Cap life span?

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>Cap life span?
On a tight budget. Looking at older amps and need to know if capacitors have a set lifespan. How would I know if they need replacing?

Get some big power resistors which can be wired in parallel to produce an 8 Ohm load with sufficient wattage and validate that your amplifiers aren't clipping at their rated output power.

Or buy an inexpensive ESR meter and validate

http://www.amazon.com/Anatek-Corporation-blueesrassy-Blue-Fully-assembled/dp/B005NI4WE4

In most cases they won't have been run hot enough for long enough to cause damage.

I guess I've replaced WAY too many electrolytics, in power amps, Leslies, Tubed Organs and speaker systems, pro and home(for myself as well as customers), to buy into some the above statements.

The main reason to replace them is doing so may well result in an incidental upgrade/or deliberate one. Typically included in a complete overhaul. Well worth the average cost of around $400.00 for an amp.

Bottom line is don't buy old gear unless you are prepared to replace all coupling caps, wire, lytics, tube sockets and tubes. This is quite common. Jallen

I have a CJ PV-10A circa 1992. The Solens film caps in it while not the greatest caps never showed any noticeable agingissues. However the white "CJ" film caps definitely aged, deadening highs and transients; swapping with new caps gave immediate improvement. So cap type must have some bearing on life span.