Of course, but are you honestly surprised?

Ask owners of newer gear how they feel about their expensive “superior modern equipment” that often dies just outside of warranty and is then deemed non-viable to repair. Read the reviews. Every new piece of gear sounds “significantly better” than the one preceding it, right? OK, so how then is it possible for a 40-year-old amplifier to sound better than a new one?

Seriously, explain that to me so it makes sense, and I’ll buy you a steak dinner. Or give you a free service!

If each year brought significant improvements, older gear would sound awful compared with gear with 40 years of continuous improvement. But it doesn’t, and anyone with decent ears and experience will confirm this. Unfortunately, many tricks are played on the average consumer.

Oh, and one other small thing: If a piece of equipment lasts 30 years instead of 5, that’s 5 fewer sales that the company could potentially make. These manufacturers generally need to have customers turn this equipment over.