[Rtg97229]

The degradation over time of a 1 ppm part is very small. That said if my bringing up recycling of parts was stepping out of bounds I apologize.

 

[SeaWo|f]

When it comes to microchips, the word "used" doesn't really make sense. They don't degrade over time.

This is totally inaccurate. If you want an extreme example of this where a chip is aged quite quickly check out CPU overclocking. I can degrade the performance of a chip significantly by pushing it hard for a short period of time

In fact this is an important area of research for large tech companies because if you have thousands of chips in a server farm aging can cost you serous money.

There are many research papers on this subject available online.

 

[AMRoberts]

When it comes to microchips, the word "used" doesn't really make sense. They don't degrade over time.

So many of the factors effecting IC lifetime are a function of temperature that I believe the industry often argues for modeling failure via an Arrhenius relationship. If you want to wrap your brain around a lot more detail, also search on: time-dependent gate oxide breakdown, hot-carrier injection, electromigration, stress migration, and negative-bias temperature instability. Some of these are also driven by operating voltage differentials, electric field strength versus gate dimensions (including thickness), material type(s), etc. A somewhat dated presentation that touches on many of these is:

http://ewh.ieee.org/r5/denver/sscs/Presentations/2005_02_Eaton.pdf
​

I'm sure you can find newer material, it is an active research area.

Above and beyond what is nominally happening inside any integrated circuit, the external circuit around it and the world it lives in have impact. If power supply/filtering related passives fail (or are inadequately provisioned to start with), then every power cycle and eventually even the steady-state may be stressing IC(s) beyond their specs, shortening their lifetime. Modern ICs have protection against electrostatic discharge, but such protection often has limits in both absolute numbers and number of events that protection can be expected to work for. Walk across your carpeted floor in dry winter air and grab single-ended output cable attached to your Yggy, preparing to plug it into a different preamp, and you might be sending a surge back into the analog output circuit that hurts something.

 

[artur9]

So, barring eletrostatic shock and other catastrophes, how long will my Schiit last?

Is it akin to that Doctor Who episode where he tunnels out of a diamond with his bare hands?

 

[Rtg97229]

So, barring eletrostatic shock and other catastrophes, how long will my Schiit last?

Is it akin to that Doctor Who episode where he tunnels out of a diamond with his bare hands?

Under normal conditions I would expect your Schiit to out live you as long as it is not abused.

 

[Rtg97229]

As for the degradation of a AD5791 part over time, I really would not worry about it. This is a part with 126.3 mW power dissipation and I have no reason to believe that Schiit is using the part outside of its intended usage. This is a part that is used in military and medical equipment and those are fields that expect a 20 year lifespan under harsh conditions.

 

[SeaWo|f]

Caps would need replacing at intervals though, but that's not schiits fault just the nature of what they are.. They are also easy to find unlike other parts that become obsolete and expensive to source.

 

[Brubacca]

Offer the recycled Yggy Analog1 boards to Gumby owners as Gyggy Analog 1.2 and I'll be we would snap those upgrades right up.

 

[Rtg97229]

Caps would need replacing at intervals though, but that's not schiits fault just the nature of what they are.. They are also easy to find unlike other parts that become obsolete and expensive to source.

The new electrolytic caps last a lot longer now days but yes.

 

[MWSVette]

I would be more concerned about the lifespan of the lead free solder that is used in industry today than the lifespan of the IC's...

 

[sam6550a]

I would be more concerned about the lead free solder that is used in industry today than the lifespan of the IC's...

Ethically speaking, it is neither proper nor ethical to offer ANY used equipment, parts, assemblies, etc., as part of a NEW product or a NEW product upgrade. What happens to the superseded board, component, etc., is that the upgrading entity has the responsibility to dispose of the "old" boards in a responsible manner, not recycle them into NEW equipment. How they do that is their choice, and their choice alone. Let it rest.

 

[Rtg97229]

Ethically speaking, it is neither proper nor ethical to offer ANY used equipment, parts, assemblies, etc., as part of a NEW product or a NEW product upgrade. What happens to the superseded board, component, etc., is that the upgrading entity has the responsibility to dispose of the "old" boards in a responsible manner, not recycle them into NEW equipment. How they do that is their choice, and their choice alone. Let it rest.

I suspect that if Schiit uses the recycled parts themselves they would tell the customer what they are buying. I for one would have no problem buying a board with recycled DAC parts. That said any discussion about recycling parts is just speculation based on the parts being very expensive.

 

[sam6550a]

I suspect that if Schiit uses the recycled parts themselves they would tell the customer what they are buying. I for one would have no problem buying a board with recycled DAC parts. That said any discussion about recycling parts is just speculation based on the parts being very expensive.

Sorry, expensive or not; ethical manufacturers DO NOT include used devices, assemblies, or components in NEW equipment or upgrades.

 

[Rtg97229]

Sorry, expensive or not; ethical manufacturers DO NOT include used devices, assemblies, or components in NEW equipment or upgrades.

As I said the speculation is because of the cost of parts. There is no indication that Schiit is using or will use used parts as new. I am confidant that if they used a used part in a product they would indicate to the customer exactly what they are buying. There is no reason whatsoever to believe that Schiit has done or plans to do anything unethical.

 

[Pietro Cozzi Tinin]

round-and-round-and-round-and round....

I wonder, if Schiit ever gets to making refrigerators, how we are going to nag them silly about the cooling solutions they're gonna use.