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Warm Tubes

I've been reading up on tube pre amps and in particular the ConradJohnsons. In different posts prople have mentioned that the keep their pre on all the time or 1 hour warm-ups, etc. Never have been around tubes audio so evn though it seems obvious it still suprised me. No just flipping on the system. Is a system warm up of an hour or more the rule? Any other nuances with tubed equipment I should be aware of? Thanks, Dave
italian
larryi
4,106 posts
 
Most tube gear I've used sound pretty good with 10-15 minutes of warm up. Solid state stuff can take MUCH longer, which is why I leave my solid state stuff (preamp and CD player) on all the time.
newbee
4,775 posts
 
Most tube equipment benefits from being turned off when not in use (saves tube wear and other component deterioration due to excessive heat such as can be generated in tube amps) and a warmup period before serious listening. I've found with my stuff that 30 minutes is plenty. There are amps, pre-amps and DAC's that have a "rest" position which reduce current to a minimum and extend tube life, however, when you think about it if you only have one piece with a rest function you still have to wait for the other stuff to warm up. The are also a few DAC's and pre-amps that place minimal demand on their tubes and can be left on 24/7 (I have and EAR which will give me up to 5 years per set when left on 24/7).
downunder
1,329 posts
 
I owned cj prem 16 and prem 8a's and Larry1 is correct. After 10-15 minutes the tubes sound fine. Leave them on all day and you will be replacing tubes very quickly
aroc
760 posts
 
Ditto. 10-15 minutes here. By cartidge takes longer to "warm up" (4 sides of an LP) than my tube pre and tube amp do. Actually the cart is "mostly" ready-to-go after about 7 minutes on the first side, but it sounds a little "flat" and "lifeless" until about 4 plays. After which it starts to sound way more "liquid." But that is probably my POS Music Hall Tracker cart ($79 Goldring Elan OEM?) more than anything else.
douglas_schroeder
3,281 posts
 
I just switched from an Audio Research LS-9 pre (solid state) to a Rogue Audio Magnum 66 (tube). Three things dramatically improved: power-I couldn't believe how much more visceral ooomph was allowed to flow through the speakers! Detail- a nice jump in finesse on strings, cymbals, etc. Warmth- the music sounds more live and is completely non-fatiguing to hear.

Some tube preamps suggest you don't leave them on, such as the Rogue. They use outbaord power supply and a '2 stage' startup with a gentle start for the tubes. To me, the pre sounds fabulous from the get go! As good when turned on as an hour later.
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