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"Warming up" Tube amps?

post #1 of 40
5/1/09 at 5:02am
Thread Starter 
Been reading up, and curious as to the act of warming a tube amp. Generally I turn it on and leave it for about 15 minutes before listening.
Is this the process of warming up the amp or am I wasting precious tube life?

Is it referring to heat increase or just a "warming" of the sound (which takes far less time)?
Any tips would be greatly appreciated!
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post #2 of 40
5/1/09 at 5:05am
I usually just listen to my amp whenever I turn it on. So I let it warm up while I'm listening to music.
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post #3 of 40
5/1/09 at 5:35am
I usually turn it on and start enjoying but I know that as the amp warms up in 15-20 minutes, it sounds better. I don't make it a habit but yeah, sometimes I turn it on as soon as I get home, then sit down to listen when I get a chance some time later and I think it's a worthwhile effort.
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post #4 of 40
5/1/09 at 6:12am
I try to give them as much as I can, before acutally listening, sometimes 30 minutes, but sometimes 1 hour.
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post #5 of 40
5/1/09 at 6:13am
i give it about 1/2 - 1 hour of pink noise at moderate volume and then its toasty and ready for listening
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post #6 of 40
5/1/09 at 6:15am
What you're doing is fine. Don't worry so much about tube life, either. I prefer common tubes to rare NOS. I burned out a 12SL7 the other day - no big deal. I had about $15 into it and I replaced it with another that cost about the same.
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post #7 of 40
5/1/09 at 6:21am
Your ZD deserves some NOS!
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post #8 of 40
5/1/09 at 7:06am
I have been curious about whether you should plug your heapdhones in or leave them out if you warm your tube amp up?
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post #9 of 40
5/1/09 at 7:14am
I was always under the impression that tube amps shouldn't have no load for any extended period of time.
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post #10 of 40
5/1/09 at 7:29am
Quote:
Originally Posted by FallenAngel View Post
I usually turn it on and start enjoying but I know that as the amp warms up in 15-20 minutes, it sounds better. I don't make it a habit but yeah, sometimes I turn it on as soon as I get home, then sit down to listen when I get a chance some time later and I think it's a worthwhile effort.
Agreed. Definitely 1/2 hour first will get it running well. Then listen and, over time it'll continue to gradually get to its best operating temp.

Quote:
Originally Posted by CDBacklash View Post
Is this the process of warming up the amp or am I wasting precious tube life?
I understood most tube stress occurs either at switch on/switch off or through unexpected movement when running at temp. So, no, turning it on for a half hour 'warm up' is not wasting precious tube life IMHO.

Quote:
Originally Posted by apatN View Post
I have been curious about whether you should plug your heapdhones in or leave them out if you warm your tube amp up?
I always have mine in, but I need to because I'm using electrostatics and that's what my amp requires (Woo GES). Check what your amp manufacturer recommends but in general they'll get up to operating temp better with a signal running through the system to the headphones.
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post #11 of 40
5/1/09 at 7:45am
^ I heard that as well. Tube amps in general like to see a load but whenever I want to listen to music I immediately listen to it.
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post #12 of 40
5/1/09 at 11:28am
My experience is that after 2 hours (nothing less) amps sound better than shortly after switching them on. That is true for a tube and a solid state amp alike. I do really not know why that is but why should I care if I may hear the difference ?

Unkle Eric quotes Lord Kelvin with "If you cant measure it you cant improve it". This is a quite scientific approach - and does therefore do reality not always full justice. I believe that if you cannot hear a difference then you may not judge if something has an effect - objectively or subjectively (better not elaborate here what that all implies), but at least it is then clear if it has no effect on YOU. It is irellevant to me if an audible difference may be somehow measured and how. So just listen to your systems - shortly after switchon and then after leaving them on for 2 hours - not 15 minutes, not one hour - the full 120minutes I mean. If you then still think that you do not hear a difference you may just as easily listen without such a warmup. I think it is that easy.
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post #13 of 40
5/1/09 at 11:32am
I always present a load to the amp by connecting a headphone. I also concur that both tube and ss amps benefit from "warming up". Anywhere from 1/2 hour to two hours as a minimum.
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post #14 of 40
5/1/09 at 12:03pm
Okay and what about changing headphones with tube amps. Is it better to turn the amp off for two seconds? Don't think so, but what is better?
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post #15 of 40
5/1/09 at 12:09pm
I just lower the volume to zero and swap headphones. Yes it is a risk.
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