preference to any other deck :steam: All bar one that I know of have since got rid of their Linns and gone for alternatives.

Looks like I may be as daft as the rest of you after all :scratch:

Don't ever get rid of that Decca Mark; I've just revisited mine - it needs some fussing and careful set-up, but when you do, you'll be rewarded with the most exciting and joy-producing sound off an LP that you could imagine.

Regards

[Barry]

Nice one, Barry. Those are seriously long lived components and deserve our respect and admiration. Have you had any of them serviced, I'm thinking especially of the Quads?

Hello Martin

No, the speakers have never needed attention. My Quad 44 has recently needed a new mains-switch (after an estimated 20,000 operations, at least), and my FM3 tuner (again, after an estimated 50,000 hours of use) required a new transistor in the stereo decoder and a couple of new bulbs for the illumination of the tuning scale. My 405 power amps have been 'worked on' by me, but they too have proved to be superbly reliable. The reliability of Quad gear is renowned; possibly why the BBC use/used their products.

The Thorens decks (I have three) still use their original drive belts and idler wheels (though I do have spares for these). The only things I have had to replace have been the rubber suspension 'mushrooms' (they harden with age and will collapse in time) and on one deck, I have had to replace the switch click-suppression capacitor.

The fluid in the lift-lower damping dashpot needs replacing on the first SME arm I cited, but I have learnt to live with it.

Looking back I seem to have enjoyed 40 years of trouble free listening!

Regards