Quote Originally Posted by nightflier
So do older amps deteriorate over time? I'm still on the lookout for a good quality high-watt 80's amp, but I've always thought that anything older was too risky.

Other than the power button, amps really don't have any moving parts. So besides dusting, what kind of maintenance do older amps require?
...I think it depends on how old is old?

Maybe the capacitors might become problematic over time...but I have a HK Citation 16 amp(100Wpc RMS into 8 Ohms, both ch driven, 20-20K...200Wrms into 4 Ohms) purchased in the early '80s that still kicks @$$...it drives s difficult load and still cruises along at a decent dB level at an output of 2.5W(as indicated by it's LED power output display)...other than a neon power indicator(which I'm just too lazy to repair) I have had zero problems. So that's 20+yrs. and counting. I think, for the most part, SS devices keep working until they just don't.

Now, if you go 'way back and the internal wiring is cloth covered, it has probably become brittle over time, tubes deteriorate and it can be difficult to replace...To my knowledge, none of the old American co.(e.g. RCA, Sylvania etc.) still makes 'em(or even exists for that matter), so it's NOS(New Old Stock) or Sovtek or Chinese...that fact means higher prices due to "supply vs. demand" constraints and with the NOS, it's really a crapshoot as to the quality of the items you can score.

Probably dusting and vacuuming is about it...exposed heatsinks need to radiate in an efficient manner to keep the output transistors within safe operating limits.

Crown amps were pretty bulletproof(still are I think) Carver, SAE, McIntosh, even Bose(yes, the dreaded Bose) who had a 325Wpc behemoth with both meters AND an LED display.

The site you mentioned( which is where I got the conflicting power ratings BTW) is a good one...if you do a google on vintage or classic audio, you can find folks who specialize in specific retro brands...take a look at some of the "for sale" sections and it should provide a good indication of which gear is considerd "classic" and the price you can expect to pay.

jimHJJ(...too much weird info?...sorry, I get that way sometimes...)