As humans, we all know what it feels like to get older and experience wear and tear over time. We may find ourselves slowing down, experiencing aches and pains, and needing more rest than we did in our youth.
Is it any different for our stereo systems? Does metal, silicon, glass, rubber, and all that goes into building a high end audio system get worse over time?
Just like the human body, electronic devices have components that can degrade over time. Speakers are, of course, the most obvious. Surrounds, capacitors, and all those moving parts age. In fact, all mechanical mechanisms fade over time.
But electronics?
We're all familiar with the degradation of capacitors, but consider that modern silicon-based systems grow "old" similarly to how our brains get stuck and slow.
Remember back to your shiny new computer or iPad. Blazing fast for quite some time. Then, with updates and plugins and use, we get slower processing speeds, longer load times, and increased lag when running programs or applications.
Just like humans may struggle to keep up with the demands of physical activity as they age, electronics often mimic us as they try to keep up with the demands of modern software and technology.
It might seem strange to anthropomorphize the machines and technology we interface with but, as they become more and more complex, they become more and more "human" in all matters.
Including getting older.
