Do inexpensive amplifiers age badly over years?

[Deleted member 9685]

One local amp manufacturer said chinese amplifiers age badly over years due to low quality components such as low quality capacitors.
They said their own amplifiers don't age nearly as badly as cheap chinese ones.

That may explain why AIYIMA A07 sounded a bit better than a generic chinese TPA3251 amp manufactured by AIYIMA.

Do cheap chinese amps actually age badly over a few years?

 

[DSJR]

A pal has a pair of Topping mono amps from donkeys years ago which he has used extensively with absolutely NO issues at all!

Wasn't the whole bad-capacitor thing twenty years or so back now?

 

[Tangband]

One local amp manufacturer said chinese amplifiers age badly over years due to low quality components such as low quality capacitors.
They said their own amplifiers don't age nearly as badly as cheap chinese ones.

That may explain why AIYIMA A07 sounded a bit better than a generic chinese TPA3251 amp manufactured by AIYIMA.

Do cheap chinese amps actually age badly over a few years?

No.
Theres has been some (few ) examples of fake components coming from Aliexpress.
Many America-constructed hifi gears are made in china with components from china.
I would say that in general, your statetement is not true.
Buying a cheap amplifier ( Aiyima a07 ) or dac ( Topping d10s ) from china is rather top quality but the price is much lower depending on non-advertising, and you buy directly from the factory in China.

A Topping d10s that would do advertising enough to have a review in stereophile would have a price of more than 400 dollars.
Its a paradigm shift going on right now, and Amirms testing shows everything. Expensive products can be very bad.

A normal Hifi-advertising business sold in shops is 1/10 or less costruction costs, and 9/10 advertising , profit marginal and middle-hand costs.

 

[Vini darko]

You could ask the same question about any cheap (or expensive) thing from anywhere.

 

[Tangband]

You could ask the same question about any cheap (or expensive) thing from anywhere.

True.
PS audio integrated amplifier is manufactured in china. Is it bad quality ?
Has the Aiyima a07 or a04 less quality in its components ? I doubt it. The ne5532 was not even fake ones in a04 ( We have done investigations on that in sweden ) .

Nads amplifiers are done in Japan, china, singapore or taiwan.
Bad quality because of this ? I doubt it. Bigger profit for the owner of the NAD company? - sure !

 

[TheWalkman]

At $50 to $75 for a replacement after five or more years of good use, who cares?

 

[shal]

At $50 to $75 for a replacement after five or more years of good use, who cares?

If the death of amplifier means the death of my compression on the speaker , I care a lot.

 

[Deleted member 9685]

A normal Hifi-advertising business sold in shops is 1/10 or less costruction costs, and 9/10 advertising , profit marginal and middle-hand costs.

While it's true that china is becoming a centralized point of amplifier manufacturing, I would like to see local vendors selling cheap chinese amplifiers without much margin.

Without local vendors, the economy might become too centralized. Centralized economy often leads to tyranny in politics down the line.

I'd like to see retail distribution more decentralized.

 

[Tangband]

While it's true that china is becoming a centralized point of amplifier manufacturing, I would like to see local vendors selling cheap chinese amplifiers without much margin.

.

Why would they ? How would they survive ?
Isnt it much better for the local vendor to sell stuff with bigger profits ?

 

[Deleted member 9685]

Why would they ? How would they survive ?
Isnt it much better for the local vendor to sell stuff with bigger profits ?

Something that doesn't have high barrier of entry eventually becomes cheap. We should lower barrier.

 

[TheWalkman]

If the death of amplifier means the death of my compression on the speaker , I care a lot.

I have probably 10 or 12 cheapo Class D's going back to the orginal Lepai (was it, 2005??) and I have yet to have any of the Class D amps fail, much less harm a speaker. Ironically, the only amp I ever had that failed and blew speakers was a Harmon Kardon Citation amp which was, in it's day, a very high end, American made, "audiophile quality" amp.

 

[antcollinet]

What do you expect your local amp manufacturer to tell you?

 

[Roland68]

Do cheap chinese amps actually age badly over a few years?

If he refers to "no name" devices and kits that are sold on Aliexpress, Ebay, etc., then unfortunately he can be right. Used or counterfeit and also superimposed components are often re-labeled. Not only capacitors, also various ICs, OP-Amps, transistors etc.
How else is that supposed to work? Devices, printed circuit boards or kits are offered at prices that are sometimes 50% below the industrial purchase prices (for 1000 pieces) of the parts. No dealer or manufacturer can sell the parts cheaper than buying them. You have to realize that something doesn't fit.

I already had some fake important parts with me, e.g. Black Gates (which I would have replaced anyway), various expensive Nichicon types, Elna Audio types, Panasonic FC, OPA627, various TDA, voltage regulators (e.g. LT1963) etc.
When I bought such a kit, all important parts were replaced first.

Of course, this does not apply to "real" companies such as Topping, Gustard, Singxer, SMSL etc. They have a purchasing department that knows where to get real parts.
But I know from earlier cases where even large companies (not only hi-fi area) fell for fake components ...

 

[MakeMineVinyl]

Amplifiers from China which use high grade parts should last indefinitely unless there are design issues such as an electrolytic capacitor crammed right next to some component which generates significant heat.

 

[Deleted member 9685]

The theory of the local amp manufacturer is if an amp's components age badly, its sound quality degrades. I don't know whether amp age has much to do with degrading sound quality.

If you think about it, degrading capacitors could increase distortion and noise in audio.

Can I assume that chinese amps with brand name and model name have high quality components?

 

[MakeMineVinyl]

The theory is if an amp ages badly, its sound quality degrades. I don't know whether amp age has anything to do with degrading sound quality.

Parts tolerances can drift over time which may or may not be audible. An electrolytic capacitor which goes bad can certainly cause problems.

 

[wwenze]

Have you seen what brand capacitors some Hypex amps use?

 

[Deleted member 9685]

I'm sure that a dying capacitor would decrease audio quality, but I don't know whether a merely aging capacitor results in lower audio quality.

As far as I know, capacitors have shorter lifespan than other components which can last decades without an issue.

 

[Chrispy]

Not same application but could be interesting to you https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...tor-upgrade-in-crossover-is-it-audible.12287/

 

[JSmith]

This thread is wrong on so many levels...

A much better title would be something along the lines of capacitor type, country of production and longevity.



JSmith