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Last Buy Majestics and Bitzies

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Graham Slee View Drop Down
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    Posted: 11 Mar 2022 at 3:11pm
Last Buy Majestics and Bitzies

All good things must eventually come to an end.

Our stereo DACs use chips and chipsets made by renowned high fidelity digital chip manufacturers such as Cirrus Logic/Wolfson and Texas instruments. For reasons best known to themselves, they pulled the plug on manufacturing late last year, and DAC manufacturers have been racing to buy up all remaining stock, us included. The writing on the wall says "no longer manufactured" and that it was planned.

Due to our small position in the market, we decided not to go overboard, because in an uncertain world, other parts might also come to a standstill, and we don't want to be left with expensive chips on our hands. Due to its sudden rarity one Majestic chip is nearly £23 each on bulk quantities.

We are keeping a reasonable percentage back as spares, but considering my own Majestic which was randomly selected from production, has clocked up ten years of being nearly always on, I think the spares might have collected a lot of dust if they ever get used.

We took a look at possible alternative chips but with forecast delivery dates well into 2023, it could be that the silicon fab plants don't have the capacity to cater for chips that sold in their thousands rather than millions.

Whether it can be put down to the effects of Covid19 or not, I wouldn't know.


Edited by Graham Slee - 11 Mar 2022 at 3:12pm
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Ash View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Ash Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 11 Mar 2022 at 3:32pm
Thanks for the heads-up. I have been considering buying a second Majestic-Proprius system for a while, for futureproofing. Might make that a goal for this year actually.

Do components like capacitors "age" even when not powered up?
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BAK View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote BAK Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 11 Mar 2022 at 3:40pm
Every electrical and electronic part ages... some faster than others,
 but all parts do have a "life expectancy".
Bruce
AT-14SA, Pickering XV-15, Hana EL, Technics SL-1600MK2, Lautus, Majestic DAC, Technics SH-8055 spectrum analyzer, Eminence Beta8A custom cabs; Proprius & Reflex M or C, Enjoy Life your way!
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Ash Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 11 Mar 2022 at 3:45pm
Yes, Graham forecasts the average working life expectancy of his circuits to be about 11 years, if powered on all the time? After that, the product may still operate but performance may deviate from specification.

I guess 24/7 power-on accelerates the ageing process but it still happens when disconnected, but much more slowly.


Edited by Ash - 11 Mar 2022 at 4:53pm
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote CageyH Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 11 Mar 2022 at 4:29pm
Does leaving it on 24/7 increase the ageing quicker than power on/off cycles?
There is a lot of vintage electronics that still performs well, although the spec may have drifted from the “as new” spec.

It will be interesting to see Graham comes up with as a replacement for the Majestic.
Kevin
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Ash View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Ash Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 11 Mar 2022 at 5:00pm
I would love to see an integrated Majestic/Proprius design with some adjustments.

Although I would be fine if he only sold PCBs and the user takes responsibility to house them for EM compatibility and heatsinking. Could eliminate some cables.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Graham Slee Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 11 Mar 2022 at 5:22pm
Originally posted by Ash Ash wrote:

Yes, Graham forecasts the average working life expectancy of his circuits to be about 11 years, if powered on all the time? After that, the product may still operate but performance may deviate from specification.

I guess 24/7 power-on accelerates the ageing process but it still happens when disconnected, but much more slowly.

Sorry Ash, does not apply to all products. The major contributor is electrolytic capacitors. Other components not subject to undue stress can last much longer (as did a number of Audionics broadcast desks from my time - run mostly 24/7 - which are now in use by other broadcasters and hospital radio for example, and that's near on 30 years).

Considering electrolytic capacitors, if run well within their ripple current rating and voltage rating, and at a much lower temperature than rated maximum, can last an incredible amount of time.

Take a look at the PDF data sheet here: https://docs.rs-online.com/6f7a/0900766b80d99217.pdf

Page 6, the lifetime multiplier stops at 70, which for a 3500 hour at 85C capacitor results in over 60 years if used within that multiplier range.

This assumes no stresses to the leads which can cause the seals to leak. Otherwise, electrolytics cannot "dry out".

I prefer to give a general guide as being 20 years in small signal equipment, but I'm aware that one Majestic electrolytic capacitor is close to a heat source (a voltage regulator) and although that heat isn't much, and there are air circulation holes surrounding it, I calculated 11 years operational.

As for shelf life (or off-life), that is much shorter due to the lack of formation the electrical charge provides.

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