2. amps-preamps
  3. 187190-150037

How long does it take your tube amp to warm up?

My tube amplifier has about 12 tubes and takes a couple hours for it to open up and sound really good and comfortable to listen to. Always wondered why it takes so long for a tube amplifier to warm up and what’s happening during this phase.

If I left it on for six or seven hours would it sound even better? I normally don’t leave it on for more than four or five hours.

How long does it take your amplifiers to warm up?

emergingsoul
tomic601's avatar
tomic601
12,945 posts
 

30 minutes for my heavily modified MC240….. vintage 1961

tomic601's avatar
tomic601
12,945 posts
 

what might be a better ? to ask is do those big exotic caps and or cables ever form with the relatively tiny signal… ? see DBS patent… and ponder that the application of it might not be limited to just cables…..

chayro
2,998 posts
 

When I had my Viva, it was 45 minutes. Now I’m putting together an Audio Note system and I find it’s about 2 hours.  Peter Qvortrup leaves his tubes all the time I think. But that’s not a good idea for most people. 

noromance's avatar
noromance
9,857 posts
 

Turntable grease bearing takes 20 minutes to "warm up." By the time that’s done, all tube amps (RIAA/preamp/monoblocs) are ready to go. While things are technically available after 2 minutes, sound opens up and has more musical coherence after 20 minutes, and gets better by the hour. After 3-4 hours, system sounds best.

inna
7,296 posts
 

About 45-60 minutes for VAC Avatar SE, but you can listen to it after 10-15 minutes.

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