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must you play music to break in tubes

I have some GE 12ax7 longplate tubes that make some loud crackling noises.  The Seller claimed that this is common with nos tubes and that it will go away after they are broken in, but it is too alarming to hear and sounds risky to the speakers.  Might leaving the amp powered up for a while, but with no signal passing, break them in adequately?  Kind of hate wasting the power tubes lifetimes, but I don't have any old tubes to use in that amp.

128x128lloydc
jond's avatar
jond
5,696 posts
 

If your amps are on just play music and on the subject of crackling it can sometimes subside but not always. The crackling will not hurt your speakers in any way.

yogiboy's avatar
yogiboy
5,521 posts
 

I use all GE 12 type tubes in my amps and that loud cracking sound is a tube failure. The seller is giving you a line of BS!

noromance's avatar
noromance
9,573 posts
 

Never heard that before. Sounds suspect. 

ghdprentice
6,530 posts
 

New tubes occasionally crackle a little for a couple hours… but at very very low volumes. I have never heard any tubes make sounds loud enough to think of calling or writing about it.

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