Apart from the 2nd law of thermodynamics in general:

There is literally countless mentions on the forum about the natural lifespan of electrolytic capacitors.

This is not the only answer to your questions but the main answer to all three.

Search and ye shall find.

In relation to power amps and pre amps...

1 power amps use greater ripple currents in their capacitors
2 power amps often run hotter than preamps

Both these increase the rate of degradation of electrolytic capacitors.

That would suggest that power amps should be stacked above pre-amps on racks to reduce warming of higher amps by convection...?

Err, no, it suggests you should use a rack instead of stacking boxes at all! 

Just bought a 2nd hand Quadraspire - first hifi rack I've owned since the early 80s...

JimDog posted:

That would suggest that power amps should be stacked above pre-amps on racks to reduce warming of higher amps by convection...?

Huge posted:

Err, no, it suggests you should use a rack instead of stacking boxes at all! 

Curious reply. Err, no, and all that. 

Suggests you should read with comprehension before responding.

Ah yes, oops, my dyslexia caught me out again.

Sorry.

Interesting. How exactly does dyslexia prevent you from seeing the term "on racks"?

I'm left-handed and often have trouble when writing distinguishing a 'd' from a 'b'. Does that provide me exclusions or entitlements with latent dyslexia? Should I play the 'oops dyslexia' card as an automatic excuse for any lame reply I post here?

Dyslexia is a difference in mental processing, particularly that involving language or the mapping between language and thought.  It's not (as popularly believed) restricted to spelling.  In my case, the primary issue occurs in the mapping between language and thought (and most particularly concerning written language); consequently I sometimes miss things that are written or miss out parts of my pattern of thought when trying to explain things using language.

Because of this I always read anything at least twice before replying and similarly always read back my own replies at least twice; in most cases I pick up inconsistencies, but sometimes I miss them.  Sometimes when I misread something there's no resulting inconsistency for me to detect and then it's unlikely that I will realise that I've missed some information.

Huge posted:

Dyslexia is a difference in mental processing, particularly that involving language or the mapping between language and thought.  It's not (as popularly believed) restricted to spelling.  In my case, the primary issue occurs in the mapping between language and thought (and most particularly concerning written language); consequently I sometimes miss things that are written or miss out parts of my pattern of thought when trying to explain things using language.

Because of this I always read anything at least twice before replying and similarly always read back my own replies at least twice; in most cases I pick up inconsistencies, but sometimes I miss them.  Sometimes when I misread something there's no resulting inconsistency for me to detect and then it's unlikely that I will realise that I've missed some information.

Huge, this is only the down side. The positive side is much, much bigger. I won't bother you with text, because you understand :-)

Huge posted:

Dyslexia is a difference in mental processing, particularly that involving language or the mapping between language and thought.  It's not (as popularly believed) restricted to spelling.  In my case, the primary issue occurs in the mapping between language and thought (and most particularly concerning written language); consequently I sometimes miss things that are written or miss out parts of my pattern of thought when trying to explain things using language.

Because of this I always read anything at least twice before replying and similarly always read back my own replies at least twice; in most cases I pick up inconsistencies, but sometimes I miss them.  Sometimes when I misread something there's no resulting inconsistency for me to detect and then it's unlikely that I will realise that I've missed some information.

A graceful response under the circumstances, well done Sir.

I think it’s Madam actually...

Indeed, but I'm not at all bothered, I don't make a fuss about it (and there's no reason why most people would actually know that). 

JimDog posted:

1. why do amplifiers produce lower fidelity electrical signals over the years?

2. why do power amps degrade around twice as fast as pre-amps?

3. what elements of this material degradation do amp services fix or improve, what do they not fix, and how many services should one perform before breaking up an amp for parts?

This doctrine is most notable with Naim.   Which I believe run less but run harder than others.

My Karan amp is supposed to survive some 50 years before a service as claimed by its designer.

Entropy is reversible 

humm - not sure whether entropy is reversible - but it is now an open question.

Life on Earth is negentropic and has continued that way for 4bn years.

But when you see life on Earth as an effect of the sun shedding much greater quantities of energy, life is clearly a long term anomaly in the vast tide of solar entropy.

But, since we found out in the 90's that the expansion of the universe is accelerating, it has not been clear whether this expansion is negentropic at very large scales (and it may never be clear).

Naim audio systems exist as a freakish energy exception on top of a huge column of fossil fuel energy which is part of that (immediate and delayed) solar flow.

JimDog posted:

humm - not sure whether entropy is reversible - but it is now an open question.

Life on Earth is negentropic and has continued that way for 4bn years.

But when you see life on Earth as an effect of the sun shedding much greater quantities of energy, life is clearly a long term anomaly in the vast tide of solar entropy.

But, since we found out in the 90's that the expansion of the universe is accelerating, it has not been clear whether this expansion is negentropic at very large scales (and it may never be clear).

Naim audio systems exist as a freakish energy exception on top of a huge column of fossil fuel energy which is part of that (immediate and delayed) solar flow.

A Naim system in a far remote part of space might never ever need a service when powered from a fractal solar cell because time could not excist at all.   Listening to prog rock would be more excruciating.

Industrial desalination plants make drinking water out of the sea.

Glad we've sorted that out.

Time for nice cup of tea.

Don't forget that if you're going to power an infinite improbability machine, you'll need a really hot cup of tea.

the Big Bang - now that was one hot cuppa!

JimDog posted:

the Big Bang - now that was one hot cuppa!

But who or what put the kettle on and in need of a nice sit down ?

And just what did they look like wearing a kettle! 

TOBYJUG posted:

JimDog posted:

humm - not sure whether entropy is reversible - but it is now an open question.

Life on Earth is negentropic and has continued that way for 4bn years.

But when you see life on Earth as an effect of the sun shedding much greater quantities of energy, life is clearly a long term anomaly in the vast tide of solar entropy.

But, since we found out in the 90's that the expansion of the universe is accelerating, it has not been clear whether this expansion is negentropic at very large scales (and it may never be clear).

Naim audio systems exist as a freakish energy exception on top of a huge column of fossil fuel energy which is part of that (immediate and delayed) solar flow.

A Naim system in a far remote part of space might never ever need a service when powered from a fractal solar cell because time could not excist at all.   Listening to prog rock would be more excruciating.

Industrial desalination plants make drinking water out of the sea.

There already is a lively monolith in the space far, far away - it might be a Naim amp:

Those Naim Forum members should wear more clothes when they organize outdoor parties!

I can see you're really upset about this. I honestly think you ought to sit down calmly, take a stress pill, and think things over.