[SymphonicTXN7]

Yup, I totally overlooked that key detail. Thanks for the clarification. 

 

[BLACKENEDPLAGUE]

tubes have an arc'd lifespan where they suck then sound great then die. lifespans vary greatly however

 

[Wildcatsare1]

A lot of high end tube gear has "soft start" circuits where the tubes are never powered down completely (my Audible Illusions (ok not high end) and my former VTL Amps included). For Head Fi Gear w/o is it better to leave it on for extended periods? Again, I have been told cold starts shorten tube life, what's the word Ya'll?

 

[Tuco1965]

I turn on my Lyr about an hour before listening and shut it off when done.

 

[john57]

A lot of high end tube gear has "soft start" circuits where the tubes are never powered down completely (my Audible Illusions (ok not high end) and my former VTL Amps included). For Head Fi Gear w/o is it better to leave it on for extended periods? Again, I have been told cold starts shorten tube life, what's the word Ya'll?

Cold starts are like light blubs when usually blow when starting. However I have not noticed that issue issue with vacuum tubes. What I know about tube soft start is that the heaters will have a chance to warm up the tube before high voltage is applied.  A type of delayed start. That is what soft start means to me. Nothing to do with keeping anything on when off.

 

[UmustBKidn]

  tubes have an arc'd lifespan where they suck then sound great then die. lifespans vary greatly however

 
This phenomenon may be explained by understanding the concept of an Electron Hole. In particular, the analogy of an electron hole to an empty seat in an auditorium is most useful.
 
No one likes a cold seat. It's much nicer to sit in a nice warm seat that has been occupied for a period of time. So, after a couple hours of operation, all of the Electron Holes have been warmed up, by virtue of electrons leaving the holes in favor of other positions within the auditorium.
 
In most auditoriums, this amount of activity is discouraged. In fact, movie theaters will escort you out if you spend any appreciable time changing seats, texting on your cell phone, humping your neighbor, or dropping popcorn down the back of the tops of girls sitting in front of you. A notable exception to this would be the energetic activity of the audiences viewing the Rocky Horror Picture Show of the late 70's. People showing up dressed as Dr. Frank N. Furter generated the most positive audience approval, resulting sometimes in violent exchanges of popcorn between audience members. Not to mention the frequent exchanges of seating arrangements.
 
In summary, tubes have an arced lifespan, where they suck then sound great then die. But when they sound great, well, it's a lot like good popcorn in a movie theater.

 

[Tuco1965]

 

[BLACKENEDPLAGUE]

I can live with that

 

[StanD]

What's next? Black Holes where sound enters but never leaves?

 

[Tuco1965]

  What's next? Black Holes where sound enters but never leaves?

 
I thought it was ... If Schiit plays in the forest and nobody hears it, does it really make a sound.

 

[StanD]

   
I thought it was ... If Schiit plays in the forest and nobody hears it, does it really make a sound.

I'd recommend that you turn on the power switch. 

 

 

[mwillits]

Brilliant systems! Can't see any weak spots there. But since we're human we can always come up w stuff... The XS are on ears, if I remember right. On ears sometimes bug me so I might look at over ear closed phones for comfort - eg, Momentums, focal, hp50, full size vmodas, etc. But that's just me projecting my personal ear comfort issues

 
Thanks! Yes, the VMODA XS are on ears. Jude's First Look video sold me on them. I have average sized ears, so the XS feels very comfortable to me. I'd imagine the Momentums would work fine for me given what I've read so far: for over ears, the Momentums tend to be a bit smaller in fit than others. I tried searching for some comments on the Momentums paired with an Asgard 2 and Bifrost Uber, but no luck yet (not surprised, unless I missed the thread somewhere). Guess I'll just have to order a pair and check them out for myself

 

[psonoda]

I thought it was ... If Schiit plays in the forest and nobody hears it, does it really make a sound.

No it doesn't. Making a sound requires three things: Event, Transmission and Reception. Without any of these things sound does not occur.

The event is obvious.

Transmission requires a suitable medium. For example, in a vacuum, there is no medium so in space you could have an event yet no sound.

Reception (the question here) is the third component. If the the event and transmission result in a ultrasonic or infrasonic frequency, the human ear cannot receive it and is inaudible. The reception does not occur. So if reception does not occur, then sound cannot occur.

I guess you could argue that it could it would be heard if someone was there. But isn't that a coulda woulda shoulda statement?

 

[nigeljames]

If an event occurs that produces sound and transmission is present, then what does whether anyone hears it or not matter.
 
If a block of flats falls down it will make a lot of noise. If no one is around to hear it are you saying that it fell silently.
 
Sound does not rely on ears to exist, if you have event causing sound and transmission then sound exists.

 

[45longcolt]

To say that a sound doesn't exist because nobody hears it is like asserting there are no words in a book that isn't being read - philosophically valid perhaps but nonsensical in the real world.
 
Also the tree-in-the-forest bit is unconscionably human-centric; what about the squirrels, deer and birds? Don't they count?