I just bought a Black Ice Fusion 3502 P Stereo Tube Power Amp (formerly Jolida) to replace my old Rogue Model 88 Magnum that took a dump for like the third time so I didn’t want to invest another dime in that amp.
The Black Ice may not be in the same class as the Linear Tube Audio but it sounds great to me. At least better than the Rogue.
The manual for the Black Ice states that they do not recommend leaving the amp on 24 hrs. a day as is the custom of some audiophiles to achieve max sonic performance on demand. While this is often recommended for solid-state equipment, Black Ice does not recommend this procedure for vacuum tube amps.
Now, there is a power switch on the back of the unit and one on the front panel. The one on the back is to be left on all the time. To operate the unit, press the switch located on the front panel to turn the power on. The indicator will flash red. Within a few seconds (seems longer) the tubes will begin to glow a soft orange color and the power switch will turn blue.
This was taken from the manual. I’m not exactly sure what is happening when the power switch is flashing ’red’ when first turned on but I assume that it’s some type of soft-start circuitry? I may be wrong as I don’t know enough about electrical engineering so I’m making an educated guess.
Anyhow, the manual clearly states not to leave it on all the time to preserve tube life.
Take that for what it’s worth but it seems like good sound advice coming directly from the manufacturer that I’m all too happy to follow.
If I plan to listen on and off during the day, I leave the amp on until I’m done for the day. It seems like it takes only about 5-10 minutes to warm up. But, I haven’t really evaluated the sound immediately after turning it on as I assume it’s not going to sound it’s best anyway so I usually give it 10 minutes before listening.
The Black Ice may not be in the same class as the Linear Tube Audio but it sounds great to me. At least better than the Rogue.
The manual for the Black Ice states that they do not recommend leaving the amp on 24 hrs. a day as is the custom of some audiophiles to achieve max sonic performance on demand. While this is often recommended for solid-state equipment, Black Ice does not recommend this procedure for vacuum tube amps.
Now, there is a power switch on the back of the unit and one on the front panel. The one on the back is to be left on all the time. To operate the unit, press the switch located on the front panel to turn the power on. The indicator will flash red. Within a few seconds (seems longer) the tubes will begin to glow a soft orange color and the power switch will turn blue.
This was taken from the manual. I’m not exactly sure what is happening when the power switch is flashing ’red’ when first turned on but I assume that it’s some type of soft-start circuitry? I may be wrong as I don’t know enough about electrical engineering so I’m making an educated guess.
Anyhow, the manual clearly states not to leave it on all the time to preserve tube life.
Take that for what it’s worth but it seems like good sound advice coming directly from the manufacturer that I’m all too happy to follow.
If I plan to listen on and off during the day, I leave the amp on until I’m done for the day. It seems like it takes only about 5-10 minutes to warm up. But, I haven’t really evaluated the sound immediately after turning it on as I assume it’s not going to sound it’s best anyway so I usually give it 10 minutes before listening.