Secondhand gear

Jack Bond

I need to replace my 20-year old Kenwood 3020se Amp (input selector developed a fault when it was not long out of warranty but it's soldiered on till today). I see lots of recommendations here to buy secondhand gear and my question is this - is it not correct that components will degrade over time, even in amplifiers that have had light use?

I've seen some nice s/h amps at reasonable prices (an Arcam Alpha 8 for example) and been tempted. But surely buying a 20-year old amp - even if it's been checked - is more likely to go kaput than a new one? It seems to me that if I go this route the likelihood of it failing will be pretty much the same as my present amp, so I might as well get my Kenwood repaired.

Hixs

Don't buy something 20 years old then...

Plenty of newer amps for good money about. There is a couple of Marantz PM6006 on sale here. One of the better amps under £500.

deantown

I bought second hand Marantz cd and pm 6005 along with second hand wharfedale diamond 220 speakers. Delighted with the sound.

dannnielll

Does electronics deteriorate with time?. Yes.  However things like amplifiers and AVRs not much.  Record decks will wear, the bearings grinding  around will eventually need replacing,the belts dry out and crack
CD players have a plastic heart and all plastics become brittle with age.
Tape recorders were even worse. They have a lot more moving parts
Loud speakers .. depends. Magnets should lose some of their field, paper cones rot ,many use plastics for suspension parts and they can crack.
But getting back to amplifiers and AVRs.  Generally very little to go wrong except heat damage.
Valve amplifiers which basically consist of a few transformers ,valves a choke or two and a few paper capacitors are of indefinite life. The heat does not bother them and the valves eventually lose emission,but can be replaced.
Transistor amplifiers are more heat sensitive. Partially because they use more electrolytic capacitors and these can dry out over time.
To put things into context. When I was a youngster,  a local radio shop man gave me a treasure trove of 1920 to 1930 vintage radios,in non working order. The majority of which I did tickle back into life..so these would have been sitting idle in an attic for 30 years. That is the lifetime of valve equipment
In the 1980s I bought new a stereo receiver transistor  Nikko brand 5050  ..and when I still fire it up,   It works . a bulb on the display needs replacing. But other than a bit of rust on the DIN plugs it is fine.
In the 1990s I replaced it with a Marantz SR66  AVR ,which was in daily use until 2 years ago,when the upgraditis virus struck. I am sure it works just as good.
In 1995 I got a JVC Home cinema DVD player 5.1 ( model number?. )  It is still in use, but with a minor glitch it has a switching on problem ,sometimes, but otherwise is fully functional as a DVD player and audio setup..and is in a summer home.
In  200? I got a Sony DAV 260 Home Cinema to replace the JVC ,with HDMI ,to match a Sony LCD TV.  It is in daily use. .. Rarely using the DVD drive but I know it works.
Recently I have bought for various locations 3 AVRs ,all just pre HDMI to use a receiver and amplifiers.
All have been trouble free. a Yamaha, a Sony and Harmon Kardon.   Pre HDMI Quality AVRs probably 13 years old are phenomenal value those without HDMI in particular...This would be particularly true of the HK which was available at 10% of its original price.
The secret for the longevity is that the air circulation is very good.

Andywilliams

I sold my 2yr old Arcam a39 for £650 it was immaculate very nice amp too if you shop smart some very good bargains out there.

Costello

I think provenance is key. It's a bit like a used car. As soon as it becomes secondhand, it loses value, even if it's a few weeks old. As such, there are great bargains out there. However, there are older units that have been used properly and looked after carefully and there are lemons. Knowing the background and the seller can reduce the risk of picking up a troublesome unit and there's always a chance to come back to the seller. Blind second hand purchases from eBay can be troublesome. Caveat Emptor. Do thorough research and ask the questions.

dannnielll

Fully agree Costello. My secondhand purchases are generally in those Cash Converters  type outlets,where you can see the kit, and it has a kind of guarantee. The Sony DE400 and floor standing speakers, were 60 euro together, the lid on the Sony was badly scratched , and the mdf veneer on one of the speakers was dinted..  serious cosmetic damage,but not acoustic, and in an attic setting unnoticeable. The HK AVR340  and the YamahaV440 was pristine.

Jack Bond

Thanks so much for that Dannnielll - that's exactly the sort of info I was after. Very useful - Cheers.

Jack Bond

Thanks Costello. I was looking at a website called Retrotech Audio. They seem to be trustworthy from what I've seen