2. amps-preamps
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Does anyone leave their amp and preamp on all the time?

I listen most nights after work. I find that the system takes a while to warm up and sounds it's best if it has been shut off. So I leave it on. I always have and this is vintage stuff. The amp is a 25/25 Bedini class A. It stays warm but never hot. It has never caused an issue but recently I've been speaking with others that were stunned that I would do this. So let me know if I'm the only one that lets it run. Do you shut off the equipment after each session?
vinylfan62
dohanian
12 posts
 
I have a VAC Auricle preamp (w/phono stage). I called VAC, and Brent, their head tech said tube wear is less by leaving it on all the time. The VAC monoblocks are turned on only when in use. 
For solid state gear, including power amps, it is the on/off power pulses that wear out components. Anything with a motor (CD players, open reel tape machines, etc.) should not be left on when not in use.
It has worked for me.
wolf_garcia
6,695 posts
 
Preamp tube wear is less when left on? That is utterly positively and absolutely not true. Also, the myth that power amps suffer from on/off power pulses might be true for poorly designed gear, but I've owned lots of amps over 5 decades and that has never been an issue.
atmasphere's avatar
atmasphere
11,785 posts
 
When I owned a solid state preamp many years ago, it had to be on for about a week before it sounded right. Friends of mine with solid state preamps tell me that the week long thing really hasn't changed.

My current preamp is all tube and has to be on for about 20 minutes to sound right, and seems to get to where the warmup is going after about 2 hours.
grannyring's avatar
grannyring
6,468 posts
 
Tube Research Labs builder and founder also told me it was easier on the tubes to stay on.  The way he used the 6sn7 tube in the preamp sure gave it long life and I did leave it on.  
tomcy6's avatar
tomcy6
2,587 posts
 
Many amps and preamps have warm up cycles of a minute or less so that the tubes are brought up to full power slowly. How would this feature figure into the leave on/turn off debate?
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